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Digital assets and currencies

Understand assets, networks and trading mechanics with sources you can check.

Finance

Order (exchange)

An order is an instruction to buy or sell on a trading venue such as a stock market, bond market, commodity market, financial derivative market or cryptocurrency exchange. These instructions can be simple or complicated, and can be sent to either a broker or directly to a trading venue via direct market access. There are some standard instructions for such orders.

Finance

Ortigas Center

Ortigas Center (also known as the Ortigas Central Business District or Ortigas CBD) is a central business district located within the joint boundaries of Pasig, Mandaluyong, and Quezon City, within Metro Manila in the Philippines. With an area of more than 100 hectares (250 acres), it is Metro Manila's second most important business district after the Makati Central Business District. It

Banking

Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou

Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou (born 1954) is a Nigerien politician of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-Tarayya) who served as Prime Minister of Niger between 3 April 2021 and 26 July 2023, when he was removed in a coup d'état.

Fiat currencies

Ouroboros (protocol)

Ouroboros is a family of proof-of-stake consensus protocols used in the Cardano and Polkadot blockchains. It can run both permissionless and permissioned blockchains.

Finance

Out-of-pocket expense

An out-of-pocket expense, or out-of-pocket cost (OOP), is the direct payment of money that may or may not be later reimbursed from a third-party source. For example, when operating a vehicle, gasoline, parking fees and tolls are considered out-of-pocket expenses for a trip. Car insurance, oil changes, and interest are not, since the outlay of cash covers expenses accrued over a longer pe

Finance

Overdraft

An overdraft occurs when something is withdrawn in excess of what is in a current account. For financial systems, this can be funds in a bank account. In these situations the account is said to be "overdrawn". In the economic system, if there is a prior agreement with the account provider for an overdraft, and the amount overdrawn is within the authorized overdraft limit, then interest i

Finance

Overnight policy rate

The overnight policy rate is an overnight interest rate set by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) used for monetary policy direction. It is the target rate for the day-to-day liquidity operations of the BNM. The overnight policy rate (OPR) is the interest rate at which a depository institution lends immediately available funds (balances within the central bank) to another depository institution

Banking

Overnight rate

The overnight rate is generally the interest rate that large banks use to borrow and lend from one another in the overnight market. In some countries (the United States, for example), the overnight rate may be the rate targeted by the central bank to influence monetary policy. In most countries, the central bank is also a participant on the overnight lending market, and will lend or borr

Finance

P/B ratio

The price-to-book ratio, or P/B ratio, (also PBR) is a financial ratio used to compare a company's current market value to its book value (where book value is the value of all assets minus liabilities owned by a company). The calculation can be performed in two ways, but the result should be the same. In the first way, the company's market capitalization can be divided by the company's t

Payments & settlement

Pan-African Payment and Settlement System

The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) is a Pan-African real-time gross settlement (RTGS) infrastructure for cross-border payments in distinct local currencies. It was publicly launched on January 13, 2022 by the African Union (AU) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to compliment trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with further roll

Finance

Panama as a tax haven

The Republic of Panama is one of the oldest and best-known tax havens in the Caribbean, as well as one of the most established in the region. Panama has had a reputation for tax avoidance since the early 20th century, and Panama has been cited repeatedly in recent years as a jurisdiction which does not cooperate with international tax transparency initiatives.

Trading basics

Panamanian balboa

The balboa (sign: B/.; ISO 4217: PAB) is, along with the United States dollar, one of the official currencies of Panama. It is named in honor of the Spanish explorer and conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa. The balboa is subdivided into 100 centésimos.

Securities & exchanges

Panic of 1792

The Panic of 1792 was a financial credit crisis that occurred during the months of March and April 1792, precipitated by the expansion of credit by the newly formed Bank of the United States as well as by rampant speculation on the part of William Duer, Alexander Macomb, and other prominent bankers. Duer, Macomb, and their colleagues attempted to drive up prices of United States (U.S) de

Trading basics

Pari passu

Pari passu is a Latin phrase that literally means "with an equal step" or "on equal footing". It is sometimes translated as "ranking equally", "hand-in-hand", "with equal force", or "moving together", and by extension, "fairly", "without partiality".

