FICA
Federal Insurance Contributions Act-it is the money taken out of your paycheck for Social Security and Medicare.
W2
Your employer must send this to you by January 31st. It will show you the total amount of money you made during the year and the totL taxes withheld.
Sales tax
The tax that iis also known as consumption tax. It is a tax on something you buy. It is sometimes used to decrease demand for a particular product.
Excise tax
Taxes on gasoline, cigarettes, airplane tickets and cell phones. Also known as luxury tax.
Property tax
A tax on something you own, like land, your house, a motor home.
Social Security Tax
This tax helps pay for people's retirement.
Income Tax Day is.....
April 15th
Income tax
A progressive tax where people pay on money they get from working and on interest they earn on savings. The tax is different for different people based on their ability to pay.
W4
An employees withholding certificate. This document is used by your employer to determine how much tax to withhold from your paycheck.
1099-INT
A certificate sent to you by the bank telling you how much interest you have earned.
IRS
Internal Revenue Service
Federal Government
The level of government that pays for operations of the government, education, defense, disaster relief.
Local Government
The level of Government that pays for traffic lights and sidewalks in different towns and provides public elementary education.
Tax Deduction
Interest paid on a home loan and giving to charities are examples.
Free
You can get tax forms from the library and the IRS website for this amount.
Federal Income Tax
The largest source of money used by the federal government.
Allowances
Factors that affect the amount of income tax withholding. The more allowances you claim, the less tax your employer will take out.
Exemptions
Tax laws allow some income to be exempt,or excused from tax, based on the number of people in the household. Qualified people may include the taxpayer, a spouse or dependents.
Dependents
Someone who is supported by a taxpayer's income.
Tax deduction
Reduces the amount of income that is taxed.
Itemized deductions
Amounts actually spent on tax-deductible expenses during the year.
Standard deductions
A set amount that the IRS allows without listing any actual expenses.
Taxable income
The portion of your income that is actually subject to income tax.
Tax credit
Subtracted directly from the tax you owe. People might get a tax credit if they are paying for college tuition or child care expenses.
Taxable income
Your total income that comes from form W-2 and 1099.
Community
A group of people with common interests and concern for common good.
How do you benefit from taxes?
You are better off being in a community than by yourself! Taxes pay for roads, parks, schools, things you could never afford by yourself.
Earned income
The money you earn from work you do. You are taxed on this income.
Payroll tax
A tax on earned income that supports the Social Security and Medicare programs.
Medicare
Helps pay for health care for Senior citizens.
Social Security
Income for retirees, people with disabilities and children who have lost a parent.
State Income tax
Pays for state highways and operations of the state government.
Unearned income
The money you earn from interest from your savings account. It is added to your earned income and taxable.
January 31
The date, by law that your employer must send you your W-2
Libraries
Where you can get tax forms and instructions for free. (Also online)
Common stock
the most "junior security" because it ranks last in line at liquidation. An equity or ownership position that usually allows the owner to vote on major corporate issues such as stock splits, mergers, acquisitions, authorizing more shares, etc.
Transfer agent
issues and redeems certificates. Handles name changes, validates mutilated certificates. Distributes dividends, gains, and and shareholder reports to mutual fund investors.
registrar
audits the transfer agent to make sure the number of authorized shares is never exceeded
dividends
money paid from profits to holders of common and preferred stock whenever the Board of Directors is feeling especially generous
Declaration date
the date the Board of Directors declares a dividend
Record date
the date determined by the Board of Directors upon which the investor must be the "holder of record" in order to receive the upcoming dividend. Settlement of a trade must occur by the record date for the buyer to receive the dividend
payable date
the date that the dividend check is paid to investors
regular way settlement
T + 3, trade plus three business days. T + 1 for Treasury securities
T + 3
regular way settlement, trade date plus three business days
Ex-Date
two days before the Record Date of corporate stock. The date upon which the buyer is not entitled to the upcoming dividend. Note that for mutual funds, this date is established by the Board of Directors, usually the day after the Record Date
Pre-emptive right
the right of common stockholders to maintain their proportional ownership if the company offers more shares of stock
subscription right
the securities used in additional offerings of stock to purchase available shares, usually at a slight discount
warrant
long term equity securities giving the owner the right to purchase stock at a set price. OFten attached as a "sweetener" that makes the other security more attractive
currency exchange risk
the risk that the value of the U.S. dollar versus another currency will have a negative impact on businesses and investors.
option
a derivative giving the holder the right to buy or sell something for a stated price up to expiration of the contract. Puts and calls
bullish
an investor who takes a position based on the belief that the market or a particular security will rise. Buyers of stock and call options
bearish
an investor who takes a position based on the belief that the market or a particular security will fall. sellers of stock and buyers of put options
preferred stock
a fixed-income security whose stated dividends must be paid before common stock can receive any dividend payment. Also gets preference ahead of common stock in a liquidation (but behind all bonds and general creditors)
fixed-income security
a security promising a fixed rate of interest or dividends.
straight preferred stock
a preferred stock whose missed dividends do not go into arrears, a.k.a. "non-cumulative preferred."
