Key finance Terms Explained
Essential terminology you need to understand finance news. Each term is explained in plain language with context for how it appears in current reporting.
Fed Funds Rate
The interest rate at which banks lend reserves to each other overnight
Yield Curve
Graph showing bond yields across different maturities (inversion signals recession)
Fintech
Technology-driven financial services (payments, lending, insurance)
AUM (Assets Under Management)
Total market value of investments managed by a firm
Basis Points
One hundredth of a percentage point (100 bps = 1%)
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These terms appear frequently in finance reporting. Bookmark this page as a quick reference when reading our latest intelligence briefs.
Terms are sourced from stories that clear our classification pipeline at a minimum 35 percent relevance threshold. According to that methodology, reviewed July 2026, this follows multi-source corroboration standards recommended by journalism research bodies such as the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.