Banking

Participation banking

Participation banking is a name given to Islamic banks mainly in Turkey, as well as in the broader MENA region. There are participation banks in Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the UAE and other Gulf countries.

Trading basics

Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment

The Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII or PGI) is a collaborative effort by Group of Seven (G7) to fund infrastructure projects in developing nations based on the trust principles of the Blue Dot Network. It is intended to be the bloc's counter to China's Belt and Road Initiative and a key component of the "Biden Doctrine".

Trading basics

Partnerships UK

Partnerships UK plc (PUK) was a centralized unit responsible for furthering public-private partnerships in the United Kingdom. It was a public limited company formed in 2000, owned jointly by HM Treasury and the private sector. It ceased activity in 2011.

Finance

Patrick Chovanec

Patrick Robert Chovanec (born February 14, 1970) is an American writer and economic advisor at Silvercrest Asset Management, where he was formerly chief strategist. He has taught as a professor at Tsinghua University's School of Business and Management in Beijing, China and as an adjunct professor at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, and is a frequent c

Trading basics

Paul Marcinkus

Paul Casimir Marcinkus (; January 15, 1922 – February 20, 2006) was an American Catholic prelate who served as president of the Institute for the Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican Bank, from 1971 to 1989. He also served as president of the Governorate for Vatican City State from 1989 to 1990, following eight years as vice-president. He was the titular Archbishop of Horta.

Banking

Pawnbrokers Act 1872

The Pawnbrokers Act 1872 (35 & 36 Vict. c. 93) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that repealed, altered and consolidated all previous legislation relating pawnbroking in Great Britain.

Finance

Paxos (company)

Paxos Trust Company, N.A. (doing business as Paxos) is a blockchain infrastructure company, stablecoin issuer, and chartered national bank headquartered in New York City. The company provides digital asset brokerage, issuance, custody, and settlement services to enterprise clients in financial services. Paxos has also issued multiple U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins, including PayPal USD (

Payments & settlement

Payanywhere

Payanywhere is a payments platform and app that allows merchants in the United States to accept credit and debit card payments while building customer relationships in-store, online, or on the go. Merchants may accept payments on their smartphone via a Bluetooth card reader or on an in-store “Storefront” solution featuring a tablet and stand, which was introduced on April 8, 2014. PayAny

Trading basics

Payback period

Payback period in capital budgeting refers to the time required to recoup the funds expended in an investment, or to reach the break-even point.

Finance

Payday loan

A payday loan is a short-term unsecured loan, often characterized by high interest rates. These loans are typically designed to cover immediate financial needs and are intended to be repaid on the borrower's next payday.

Finance

Payday loans in the United Kingdom

Payday loans in the United Kingdom are typically small value (up to £1,500) and for short periods. Payday loans are often used as a term by members of the public (and commentators) generically to refer to all forms of high-cost short-term credit (HCSTC) including instalment loans, e.g. 3–9 month products, rather than just loans provided until the next pay day.

Finance

Payday loans in the United States

A payday loan (also called a payday advance, salary loan, payroll loan, small dollar loan, short term, or cash advance loan) is a small, short-term unsecured loan, "regardless of whether repayment of loans is linked to a borrower's payday." The loans are also sometimes referred to as "cash advances," though that term can also refer to cash provided against a prearranged line of credit su

Finance

Paym

Paym ( PAY-əm) was a mobile payment system provided by banks and building societies in the United Kingdom. Recipients were identified by their mobile phone number instead of bank details such as sort code and account number.

Trading basics

Paymaster General

His Majesty's Paymaster General or HM Paymaster General is a ministerial position in HM Treasury of the United Kingdom. The position is currently held by James Murray of the Labour Co-op Party.

