With recent headlines about banks collapsing and needing government bailouts, the world of finance can seem overwhelming and confusing. Between banking terms, acronyms, and jargon, it can be tough to keep up with what everything means. However, it’s essential to understand these key terms, particularly when they relate to the stability or instability of the financial sector. In this article, we’ll break down some of the essential terms you’ve been hearing and give you a guide to understanding them.
Important Details about Confused about the bank meltdown? Here’s how to speak Wall Street –
– Wall Street can be confusing with its jargon, banking terms, and acronyms.
– Recent events, such as the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse’s need for a lifeline, and instability at First Republic, have made finance a national concern.
– The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) is an independent government agency that protects depositors in banks and can step in when institutions fail to operate properly.
– The standard insurance amount for depositors in failed banks is $250,000 per account ownership category.
– Bailouts are government interventions aimed at providing financial support to failing institutions.
– Liquidity refers to an institution’s ability to turn an asset into cash quickly without losing its value.
– Deposits are cash put into bank accounts, while withdrawals are the money taken out. A bank run is when clients withdraw money all at once due to rumors or panic.
– A bank with a ratio above 100% loans out more money than it has deposits.
– Treasuries are investments backed by the US government and known to be one of the safest. They include Treasury Bills, Treasury Bonds, and Treasury Notes.
– Assets refer to anything that can be used to generate cash flow, including tangible assets such as stocks and buildings and intangible assets such as brand.
– Inflows are the money going into a business, while outflows are the cash leaving it.
– Restructuring refers to alternative steps a business takes to meet its goals, including diversification and product development, and might involve putting the company up for sale.
– A stock market panic is a rapid and mass selling of stock based on upcoming fears, such as rumors of a bank collapse.
– Dividends are cash or other rewards gifted to shareholders.
– Lifeline is an action that lets a company keep surviving, such as obtaining a financial support package like the one Credit Suisse recently received.
– Backstop is a last-resort financial protection, almost like an insurance policy.
– The FDIC can use the systemic risk exception, which is a system that lets them take action on a bank crisis that could bring down the entire sector with it.
– The Fed’s discount window is their primary tool for lending money to banks and providing them with more liquidity and stability.
Understanding Wall Street Jargon: A Beginner’s Guide
Wall Street can seem overwhelming, with its abundance of jargon, financial terms, and acronyms that can leave even the most seasoned investors scratching their heads. Headlines this week, from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank to Credit Suisse’s need for a lifeline to instability at First Republic, have made the business of finance a national concern. This beginner’s guide will help you make sense of all the key terms you’ve been hearing.
FDIC
FDIC stands for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which is an independent government agency responsible for protecting depositors in banks. The FDIC is one of the main regulators of banks and plays a pivotal role whenever banking failures occur. They step in to make sure the institutions are operating correctly, and depositors are not at risk of losing their money.
Deposit Insurance
When a bank fails, the standard insurance amount a depositor receives is $250,000 per account category, per insured bank. This insurance covers any losses incurred by the depositor in case of a bank failure.
Bailout
A bailout involves providing financial support to an institution that would otherwise collapse. Bailouts are usually associated with government intervention, as seen during the 2008 financial crisis. Government intervention can involve steps such as providing financial assistance to the institution or taking over ownership of the institution.
Rescue Mission
A rescue mission is different from a bailout in that it involves providing support to an institution without taking ownership of it. The government may step in and provide assistance, but it does not take ownership of the institution.
Liquidity
Liquidity is a measure of how easily a company or bank can turn an asset to cash without losing a ton of its value. Liquidity can be used to gauge the ability to pay off short-term loans or other bills. People feel comfortable in liquid markets because it’s generally easy to buy and sell.
Deposits and Withdrawals
Deposits are cash you put into your bank account, and withdrawals are money that’s taken out. A bank run is when a rush of clients withdraw money all at once, often due to rumor or panic.
Loan-to-Deposit Ratio
If a bank has a ratio above 100% (like First Republic), then it loans out more money than it has deposits. That’s not a good situation to be in.
Treasuries
Investments backed by the US government – Treasuries are known to be one of the safest investments out there. They include Treasury Bills, Treasury Bonds, and Treasury Notes. However, Treasuries are sensitive to broader economic conditions like inflation and changing interest rates.
Treasury Portfolio
A Treasury Portfolio is a collection of Treasuries that an institution holds as an investment. The value of an institution’s Treasuries portfolio can be impacted by changes in interest rates.
Asset
Anything that could be used to generate cash flow. That could be tangible assets like stocks and buildings, or intangible assets like brand
Inflow and Outflow
Inflow is the money going into a business – think from product sales and from smart investments. Outflow is cash leaving the business.
Strategic Alternatives
Technically, it’s alternative steps a business takes to meet its goals. That could include strategies like diversifying and product development.
Sell-off
A rapid and massive selling of a stock based on an upcoming fear – like rumors of a bank collapse.
Dividends
Cash or other rewards companies gift to their shareholders.
Lifeline
A lifeline is an action that lets a company keep surviving. For example, Credit Suisse just got a $54 billion lifeline from the Swiss central bank, though that hasn’t entirely quelled investor fears yet. Another bank that benefited from a lifeline is First Republic, when 11 banks deposited $30 billion.
Backstop
A backstop is a term used to describe a last-resort financial protection, almost like an insurance policy. It’s a secondary source of funds through either credit support or guaranteed payment for unsubscribed shares.
Systemic Risk Exception
Systemic Risk Exception is a system used by the FDIC that enables it to take action on a bank crisis that could drag down the entire sector with it. Though it’s relatively rare to implement it, the FDIC used this exception to take over SVB and Signature Bank last week.
Discount Window
The Discount Window is the Fed’s primary method of lending money to banks directly, and providing them with more liquidity and stability. The loans last up to 90 days. Many banks are utilizing this tool right now because the Fed made it easier to borrow from the discount window in the wake of SVB to avoid further bank runs.
In conclusion, understanding the jargon of Wall Street can seem overwhelming but is a necessary skill for any investor. While these terms may appear daunting, they will become more accessible over time. The beginner’s guide above will serve as a quick reference to help you make sense of the complex jargon regularly used in finance.