EXPAND HORIZONS. SHARE WEALTH.
WIN AT LIFE
WEALTH SENSE FINANCIAL ACRONYMS REVEALED
The financial and wealth industry is one of the most acronym-laden businesses out there. Step into any financial institution and you'll be bombarded with one acronym after another. We can all sit around and complain. Or we can empower ourselves with a knowledge of these acronyms as well. To help in the study process, you can print a PDF version at the bottom of this page.
​
You're welcome!
ABS: Asset Backed Security
ADR: American Depository Receipt
AMEX: American Stock Exchange
APR: Annual Percentage Rate
ARM: Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
​
BIPS: Basis Points
BoC: Bank of Canada
BoE: Bank of England
BoJ: Bank of Japan
BTC: Bitcoin
​
CD: Certificate of Deposit
CDS: Credit Default Swap
CEA: Certified Estate Advisor
CEO: Chief Executive Officer
CESG: Canada Education Savings Grant
CFA: Chartered Financial Analyst
CFO: Chief Financial Officer
CFP: Certified Financial Planner
CIM: Chartered Investment Manager
CIO: Chief Investment Officer
CME: Chicago Mercantile Exchange
CMO: Chief Marketing Officer
CMHC: Canadian Mortgage & Housing Corp.
COLA: Cost of Living Adjustment
COO: Chief Operating Officer
CPA: Chartered Professional Accountant
CPI: Consumer Price Index
CRA: Canada Revenue Agency
​
DJIA: Dow Jones Industrial Average
DRIP: Dividend Reinvestment Plan
​
EAFE: Europe, Australasia & Far East
EBIT: Earnings Before Interest & Taxes
EBITA: Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation & Amortization
ECB: European Central Bank
EFT: Electronic Funds Transfer
EPS: Earnings Per Share
ETF: Exchange Traded Fund
EV: Enterprise Value
​
FCF: Free Cash Flow
FDIC: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
FED: Federal Reserve System
(i.e. US Central Bank)
FOMC: Federal Open Market Committee
FP: Financial Planner
FV: Future Value
​
GAAP: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
GATT: General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade
GDP: Gross Domestic Product
GDSR: Gross Debt Servicing Ratio
GIC: Guaranteed Investment Certificate
GNP: Gross National Product
GVA: Gross Value Added
​
HFT: High-Frequency Trading
HELOC: Home Equity Line of Credit
​
IA: Investment Advisor
IMF: International Monetary Fund
IPO: Initial Public Offering
IRA: Individual Retirement Account
IRR: Internal Rate of Return
ISM: Institute of Supply Management
IRS: Internal Revenue Service
​
JTWROS: Joint Tenant With Rights of Survivorship
KYC: Know Your Client (or Customer)
​
LBO: Leveraged Buyout
LIBOR: London Interbank Offer Rate
LIF: Life Income Fund
LIRA: Locked-In Retirement Account
LRSP: Locked-In Retirement Savings Plan
LTRO: Long-Term Refinancing Operations
LTV: Loan-to-Value Ratio
​
M&A: Mergers & Acquisitions
MBS: Mortgage-Backed Security
MER: Management Expense Ratio
​
NAV: Net Asset Value
NOI: Net Operating Income
NSF: Non-Sufficient Funds
NYMEX: New York Mercantile Exchange
NYSE: New York Stock Exchange
​
OECD: Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development
OPEC: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
OTC: Over the Counter
​
PBoC: People's Bank of China
PE: Price Earnings Ratio
PEG: Price Earnings Growth
P&I: Principal & Interest
P&L: Profit & Loss
PLC: Personal Line of Credit
PM: Portfolio Manager
POA: Power of Attorney
POS: Point of Sale
PPI: Producer Price Index
PV: Present Value
​
QE: Quantitative Easing
QT: Quantitative Tightening
​
RDSP: Registered Disability Savings Plan
RGL: Realized Gain or Loss
REIT: Real Estate Investment Trust
RESP: Registered Education Savings Plan
RIP: Regular Investment Plan
ROA: Return on Assets
ROC: Return on Capital
ROCE: Return on Capital Employed
ROE: Return on Equity
ROI: Return on Investment
RRIF: Registered Retirement Income Fund
RRSP: Registered Retirement Savings Plan
​
S&P: Standard & Poor's
SDR: Special Drawing Rights
SEC: Securities & Exchange Commission
SIP: Systematic Investment Plan
SME: Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises
SWIFT: Society of Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications
SWP: Systematic Withdrawal Plan
​
TDSR: Total Debt Servicing Ratio
TFSA: Tax-Free Savings Account
TSX: Toronto Stock Exchange
​
VAR: Value At Risk
​
WACC: Weighted Average Cost of Capital
WTO: World Trade Organization
​
YTC: Yield to Call
YTM: Yield to Maturity