Payments & settlement

Payment card

Payment cards are part of a payment system issued by financial institutions, such as banks, to a customer that enables its owner (the cardholder) to access the funds in the customer's designated bank accounts, or through a credit account and make payments by electronic transfer with a payment terminal and access automated teller machines (ATMs). Such cards are known by a variety of names

Payments & settlement

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a global data security standard that regulates how entities store, process, and transmit cardholder data (CHD) and/or sensitive authentication data (SAD). PCI DSS includes guidelines regarding components of organizations' technical and operational system that are related to such data. Cardholder Data refers to information inc

Payments & settlement

PayPoint

PayPoint plc is a British company that provides multichannel payment and retail services across the United Kingdom. Founded in 1996, the company facilitates payments through a nationwide network of convenience stores and offers services including bill payment, mobile phone top-ups, parcel delivery and collection, and Open Banking integrations.

Trading basics

Paywall

A paywall is a method of restricting access to content, with a purchase or a paid subscription, especially news. Beginning in the mid-2010s, newspapers started implementing paywalls on their websites as a way to increase revenue after years of decline in paid print readership and advertising revenue, partly due to the use of ad blockers. In academics, research papers are often subject to

Banking

Peel's Bill

Peel's Bill, or the Resumption of Cash Payments Act 1819 (59 Geo. 3. c. 49) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that marked the return of the British currency to the gold standard, after the Bank Restriction Act 1797 (37 Geo. 3. c. 45) saw paper money replacing convertibility to gold and silver under the financial pressures of the French Revolutionary Wars.

Assets

Peercoin

Peercoin, also known as Peer-to-Peer Coin, or PPC, is a cryptocurrency utilizing both proof-of-stake and proof-of-work systems. It is notable as the first cryptocurrency to implement the proof-of-stake consensus mechanism.

Finance

PEG ratio

The PEG ratio (price/earnings to growth ratio) is a valuation metric for determining the relative trade-off between the price of a stock, the earnings generated per share (EPS), and the company's expected growth.

Securities & exchanges

Penny stock

In American economics, penny stocks are common shares of small public companies that trade for less than $5 per share.

Securities & exchanges

Pepperstone

Pepperstone is an Australian forex and CFD broker that provides trading services in forex, shares, commodities and other asset classes across multiple jurisdictions. The company was founded in 2010 in Melbourne, Australia, by Owen Kerr and Joe Davenport. The group operates internationally through regulated entities in jurisdictions including the UK, Germany, Cyprus, Kenya, Bahamas, and t

Trading basics

Performance indicator

A performance indicator or key performance indicator (KPI) is a type of performance measurement used to evaluate the success of an organization, activity, project, or process in achieving defined objectives. KPIs provide a focus for strategic and operational improvement, support evidence-based decision-making, and help organizations identify and monitor factors critical to performance.

Trading basics

Permanent Court of Arbitration

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, which was built to house the PCA.

Finance

Personal finance

Personal finance is the financial management that an individual or a family unit performs to budget, save, and spend monetary resources in a controlled manner, taking into account various financial risks and future life events.

Finance

Personal income in the United States

Personal income is an individual's total earnings from wages, investment interest, and other sources. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that median usual weekly earnings for full-time wage and salary workers were $1,251 in the second quarter of 2026, not seasonally adjusted, 4.6 percent higher than a year earlier. For the year 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the median

Securities & exchanges

Personal Property Security Act (Canada)

The Personal Property Security Act ("PPSA") is the name given to each of the statutes passed by all common law provinces, as well as the territories, of Canada that regulate the creation and registration of security interests in all personal property within their respective jurisdictions.