cumulative preferred stock
preferred stock where missed dividends go into arrears and must be paid before the issuer may pay dividends to other preferred stock and/or common stock
participating preferred stock
preferred stock whose dividend is often raised above the stated rate
convertible preferred stock
a preferred stock or corporate bond allowing the investor to use the par value to "buy" shares of the company's common stock at a set price
par value
the face amount that a debt security will pay at maturity, e.g., $1000. For preferred stock, the amount against which the dividend percentage is calculated, e.g., $100 par value
growth
investment objective that seeks "capital appreciation." Achieved through common stock, primarily.
income
investment objective that seeks current income, found by investing in fixed income, e.g., bonds, money market, preferred stock. An equity income fund buys stocks that pay dividends; less volatile than a growth and income or a pure growth fund.
capital appreciation
the rise in an asset's market price. The objective of a "growth stock investor."
yield
the income a security produces to the holder and capital gains distributions
total return
measuring growth in share price plus dividends and capital gains distributions
IPO
a corporation's first sale of stock to public investors, By definition, a primary market transaction in which the issuer receives the proceeds
Primary market
where securities are issued to raise capital for the issuer
secondary market
a "negotiated market" including NASDAQ and non- NASDAQ securities trading
registration statement
the legal document disclosing material information concerning an offering of a security and its issuer. Submitted to SEC under Securities Act of 1933
Securities Act of 1933
a.k.a., "Paper Act," regulates the new-issue or primary market, requiring non-exempt issuers to register securities and provide full disclosure
cooling off period
a minimum 20-day period that starts after the registration statement is filed. No sales or advertising allowed during this period, which lasts until the effective or release date.
indication of interest
an investor's expression of interest in purchasing a new issue of securities after reading the preliminary prospectus; not a commitment to buy
preliminary prospectus
a.k.., "red herring," a prospectus that lacks the "POP" and the effective date. Used to solicit indications of interest.
effective date
date established by SEC as to when the underwriters may sell new securities to investors, a.k.a. "release date."
public offering price
a.k.a., "POP,' the price an investor pays for a mutual fund or an initial public offering. For a mutual fund= NAV + the sales charge.
exempt security
a security not required to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933. Still subject to anti-fraud rules; not subject to registration requirements, e.g., municipal bonds and bank stock
exempt tansaction
a transactional exemption from registration requirements based on the manner in which the security is offered and sold, e.g., private placements under Reg D.
private placement
an exempt transaction under Reg D (Rule 506) of the Securities Act of 1933, allowing issuers to sell securities without registration to accredited investors, who agree to hold them fully paid 1 year before then selling them through Rule 144
purchaser representative
someone independent of the issuer in a private placement who can represent the needs of a non-accredited investor
best efforts
a type of understanding leaving the syndicate at no risk for unsold shares, and allowing them to keep the proceeds on the shares that were sold/subscribed to
firm commitments
an underwriting in which the underwriters agree to purchase all securities from an issuer, even the ones they failed to sell to investors. Involves acting in a "principal" capacity, unlike in "best efforts," "all or none," and "mini-max" offerings
spread
generally, the difference between a dealer's purchase price and selling price, both for new offering (underwriting spread) and secondary market quotes. For underwritings the spread is the difference between the proceeds to the issuer and the POP
standby offering
a firm commitment by an underwriter to purchase any shares that are not subscribed to in a rights offering
auction market
the NYSE, for example, where buyers and sellers simultaneously enter competitive prices, Sometimes called a "double auction" market because buying and selling occur at the same time, as opposed to Sotheby's, where only buyers are competing
first market
the exchange market, e.g., NYSE
specialist
an individual who oversees trading in a particular stock (GE, IBM, etc.,) in order to maintain a "fair and orderly market." The specialist buys and sells for his own account.
second market
Also known as the "negotiated market", or "OTC" market is not a physical marketplace, but its definitely a market; where market makers put out a bid and ask price, and stand ready to take either side of the trade for at least one round lot. For stocks a round lot is 100 shares.
bid
what a dealer is willing to pay to a customer who wants to sell
ask
the higher price in a quote representing what the customer would have to pay/what the dealer is asking the customer to pay. Customers buy at this price because dealers sell to customers at this price. Also called "offer/offered."
NASDAQ
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations system
Non-NASDAQ OTC
securities trading on the "over-the-counter" market that do not meet NASDAQ requirements. For example, pink sheets
third market
exchange-listed stock traded OTC primarily by institutional investors
fourth market
Where big institutional investors (pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, etc.) trade directly through electronic communications networks (ECNs)
bonds
debt securities which represent loans from investors to a corporation
partial surrender
life insurance policyholder cashes in part of the cash value. Excess over premiums is taxable
maturity date
the date that a bond pays out the principal and interest payments cease. Also called "redemption"
nominal yield
the interest rate, also known as the "coupon rate" which is named on the bond certificate
leverage
using borrowed money to increase returns. Debt securities and margin accounts are associated with this term.
current yield
the annual interest paid by a bond to an investor divided by what the investor would have to pay for the bond
discount bond
a bond trading below the par value
premium bond
a bond purchased fro more than the par value, usually due to a drop in interest rates