401(k) – A retirement plan through your employer that gets special tax treatment by the IRS

403(b) – A retirement plan through your non-profit employer that gets special tax treatment by the IRS

Broker – Individual or entity that buys and sells assets on your behalf

Brokerage Account – An investment account opened with a brokerage company. Not a retirement account where the IRS gives special tax treatments and rules regarding contributions and withdrawals

Capital Gains – The earnings made from an investment before taxes
Compounding Growth – Where an asset’s earnings are reinvested to generate additional returns

Consumer Price Index (CPI) – A measure that tracks the price of goods and services Contribution Limit – The maximum amount you can contribute to your retirement plan

Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA) – Contributing the same dollar amount to your investment with consistent frequency

Domestic Stocks – Stocks that are located in the country you live in Employer-Sponsored Plan – A retirement plan through your employer

Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) – A fund traded on a stock exchange that usually tracks the performance of an index or asset

Indicator – A tool used to help predict the direction or climate of a financial asset or the stock market Individual Retirement Account (IRA) – A retirement plan, not associated with an employer, that an individual can open and contribute to, that gets special tax treatment by the IRS

Inflation – an increase in prices and decrease in the value of money

Return – is the money made or lost on an investment over a period of time

Index Fund – A portfolio of stocks and bonds made to copy the make-up and performance of a financial index

International Stocks – Stocks that are located in a foreign country
Mutual Fund – A pooled investment where many investors contribute to the fund and the money is invested in stocks, bonds, etc
Recession – A downturn in the economy for an extended period of time

S&P 500 – An index of the 500 largest publicly listed companies in the United States
Stock Market – Where buyers and sellers meet to purchase and sell shares of public companies

Supply and Demand – The amount of goods and services available in comparison to the amount of goods and services consumers want to buy

Unrealized Gain/Loss – The gain or loss from an investment that has not been locked in because the investment has not been sold

Withdrawal – Taking money from an investment account, usually referring to a retirement account, such as a 401(k)