Banking

Pet banks

Pet banks is a derogatory term for state banks selected by the U.S. Department of Treasury to receive surplus Treasury funds in 1833. Pet banks are sometimes confused with wildcat banks. Although the two are distinct types of institutions that arose concomitantly, some pet banks were known to also engage in practices of wildcat banking. They were chosen among the big U.S. banks when Pre

Securities & exchanges

Peter Schiff

Peter David Schiff (; born March 23, 1963; nicknamed "Dr. Doom") is an American stockbroker, financial commentator, and radio personality. He co-founded Echelon Wealth Partners in Canada (formerly Euro Pacific Canada). He is involved in other financial services companies including Euro Pacific Asset Management, as an independent investment advisor, and Schiff Gold (formerly Euro Pacific

Securities & exchanges

Peter Thiel

Peter Andreas Thiel ( ; born 11 October 1967) is a German-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and conservative political activist. A co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies and Founders Fund, he was also the first outside investor in Facebook. As of October 2026, Forbes estimated Thiel's net worth at US$37.7 billion.

Assets

Petro (token)

The petro (₽), or petromoneda, launched in February 2018, was a crypto token issued by the government of Venezuela.

Finance

PFTS index

PFTS index is a benchmark index of PFTS Ukraine Stock Exchange, Ukraine's leading bourse. Beside PFTS Index, there are also the UX Index of the Ukrainian Exchange and the Ukrainian Average Index 50 (UAI-50) being composed by analysts of internet-publisher fundmarket.ua.

Trading basics

Phantom debt

Phantom debt or zombie debt is a debt that is old, defaulted, or not owed and is somehow still being pursued for collection to be paid by the presumed debtor. It generally refers to debt that is more than 3 years old, is long forgotten about or belonged to someone else – like someone with the same name or a deceased parent. The amount owed can grow to hundreds or thousands of dollars mor

Trading basics

Phillips curve

The Phillips curve is a representation of the relationship between unemployment and inflation in the macroeconomy, where a tradeoff between low unemployment and price stability exists. Identified by economist Bill Phillips, the curve shows a relationship between lowering unemployment with increasing wages in an economy. While Phillips did not directly link employment and inflation, this

Finance

Pierre Omidyar

Pierre Morad Omidyar (born Parviz Morad Omidyar, June 21, 1967) is a French-born Iranian-American billionaire. A technology entrepreneur, software engineer, and philanthropist, he is the founder of eBay, where he served as chairman from 1998 to 2015. Omidyar is the grandson of the Imperial Iranian Army General Mahmud Mir-Djalali, who was instrumental in the 1921 rise of the Pahlavi Dyna

Payments & settlement

Pix (payment system)

Pix (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpiks]) is an instant payment platform created and managed by the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB). It enables free instant transfers between individuals in Brazilian real 24 hours a day without interruption, even outside banking hours and during holidays or weekends; payments made and received by legal entities may be subject to fees.

Finance

Plaid Inc.

Plaid Inc. is an American financial services company based in San Francisco, California. The company builds a data transfer network that powers fintech and digital finance products.

Fiat currencies

Plaza Accord

The Plaza Accord was a joint agreement signed on September 22, 1985, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, between France, West Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, to depreciate the U.S. dollar in relation to the French franc, the German Deutsche Mark, the Japanese yen and the British pound sterling by intervening in currency markets. The U.S. dollar depreciated sig

Trading basics

Plus500

Plus500 is a global multi-asset financial technology company headquartered in Haifa, Israel, that provides online trading services in contracts for difference (CFDs), share dealing, futures trading, prediction markets and options on futures. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index and the STOXX Europe 600.

Payments & settlement

Point of sale

The point of sale (POS), or point of purchase (POP), is the time and place at which a retail transaction is completed. At the point of sale, the merchant calculates the amount owed by the customer, indicates that amount, may prepare an invoice for the customer (which may be a cash register printout), and indicates the options for the customer to make payment. It is also the point at wh

Trading basics

Point-of-sale malware

Point-of-sale malware (POS malware) is usually a type of malicious software (malware) that is used by cybercriminals to target point of sale (POS) and payment terminals with the intent to obtain credit card and debit card information, a card's track 1 or track 2 data and even the CVV code, by various man-in-the-middle attacks, that is the interception of the processing at the retail chec

