Financial Slang

The financial world has a vocabulary of its own. Mixed into the financial lexicon are hundreds of acronyms and abbreviations. While knowing financial slang might not make you a money expert, the terms on this page will at least help you understand financial news and market information.

Slang Term Meaning Votes
Paper handsTo sell a stock at the first sign of trouble
Meme stockA stock hyped on social media
APRAnnual percentage rate
IRSInternal Revenue Service
CryptoCryptocurrency
BagholderA person who fails to sell a stock before it crashes
BullishPositive outlook
NFTNon-fungible token
BTDBuy the dip
AHTAfter-hours trading
DDDue diligence
Diamond handsTo hold a stock through losses
Crypto MomSEC Commissioner Hester Peirce
DYORDo your own research
USDUnited States dollars
CADCanadian dollar
EUREuro
ROIReturn on investment
GNPGross National Product
BearishNegative outlook
FAANGFacebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google
Buy the dipBuy an asset at a low price
YTDYear-to-date
AUDAustralian dollar
ISOIncentive stock option
EBTEarnings before taxes
H1First half
B2BBusiness-to-business
CPACertified Public Accountant
NYSENew York Stock Exchange
W4Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate
CDCertificate of deposit
EFTElectronic funds transfer
ForexForeign exchange market
APYAnnual percentage yield
EMVEuropay, MasterCard, and Visa
WATCHWalmart, Amazon, Target, Costco, Home Depot
tendiesChicken tenders
J-PowJerome Powell
ICOInitial coin offering
NGMINot gonna make it
CEOChief executive officer
JPYJapanese yen
Q1First quarter
EPSEarnings per share
AGIAdjusted gross income
W2Wage and Tax Statement
Two-baggerInvestment that doubled
GrexitGreek exit
NocoinerA person who owns no cryptocurrency
Cold storageA cryptocurrency wallet not connected to the Internet
DeFiDecentralized finance
CUCredit union
ShrinkflationCharging the same price for less product
BAYCBored Ape Yacht Club
1QFirst quarter
ARRAnnual recurring revenue
IPOInitial public offering
CEChief executive
GBPBritish pound
Q3Third quarter
Q4Fourth quarter
P/EPrice-to-Earnings Ratio
APAccounts payable
ARAccounts receivable
B2CBusiness-to-consumer
hqHeadquarters
PBTProfit before tax
GDPGross Domestic Product
LOILetter of intent
ROICReturn on invested capital
ROAReturn on assets
ROEReturn on equity
SWOTStrengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
HELOCHome equity line of credit
Retail investorIndividual, non-professional investor
QuantQuantitative analyst
HODLHold on for dear life
BrainwalletA memorized Bitcoin seed phrase
Pink taxIncreased prices on women's products
Hot walletA cryptocurrency wallet connected to the Internet
AirdropA cryptocurrency marketing event
DustTiny amounts of cryptocurrency
Rug pullA cryptocurrency scam
BTFDBuy the freaking dip
WAGMIWe're all gonna make it
HCOLHigh cost of living
ButtcoinA community of cryptocurrency haters
3QThird quarter
KPIKey performance indicator
ESGEnvironment, Social, and Governance
AMLAnti money laundering
PLGProduct-led growth
SSLSecure Sockets Layer
MDManaging Director
CPCCost per click
CHFSwiss franc
NSONon-qualified stock option
NQSONon-qualified stock option
Q2Second quarter
IRAIndividual Retirement Account
H2Second half
YEYear-ending
AIRAssumed interest rate
COOChief operating officer
PATProfit after taxes
Big BoardNew York Stock Exchange
FICAFederal Insurance Contributions Act
SUTAState Unemployed Tax Act
SUIState Unemployment Insurance
eeEmployee
erEmployer
SSNSocial Security number
ARMAdjustable rate mortgage
FDICFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation
ETFExchange traded fund
FXForeign exchange market
FRBFederal Reserve Board
TSRTotal shareholder return
RONWReturn on net worth
Three-baggerInvestment that tripled
Four-baggerInvestment that quadrupled
ATSAutomatic transfer service
FICOFair Isaac Corporation
NSFNon-sufficient funds
Bitcoin Pizza DayMay 22, 2010
RuggedScammed
SBFSam Bankman-Fried
NFANot financial advice
2QSecond quarter
4QFourth quarter
Blue-collar boomerangWorkers returning to their blue-collar jobs
CFTCombating the Financing of Terrorism
Soft savingSaving less money for the future to live more in the present
FIREFinancial independence, retire early
OTDOne-time draft
Bougie brokeLuxurious lifestyle on a budget
MRRMonthly recurring revenue
CSRDCorporate Sustainability Reporting Directive
BNPLBuy now pay later
Magnificent SevenSeven high-value tech companies
CFOChief financial officer
NQONon-qualified option
FPLFederal poverty level
ECPElectronic check presentment
MENAThe Middle East and North Africa
TAMTotal addressable market
EMEAEurope, the Middle East, and Africa
FUTAFederal Unemployment Tax Act