DECA Cluster Exams(ICDC Level)

Profit Margin

A measurement of the profitability a business makes expressing net income as a percentage of its revenue.

Cash Flow

The amount of cash and cash equivalents moving in and out of a company.

Equity

Ownership investment in a business calculated by subtracting total assets by total liabilities.

Liquidity

How quickly can assets be turned into cash by a business.

Capital

Financial resources that a business owns to fund operations and generate revenue

Administrative Law

Body of law that pertains to the administrative agencies of the government

Consent Order

An agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to cease illegal activity to save its image without admitting guilt.

Agreement of Sale

A contract that outlines the terms and conditions over the sale of goods and property between a buyer and seller.

Anti-Trust Laws

Laws intended to promote fair competition and prevent monopolistic practices such as price fixing, market allocation, and monopolies.

Appropriation Tort

A tort that involves using a person’s name, image, and likeness for personal gain.

Do not call laws

Regulations that prevent telemarketers from making calls to numbers that are registered under the “do not call” registry

Landham Act

The primary federal trademark statute in the United States dealing with trademark registration, infringement and unfair competition.

Federal Trade Commission

An independent agency of the U.S Government that protects consumers from deceptive business practices and promote competition.

Trade Character

A fictional or real character that is used by marketers for brands to enhance recognition and appeal

Source Marking

Marking products and goods based on the origin and manufacturer

Human Resources

The department of a business or a organization that deals with topics pertaining to employees like hiring, staffing, and compensation

Employee Engagement

Level of an employee’s commitment and enthusiasm to their work in an organization.

Employee Retention

A process by businesses to retain its employees and prevent turnover.

Talent Management

Process and strategies used by businesses to develop employees skills and aptitude in order to facilitate operations within the business.

Staffing

Process of putting individuals in the right positions within an organization or business.

Trademark

A name or design that a business uses and registers under its property that makes it instantly recognizable.

Brand Label

Material on a product or brand that gives you information about that specific brand.

Jingle

A musical composition by a business or company to enhance brand recognition and emotional appeal

Slogan

A specific saying or phrase used in advertising or marketing by a brand to enhance recognition and appeal.

Trade Name

The official name that a business or corporation registers under and is known as in the market place.

Market Segmentation

A marketing tactic of dividing prospective buyers into different groups for targeted outreach

Point of Purchase(POP)

A specific touchpoint or advertisement that influences a customer’s purchasing decision.

Brand Cue

An element that enables a customer to instantly recognize a brand which boosts customer loyalty.

RFID Technology(Radio Frequency Identification)

A wireless technology that uses electromagnetic waves to identify and track objects

Routine Decision Making

Decisions by consumers with little thought or effort put into them.

Limited Decision Making

Decisions by consumers to purchase unfamiliar brands in a familiar catgeory.

Extensive Decision making

Decisions by consumers with significant thought and involvement. Very expensive (like car purchases).

Impulse Buying

Decisions by consumers with no thought at all almost second nature.

Breach of Contract

Failure to perform a specific action in a contract without a legitimate legal excuse

Bilateral Contract

A contract between two parties in which they agree to perform specific tasks or objectives within that contract.

Alpha

A return on an investment that is higher or lower than you expected based on risk and market performance.

Beta

A measure of an investment’s volatility compared to overall market.

Capital Gains

Profit made from selling a security for more than its purchasing price.

Green Bonds

Bonds used to finance environmentally friendly projects such as renewable energy.

Impact Investing

An investment strategy that seeks to have a positive social or environmental impact alongside high returns.

Patent

A document issued to an individual or investor that gives them the right to protect their invention from other businesses and groups.

Probate

Court supervised process of authenticating a person’s will and distributing the estate if no will exists.

Contract

A legal document between parties in which there are set obligations and duties that need to be performed.

Constitutional Law

Body of law derived from the U.S Constitution and is the supreme law of the land.

Procedural Due Process

Constitutional requirement for courts to use fair processes when depriving someone of their life, liberty, and property.

Written Communication

A type of communication done through written word, including emails, letters, reports, etc.

Joint Ventures

A business arrangement where two or more businesses pool resources with a goal in mind, but remain separate identities.

Channels of Distribution

Pathways by which services and products move from producer to consumer.

Channel Conflict

Any disagreement, clash, or competition between members in a channel.

Leading Question

A question that prompts or encourages a specific response.

Compensation

Monetary or nonmonetary rewards to a worker for their labor and contribution to an organization.

Benefit

A type of compensation that a worker receives on top of their salaries and wages.

Accounts Payable

Company’s obligation to pay for goods and services received on credit.

Accounts Receivable

Short term financial claims a business has on its customers for pending payments

Variance Anaylsis

Comparing two points of financial data and understanding the difference between planned performance and actual performance.

Marginal Analysis

Process of evaluating the benefits and costs associated with incremental changes to business activity.

Annual Report

Yearly audited record of a business’s condition and performance that is distributed among shareholders

Average Maturity

Average time it takes for a debt instrument under a financial obligation to reach its final due payment.

Balanced Fund

A mutual fund that invests in a variety of stocks and bonds from various industries and regions

Alternative Minimum Tax(ATM)

A specialized tax system that ensures high income earners pay some amount of tax regardless of deductions and credits to their accounts

Average Rate of Return

Return on an investment over a period of years taking into effect compounding growth.

Appreciation

Value increase of a specific financial asset.

Debt Ratio

A financial metric that shows whether a company’s assets come from its debt or equity

Expense Ratio

Financial metric that shows the cost incurred to pay for a mutual fund’s operation.

Current Ratio

Liquidity Ratio that measures whether a company can meet its short term obligations.

Asset Class

Securities with similar features like stocks and bonds

Bear Market

A market characterized by a prolonged period of declining stock prices, typically 20% more caused by pessimism, unemployment and recession

Bull Market

A market characterized by rising prices due to highly optimistic investor sentiment.

Best in Class

A top performing product, service, or individual within a specific category or group or a sustainable investment by a business that seeks to outcompete its peer groups in sustainable approach.

Blue Chip

A high quality, low risk investment in a business with a history of reliable performance and is well established.

Bond

A type of loan made to a U.S corporation, government or municipality in which they agree to pay it back at a specified date while also paying interest at regular intervals

Breakpoint

The investment level at which an investor qualifies for a reduced sales fee by making one large purchase or several smaller ones