What are Risk-Weighted Assets? Risk-weighted assets is a banking term that refers to an asset classification system that is used to determine the minimum capital that banks should keep as a reserve to reduce the risk of insolvency. Banks face the risk of loan borrowers defaulting or investments flatlining, and maintaining a minimum amount of...
What is the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-2009? The Global Financial Crisis of 2008-2009 refers to the massive financial crisis the world faced from 2008 to 2009. The financial crisis took its toll on individuals and institutions around the globe, with millions of American being deeply impacted. Financial institutions started to sink, many were absorbed...
What is the Federal Funds Rate? In the United States, the federal funds rate refers to the interest rate that depository institutions (such as banks and credit unions) charge other depository institutions for overnight lending of capital from their reserve balances on an uncollateralized basis. Types of Rates There are two types of federal funds...
What is a Leveraged Loan? A leveraged loan is a loan that is extended to businesses that (1) already hold short or long-term debt on their books or (2) with a poor credit rating/history. Leveraged loans are significantly riskier than traditional loans, and, as such, lenders typically demand a higher interest rate to reflect the...
What is a Direct Listing? A direct listing is a process by which a company can go public by selling existing shares instead of offering new ones. Companies that choose to go public using the direct listing method usually have different goals than those that use an initial public offering (IPO). Direct Listing vs. Initial...