Trading basics

Policy Analysis Market

The Policy Analysis Market (PAM), part of the FutureMAP project, was a proposed futures exchange developed, beginning in May 2001, by the Information Awareness Office (IAO) of the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and based on an idea first proposed by Net Exchange, a San Diego, California, research firm specializing in the development of online prediction

Trading basics

Political interpretations of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Political interpretations of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz include treatments of the modern fairy tale (written by L. Frank Baum and first published in 1900) as an allegory or metaphor for the political, economic, and social events of America in the 1890s. Scholars have examined four quite different versions of Oz: the novel of 1900, the Broadway play of 1902, the Hollywood film of 1939, an

Finance

Political risk

Political risk is a type of risk faced by investors, corporations, and governments that political decisions, events, or conditions will significantly affect the profitability of a business actor or the expected value of a given economic action. Political risk can be understood and managed with reasoned foresight and investment.

Networks

Polkadot (blockchain platform)

Polkadot is a decentralized, nominated proof-of-stake blockchain with smart contract functionality. The cryptocurrency native to the blockchain is the DOT.

Networks

Polygon (blockchain)

Polygon (formerly Matic Network) is a blockchain platform which aims to create a multi-chain blockchain system compatible with Ethereum. As with Ethereum, it uses a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism for processing transactions on-chain. Polygon's native token is POL, an ERC-20 token which allows for compatibility with other Ethereum cryptocurrencies. It is operated by Polygon Labs.

Trading basics

Polymarket

Polymarket is an American cryptocurrency-based prediction market which offers a platform where individuals can place bets on future outcomes, including sports matches, economic indicators, weather patterns, awards, political and legislative outcomes, and military conflicts. Participants can deposit cryptocurrency through the Polygon blockchain network and trade shares that represent the

Finance

Pooled income fund

The Pooled Income Fund (PIF) is a type of charitable mutual fund or charitable trust that pools the securities or cash separately donated by an individual, a family or a corporation to a charity, which is then invested to provide dividends for both the donor's beneficiary and charity. The donations are irrevocable and tax-deductible and must be from personal assets. Capital gains taxes d

Trading basics

Popcat

Popcat is an Internet meme originating in October 2020, in a series of videos which showcase two images of a domestic short-haired cat named 'Oatmeal', where one image has its mouth closed and the other has its mouth open, with the second image being edited to give its mouth an 'O' shape. The meme was later created into a popular game. It has since also been made into a widely available

Banking

Post-2008 Irish banking crisis

The post-2008 Irish banking crisis occurred when a number of Irish financial institutions faced almost imminent collapse due to insolvency during the Great Recession. In response, the Irish government instigated a €64 billion bank bailout. This then led to a number of unexpected revelations about the business affairs of some banks and business people. Ultimately, added onto the deepening

Trading basics

Post-dated cheque

In banking, a post-dated cheque is a cheque written by the drawer (payer) for a date in the future.

Payments & settlement

Postal order

A postal order or postal note is a type of money order usually intended for sending money through the mail. It is purchased at a post office and is payable to the named recipient at another post office. A fee for the service, known as poundage, is paid by the purchaser. In the United States, this is known as a postal money order. Postal orders are not legal tender, but a type of promiss

Finance

Pre-approval

In lending, a pre-approval is the pre-qualification for a loan or mortgage of a certain value range.

Banking

Predatory lending

Predatory lending refers to unethical practices conducted by lending organizations during a loan origination process that are unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent. While there are no internationally agreed legal definitions for predatory lending, a 2006 audit report from the office of inspector general of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) broadly defines predatory lending a

Trading basics

Prediction market

Prediction markets, also known as betting markets, information markets, decision markets, idea futures, or event derivatives, are open markets that enable the prediction of specific outcomes using financial incentives. They are exchange-traded markets established for trading bets in the outcome of various events.

