Financial Glossary

Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®)

An advisor who holds a legal or ethical relationship with the client.There cannot be any product sales for commission or conflicts of interest. Client’s interest always comes first.

Closed-End Fund (CEF)

A Publicly traded investment company that invests in a variety of securities, like stocks and bonds. The fund raises capital primarily through an initial public offering (IPO). CEF shares and the proceeds are invested according to the fund’s investment objectives. “Closed” refers to the fact that, once the capital is raised, there are typically no more shares available from the fund sponsor and the issuance of new shares is closed to investors. Closed-end funds can create leverage by borrowing at short-term rates or issuing preferred shares that pay dividends at short-term rates, then using that money to invest in strategies or instruments providing longer-term returns.

Exchange-Traded Funds

ETFs combine many of the benefits of an index mutual fund with the flexibility of stocks. Like mutual funds, ETFs enable you to invest in a pool of securities in one transaction. And similar to stocks, ETFs are listed on a stock exchange so you may purchase them through a brokerage or advisory account. ETFs offer stock-like trading features that enable you to trade throughout the day, utilize limit and stop orders, and even short-sell.

Fixed Income

Periodic investment income produced for investors at reasonably predictable levels by a variety of municipal, corporate and government agency bonds and other high-yielding securities.

Fundamental Screening

Using revenues, earnings, future growth, return on equity, profit margins, and other data to determine a company’s underlying value and the potential for future growth.

Indexes

An index is an imaginary portfolio of securities representing a particular market or a portion of it. Stock and bond market indexes are used as a benchmark to compare mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) whose portfolios mirror the components of the index.

Macroeconomic Trends

The behavior of the aggregate economy, including economy-wide phenomena such as changes in unemployment, national income, rate of growth, gross domestic product, inflation and price levels.

Mutual Funds

A variety of stocks, bonds, or securities, grouped together, managed (bought and sold) by a professional investment company and purchased by individual investors through shares.

Quantitative Analysis

A financial analysis technique that seeks to understand behavior by using complex mathematical and statistical modeling to assign a numerical value to variables and replicate reality. mathematically.

Stocks

Ownership of a corporation represented by shares that are a claim on the corporation’s earnings and assets.

Strategic Asset Allocation

At the inception of the portfolio, a “base policy mix” is established based on expected returns. Because the value of assets can change due to market performance, the portfolio should be periodically rebalanced.

Tactical Asset Allocation

This is a moderately active strategy that allows money managers to increase market value by taking advantage of certain situations in the marketplace. When targeted short-term profits are achieved, the manager returns to the portfolio’s original strategic asset mix.