A fund that combines both equity and fixed-income products to provide investors with a degree of both capital protection and capital appreciation. These funds use fixed-income securities to give the fund capital protection through principal repayment along with the added gain of interest payments. The fund uses options, futures and other derivatives, which are often based on market indexes, to provide exposure to capital appreciation. These products are attractive to investors looking for downside protection who would also like to see gains from upside movements in the markets. Depending on the fund, the exact products and guarantees will vary. For example, if an S&P 500 structured fund protects 80% of its principal, this means that it will invest 80% of its funds in fixed-income products with little chance of falling below the principal amount. The rest of the fund is invested in derivatives that are exposed to the S&P 500 index. Investor will gain as the S&P 500 advances and will lose as it falls, but the fund won't fall below 80% of its starting value.
A security that is not registered with the SEC, and so cannot be sold publicly in the marketplace. The name comes from the SEC requirement for an "investment letter" from the purchaser, stating that the purchase is for investment purposes and is not intended for resale. Also known as letter stock or letter bond.
The currency abbreviation for the Venezuelan bolivar (VEB), the currency for Venezuela from 1879 to January 2008. The Venezuelan bolivar was made up of 100 céntimos and was presented with the symbol Bs. The Venezuelan bolivar was replaced with the bolivar fuerte (VEF) at a rate of 1000:1 because the bolivar was so devalued due to inflation. Bolivar fuerte is translated in English as "strong bolivar." |||Initially based on the silver standard (1 bolivar = 4.5 grams (0.1575 ounces) of fine silver) until 1910 when the gold standard came into operation. In 1934, the bolivar became fixed to the U.S. dollar at a rate of 3.914 bolivar to 1 U.S. dollar. The currency remained very stable (when compared to others in the region) until the 1970s, when rampant inflation began to erode its value.
The rate of change for delta with respect to the underlying asset's price. Mathematically, gamma is the first derivative of delta and is used when trying to gauge the price of an option relative to the amount it is in or out of the money. When the option being measured is deep in or out of the money, gamma is small. When the option is near the money, gamma is largest.
In accounting, an inventory distribution method in which the inventory with the highest cost of purchase is the first to be used or taken out of stock. This will impact the company's books such that for any given period of time, the inventory expense will be the highest possible. |||Companies would likely choose to use the HIFO inventory method if they wanted to decrease their taxable income for a period of time. Because the inventory that is recorded as used up is always the most expensive inventory the company has (regardless of when the inventory was purchased), the company will always be recording maximum cost of goods sold.Contrast this with other inventory recognition methods such as last in, first out (LIFO), in which the most recently purchased inventory is recorded as used first, or first in, first out (FIFO), in which the oldest inventory is recorded as used first. Companies may occasionally change their inventory methods in order to smooth their financial performance.
A saying often used in investing that acknowledges the tendency among investors to sell winning positions too early. Most traders tend to take gains off the table early out of fear that they will evaporate quickly, while they also tend to hold onto large losing positions in the hope that they will turn around. The key to letting your profits run is to not panic when volatility increases and to maintain your convictions about why you entered into the trade. Cutting losses before they become substantial is a key part of implementing this strategy. Successful investors can lose over half the time as long as losses are not allowed to compound. Giving profitable trades room to continue their upward climb takes a tremendous amount of courage, but it will likely pay off in the future.
A health insurance plan that has a high minimum deductible, which does not cover the initial costs or all of the costs of medical expenses. The deductible forces the insurance holder to pay the first portion of a medical expense before the insurance coverage kicks in. The minimum deductible for a plan to fall into the category of an HDHP varies each year. In 2006, it was more than $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for families. |||These health plans became more common when the new health savings account (HSA) legislation was signed into law in 2003. In order to open an HSA account, an individual must first have an HDHP. These high-deductible health plans are thought to lower overall healthcare costs by forcing individuals to be more conscious of medical expenses. The higher deductible also lowers insurance premiums, making health coverage more affordable.
A portfolio strategy that involves periodically rebalancing the portfolio in order to maintain a long-term goal for 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 given market conditions, the portfolio constantly needs to be re-adjusted to meet the policy.