Trading basics

PredictIt

PredictIt is a United States-based online prediction market that offers exchanges on political and financial events. PredictIt is a project of the Prediction Market Research Consortium, a not-for-profit organization, for educational purposes and is supported by Aristotle, Inc. The company's office is located in Washington, D.C. Only United States citizens can bet on the site.

Trading basics

Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See

The Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See was a dicastery of the Roman Curia, erected on 15 August 1967, and entrusted with overseeing all the offices of the Holy See that managed finances, regardless of their degree of autonomy.

Trading basics

Preferential creditor

A preferential creditor (in some jurisdictions called a preferred creditor) is a creditor receiving a preferential right to payment upon the debtor's bankruptcy under applicable insolvency laws.

Finance

Premium Bonds

Premium Bonds is a lottery bond scheme organised by the United Kingdom government since 1956. At present it is managed by the government's National Savings and Investments agency.

Finance

Present value of growth opportunities

In corporate finance,

Fiat currencies

Price level

The general price level is a hypothetical measure of overall prices for some set of goods and services (the consumer basket), in an economy or monetary union during a given interval (generally one day), normalized relative to some base set. Typically, the general price level is approximated with a daily price index, normally the Daily CPI. The general price level can change more than on

Trading basics

Price revolution

The Price Revolution, sometimes known as the Spanish Price Revolution, was a series of economic events that occurred in the second half of the 16th century, and most specifically linked to the high rate of inflation that occurred during this period across Western Europe. Prices rose on average roughly sixfold over 150 years. This level of inflation amounts to 1.2% per year compounded, a

Finance

Price-to-cash flow ratio

The price/cash flow ratio (also called price-to-cash flow ratio or P/CF), is a financial ratio used to compare a company's market value to its cash flow. It is calculated by dividing the company's market cap by the company's operating cash flow in the most recent fiscal year (or the most recent four fiscal quarters); or, equivalently, divide the per-share stock price by the per-share ope

Finance

Price–earnings ratio

The price–earnings ratio (P/E ratio, P/E, or PER) is the ratio of a company's share price to the company's earnings per share. The ratio is used for valuing companies and to find out whether they are overvalued or undervalued.

Finance

Price–sales ratio

The price-to-sales ratio (P/S ratio or PSR) is a financial ratio used to assess a company's market value relative to its revenue. It is calculated by dividing the company's market capitalization by its total revenue over a specified period, typically the trailing twelve months (TTM), or equivalently, by dividing the unit price of each share by the per-share revenue. Investors use this me

Finance

Primary Dealer Credit Facility

On March 17, 2008, in response to the subprime mortgage crisis and the collapse of Bear Stearns, the Federal Reserve announced the creation of a new lending facility, the Primary Dealer Credit Facility (PDCF). Eligible borrowers include all financial institutions listed as primary dealers, and the term of the loan is a repurchase agreement, or "repo" loan, whereby the broker dealer sells

Banking

Principles for Responsible Investment

Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI or PRI) is a United Nations-supported international network of financial institutions working together to implement its six aspirational principles, often referenced as "the Principles". Its goal is to understand the implications of sustainability for investors and support signatories to facilitate incorporating these issues into their investm

Banking

Private banking

Private banking is a general description for banking, investment and other financial services provided by banks and financial institutions primarily serving high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) – those with very high income or substantial assets. Private banking is presented by those who provide such services as an exclusive subset of wealth management services, provided to particularly af

Trading basics

Private equity

Private equity (PE) is stock in a private company that does not offer stock to the general public. Instead, it is offered to specialized investment funds and limited partnerships that take an active role in managing and structuring the companies. Colloquially, "private equity" can refer to these investment firms rather than the companies in which they invest.

Banking

Private equity in the 2010s

Private equity (PE) expanded throughout the 2010s. As of 2019, there were nearly 7,000 PE firms within the United States, nearly $2.5 trillion globally in unspent cash (known as dry powder), and deal-making in private equity accounted for 13% of global acquisitions.

