Here is glossary of key investment terms:
Asset Class
A group of securities or investments that have similar characteristics and behave similarly in the marketplace. The three main asset classes are equities (stocks), fixed income (bonds), and cash equivalents (money market funds) .
Bull Market
A market in which prices are advancing in an upward trend. Someone is bullish if they believe the value of a security or market will rise .
Bear Market
A prolonged period of falling stock prices, usually marked by a decline of 20% or more. A market in which prices decline sharply against a background of widespread pessimism, growing unemployment or business recession .
Bond
A debt investment in which you lend money to an entity (typically a corporate company or government) for a defined period of time at a variable or fixed interest rate .
Dividend
A portion of a company's earnings that's normally paid out to shareholders in the form of cash .
Equity
A security or investment representing ownership in a company. Also known as a stock .
Expense Ratio
A measure of what it costs to operate a fund, expressed as a percentage of its assets .
Mutual Fund
A type of collective investment scheme that enables you to pool your money with other investors who have similar investment objectives. You buy and sell units of the scheme .
Risk
The potential for loss accepted by an investor in the pursuit of investment return; alternatively, the uncertainty associated with the end-of-period value of an investment .
Stock
An investment share issued by a company listed on a securities exchange .