Assets -  any item of economic value owned by an individual or corporation, especially that which could be converted to cash. Examples are cash, securities, accounts receivable, inventory, office equipment, real estate, a car, and other property. On a balance sheet, assets are equal to the sum of liabilities, common stock, preferred stock, and retained earnings. From an accounting perspective, assets are divided into the following categories: current assets (cash and other liquid items), long-term assets (real estate, plant, equipment), prepaid and deferred assets (expenditures for future costs such as insurance, rent, interest), and intangible assets (trademarks, patents, copyrights, goodwill).

Bankruptcy - a proceeding in a federal court in which an insolvent debtor's assets are liquidated and the debtor is relieved of further liability. Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Reform Act deals with liquidation, while Chapter 11 deals with reorganization.

Borrower - a person that has applied, met specific requirements, and received a monetary loan from a lender. The individual initiating the request signs a promissory note agreeing to pay the lien holder back during a specified timeframe for the entire loan amount plus any additional fees. The borrower is legally responsible for repayment of the loan and is subject to any penalties for not repaying the loan back based on the lending terms agreed upon.

Broker / Dealer - any individual or firm in the business of buying and selling securities for itself and others. Broker/dealers must register with the SEC. When acting as a broker, a broker/dealer executes orders on behalf of his/her client. When acting as a dealer, a broker/dealer executes trades for his/her firm's own account. Securities bought for the firm's own account may be sold to clients or other firms, or become a part of the firm's holdings.

Chapter 7 - Chapter 7 of the Title 11 of the United States Code (Bankruptcy Code) governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 7 is the most common form of bankruptcy in the United States.

Chapter 11 - is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most prominently used by corporate entities.

Chapter 13 - is part of the U.S. bankruptcy code allowing an individual to begin debt repayment without forfeiting property. Chapter 13 requires that the debtor maintain a source of income and adhere to a payment schedule set forth by the court.

Collateral - assets pledged by a borrower to secure a loan or other credit, and subject to seizure in the event of default. also called security.

Credit - a contractual agreement in which a borrower receives something of value now and agrees to repay the lender at some later date. When a consumer purchases something using a credit card, they are buying on credit (receiving the item at that time, and paying back the credit card company month by month). Any time when an individual finances something with a loan (such as an automobile or a house), they are using credit in that situation as well.

Creditor - a person or organization which extends credit to others.

Credit Cards - any card that may be used repeatedly to borrow money or buy products and services on credit. Issued by banks, savings and loans, retail stores, and other businesses.

Debt - an amount owed to a person or organization for funds borrowed. Debt can be represented by a loan note, bond, mortgage or other form stating repayment terms and, if applicable, interest requirements. These different forms all imply intent to pay back an amount owed by a specific date, which is set forth in the repayment terms.

Debtor - an individual or company that owes debt to another individual or company (the creditor), as a result of borrowing or issuing bonds. Also called obligor.

Fair Credit Reporting Act - Federal law giving individuals the right to examine their own credit history. The provisions of this law enable consumers to approach credit reporting agencies to see what the agencies may be saying about them, find out if their credit information has been used any third parties, and approach an agency to dispute wrongful use or interpretation of their information. The law also places restrictions on the consumer reporting agencies, such as requiring the agencies to provide each consumer one free report per year upon request, as well as restricting the amount of time certain information can remain on one's credit report.

Fair Debt Collections Practices Act – a 1977 federal law that serves to regulate collection agencies. The FDCPA outlines the conditions under which these agencies may operate in an effort to prevent deception, harassment, and other unfair debt collection practices. The rules of the FDCPA only apply to third-party debt collectors, and only to debts held by individuals (not by businesses). The FDCPA outlines a number of activities that would be seen as deceptive or harmful, and are hence prohibited, as well as requiring a number of helpful activities to be followed. THE FDCPA is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, who also presents an annual report to Congress in regards to these issues.

Foreclosure - the legal process by which an owner's right to a property is terminated, usually due to default. Typically involves a forced sale of the property at public auction, with the proceeds being applied to the mortgage debt.

Garnishment - situation in which an employer is instructed by a court to withhold some or all of an employee's wages to pay off the settlement of a lawsuit which that employee lost.

Interest Rate - a rate which is charged or paid for the use of money. An interest rate is often expressed as an annual percentage of the principal. It is calculated by dividing the amount of interest by the amount of principal. Interest rates often change as a result of inflation and Federal Reserve policies. For example, if a lender (such as a bank) charges a customer $90 in a year on a loan of $1000, then the interest rate would be 90/1000 *100% = 9%.

Lender - a private, public or institutional entity which makes funds available to others to borrow.

Lien - a legal claim against an asset which is used to secure a loan and which must be paid when the property is sold. Liens can be structured in many different ways. In some cases, the creditor will have legal claim against an asset, but not actually hold it in possession, while in other cases the creditor will actually hold on to the asset until the debt is paid off. The former is a more common arrangement when the asset is productive, since the creditor would prefer that the asset be used to produce a stream of income to pay off debt rather than just held in possession and not used. A claim can hold against an asset until all the obligations to the creditor are cleared (a general lien), or just until the obligations against that particular assets are cleared (a particular lien).

Liquidation - to sell all of a company's assets, pay outstanding debts, and distribute the remainder to shareholders, and then go out of business.

Loan - an arrangement in which a lender gives money or property to a borrower, and the borrower agrees to return the property or repay the money, usually along with interest, at some future point(s) in time. Usually, there is a predetermined time for repaying a loan, and generally the lender has to bear the risk that the borrower may not repay a loan (though modern capital markets have developed many ways of managing this risk).

Mortgage - a loan to finance the purchase of real estate, usually with specified payment periods and interest rates. The borrower (mortgagor) gives the lender (mortgagee) a lien on the property as collateral for the loan.

Principal - the amount borrowed, or the part of the amount borrowed which remains unpaid (excluding interest).

Trustee - an individual or organization which holds or manages and invests assets for the benefit of another. The trustee is legally obliged to make all trust-related decisions with the trustee's interests in mind, and may be liable for damages in the event of not doing so. Trustees may be entitled to a payment for their services, if specified in the trust deed. In the specific case of the bond market, a trustee administers a bond issue for a borrower, and ensures that the issuer meets all the terms and conditions associated with the borrowing.

Wages – compensation for work