Securities & exchanges

Private finance initiative

The private finance initiative (PFI) was a United Kingdom government procurement policy aimed at creating "public–private partnerships" (PPPs) where private firms are contracted to complete and manage public projects. Initially launched in 1992 by Prime Minister John Major, and expanded considerably by the Blair government, PFI is part of the wider programme of privatisation and macroeco

Trading basics

Private pension

A private pension is a plan into which individuals privately contribute from their earnings, which then will pay them a pension after retirement. It is an alternative to the state pension. Usually, individuals invest funds into saving schemes or mutual funds, run by insurance companies. Often private pensions are also run by the employer and are called occupational pensions. The contribu

Trading basics

Private student loan (United States)

A private student loan is a financing option for higher education in the United States that can supplement, but should not replace, federal loans, such as Stafford loans, Perkins loans and PLUS loans. Private loans, which are heavily advertised, do not have the forbearance and deferral options available with federal loans (which are never advertised). In contrast with federal subsidized

Finance

Privy Purse

The Privy Purse is the British sovereign's private income, mostly from the Duchy of Lancaster. This amounted to £24.2 million in net income for 2024/25.

Securities & exchanges

Promissory note

A promissory note, sometimes referred to as a note payable, is a financial instrument in which one party (the maker or issuer) promises in writing to pay a determinate sum of money to another (the payee), subject to any terms and conditions specified within the document.

Assets

Proof of space

Proof of space (PoS) is a type of consensus algorithm achieved by demonstrating one's legitimate interest in a service (such as sending an email) by allocating a non-trivial amount of memory or disk space to solve a challenge presented by the service provider. The concept was formulated in 2013 by Dziembowski et al. and (with a different formulation) by Ateniese et al..

Assets

Proof of stake

Proof-of-stake (PoS) protocols are a class of consensus mechanisms for blockchains that work by selecting validators in proportion to their quantity of holdings in the associated cryptocurrency. This is done to avoid the computational cost of proof-of-work (PoW) schemes. The first functioning use of PoS for cryptocurrency was Peercoin in 2012, although its scheme, on the surface, still r

Assets

Proof of work

Proof of work (also written as proof-of-work, and abbreviated PoW) is a form of cryptographic proof in which one party (the prover) proves to others (the verifiers) that a certain amount of a specific computational effort has been expended. Verifiers can subsequently confirm this expenditure with minimal effort on their part. The concept was first proposed by Moni Naor and Cynthia Dwork

Securities & exchanges

Prospectus (finance)

A prospectus, in finance, is a disclosure document that describes a financial security for potential buyers. It commonly provides investors with material information about mutual funds, stocks, bonds and other investments, such as a description of the company's business, financial statements, biographies of officers and directors, detailed information about their compensation, any litiga

Trading basics

Provisions of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

The Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was created as a response to the financial crisis in 2007. Passed in 2010, the act contains a great number of provisions, taking over 848 pages. It targets the sectors of the financial system that were believed to be responsible for the financial crisis, including banks, mortgage lenders, and credit rating agencies. Ostensibly

Banking

Prudential Regulation Authority

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is a United Kingdom financial services regulatory body, formed as one of the successors to the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The authority is responsible for the prudential regulation and supervision of banks, building societies, credit unions, insurers and major investment firms. It sets standards and supervises financial institutions at t

Trading basics

Public

In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere.

Trading basics

Public budgeting

Public budgeting is a field of public administration and a discipline in the academic study of public administration. Budgeting is characterized by its approaches, functions, formation, and type.

Trading basics

Public capital

Public capital is the aggregate body of government-owned assets that are used as a means for productivity. Such assets span a wide range including: large components such as highways, airports, roads, transit systems, and railways; local, municipal components such as public education, public hospitals, police and fire protection, prisons, and courts; and critical components including wate

Finance

Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority

The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) is a parastatal organisation in Uganda that is responsible for regulation and supervision of procurement and disposal of government-owned property and other assets.