Personal Finance Glossary
Money has a vocabulary problem. Every term here is explained in plain English — with a worked example, the mistakes people actually make, and an honest note on when it's worth talking to a professional. Written and reviewed by credentialed advice-only financial planners.
Browse terms A–Z
Browse by topic
19 topics covering the whole of personal finance. Topics fill in as terms are published.
- Investing (31)
- Retirement Planning (21)
- Taxes (19)
- Insurance & Risk (5)
- Estate Planning & Giving (5)
- Credit & Debt (1)
- Student Loans (1)
- Education Funding (2)
- Real Estate
- Cash Flow (8)
- Employee Benefits & Compensation (5)
- Government Benefits (1)
- Psychology of Money (6)
- Planning Foundations (70)
- Family & Life Events (3)
- Small Business & Self-Employment (1)
- Financial Advice & Advisors (60)
- Advice-Only (4)
- Advisor Practice (9)
Why this glossary exists
Most financial definitions online are written to fill space, not to help you decide anything. Ours are written by planners who answer these exact questions for real clients — without selling products or managing assets, so there's no incentive to make anything sound more complicated than it is.
Ready to go beyond definitions? Find an advice-only advisor who charges a transparent flat fee for answers, not a percentage of your money.