Archive for the ‘Daily Definition’ Category

A Funding Cycle is…

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

A funding cycle is a schedule that donor organizations use to research and decide where they are going to give grants – some might give grants annually or quarterly or at other intervals, but they usually have a set cycle. This allows organizations that are looking for money to know when they should get applications in and do all the work necessary to receive money.

A Credit Bureau is…

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

A credit bureau is an agency that keeps track of how consistently you make payments on debts (like credit card bills) so creditors, like banks and credit card companies, can make sound decisions about whether and how to lend you money.

A Community Foundation is…

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

A community foundation is an organization that receives donations from people living in a certain geographical area and provides funding to nonprofits or charitable causes in that same area.

Adjusted Gross Income is…

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Adjusted gross income (or AGI) is your gross income minus any tax deductions (like work expenses and charitable donations) or any adjustments. For example, if you make $100 but spend $2 on a stapler for work and give $5 to charity, your AGI is $93. This is the income that the IRS generally looks at when they determine your taxes.

A Speculative Bond is…

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

A speculative bond is a direct investment in a company that’s considered risky by a credit rating agency like Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s. You might end up getting higher returns from a speculative or “junk” bond than a better rated one, but you also have a better chance of not getting anything at all.

Property Tax is..

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Property tax is a yearly fee that you pay to your local government on any real estate, automobiles, and boats that you own. When people talk about paying a property tax, they most likely are referring to the one on their homes – it’s the most common form.

A Closing Price is…

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

A closing price is how much a stock is worth at the time of its last transaction of the day on a stock exchange. For example, if just before the closing bell on the NYSE, AT&T stock was sold for $25 a share, that is its closing price.

A Credit Score is…

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

A credit score is a number that describes how well you make payments on things like credit cards. It’s like your debt-repayment batting average. Credit bureaus keep track of your credit history and publish that information in the form of a 3-digit credit score, which can affect how creditors – like banks and even insurance companies – will do business with you.

Tax Incidence is…

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Tax incidence is an economics concept that describes how the burden of paying a tax on a good is shared – the burden can fall on the buyer, the seller, or both. Taxes on retail goods are an example where the tax burden falls on both the buyer and the seller. Often, tax incidence can mean who ends up paying the tax. If consumers are paying the entire tax, then the tax incidence falls on them.

Corporate is…

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

“Corporate” is used to describe anything relating to an organization or group of people legally authorized to act as a single entity. It refers to the culture or activities of a Corporation.