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
DDDue diligence
NFTNon-fungible token
BTDBuy the dip
AHTAfter-hours trading
CADCanadian dollar
BullishPositive outlook
Diamond handsTo hold a stock through losses
EUREuro
ROIReturn on investment
GNPGross National Product
BearishNegative outlook
FAANGFacebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google
J-PowJerome Powell
Crypto MomSEC Commissioner Hester Peirce
DYORDo your own research
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
Buy the dipBuy an asset at a low price
NGMINot gonna make it
YTDYear-to-date
USDUnited States dollars
AUDAustralian dollar
Q1First quarter
Q4Fourth quarter
P/EPrice-to-Earnings Ratio
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
ICOInitial coin offering
DeFiDecentralized finance
CUCredit union
BTFDBuy the freaking dip
ShrinkflationCharging the same price for less product
BAYCBored Ape Yacht Club
IPOInitial public offering
CEOChief executive officer
CEChief executive
GBPBritish pound
JPYJapanese yen
Q3Third quarter
APAccounts payable
ARAccounts receivable
B2CBusiness-to-consumer
hqHeadquarters
PBTProfit before tax
GDPGross Domestic Product
ROICReturn on invested capital
ROEReturn on equity
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
SBFSam Bankman-Fried
WAGMIWe're all gonna make it
HCOLHigh cost of living
ButtcoinA community of cryptocurrency haters
3QThird quarter
1QFirst quarter
ESGEnvironment, Social, and Governance
AMLAnti money laundering
SSLSecure Sockets Layer
MDManaging Director
CPCCost per click
CHFSwiss franc
NSONon-qualified stock option
NQONon-qualified 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
LOILetter of intent
ROAReturn on assets
TSRTotal shareholder return
RONWReturn on net worth
Three-baggerInvestment that tripled
Four-baggerInvestment that quadrupled
ATSAutomatic transfer service
FICOFair Isaac Corporation
SWOTStrengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
NSFNon-sufficient funds
Bitcoin Pizza DayMay 22, 2010
RuggedScammed
NFANot financial advice
2QSecond quarter
4QFourth quarter
Blue-collar boomerangWorkers returning to their blue-collar jobs
KPIKey performance indicator
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
ARRAnnual recurring revenue
CFOChief financial officer
FRBFederal Reserve Board
FPLFederal poverty level
ECPElectronic check presentment
FUTAFederal Unemployment Tax Act