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Banking

An Introduction to Islamic Finance

An Introduction to Islamic Finance is a book written by Pakistani scholar Taqi Usmani on Islamic banking and finance. The book remains one of the gateway publications on Islamic finance. Most of the focus of the book is on banking rather than fund management. The author urges Islamic banks to develop their own culture, as ultimately it is the value system that matters. The book displays

Finance

Antigonish Movement

The Antigonish Movement blended adult education, co-operatives, microfinance and rural community development to help small, resource-based communities around Canada's Maritimes to improve their economic and social circumstances. A group of priests and educators, including Father Jimmy Tompkins, Father Moses Coady, Rev. Hugh MacPherson and A.B. MacDonald led this movement from a base at t

Trading basics

Azerbaijani manat

The manat (ISO code: AZN; sign: ₼; abbreviation: m) is the currency of Azerbaijan. It is subdivided into 100 gapiks.

Trading basics

Bahamian dollar

The dollar (sign: $; code: BSD) has been the currency of The Bahamas since 1966. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively B$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents.

Banking

Bank of North America

The Bank of North America was the first chartered bank in the United States, and served as the country's first de facto central bank. It was chartered by the Congress of the Confederation on May 26, 1781, and opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 7, 1782.

Securities & exchanges

Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange

The Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange (BCSE; Belarusian: Беларуская валютна-фондавая біржа; Russian: Белорусская валютно-фондовая биржа) is a currency and stock exchange based in Belarus.

Trading basics

Big Bang (financial markets)

The phrase Big Bang, used in reference to the sudden deregulation of financial markets, was coined to describe measures, including abolition of fixed commission charges and of the distinction between stockjobbers and stockbrokers on the London Stock Exchange and change from open outcry to screen-based electronic trading, effected by UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1986.

Payments & settlement

Bills of credit

Bills of credit are documents similar to banknotes issued by a government that represent a government's indebtedness to the holder. They are typically designed to circulate as currency or currency substitutes. Bills of credit are mentioned in Article One, Section 10, Clause One (also known as the Contract Clause) of the United States Constitution, where their issuance by state governme

Trading basics

Blurb

A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dust jacket of a book. With the development of the mass-market paperback, they were placed on both covers by most publishers. Now they are also found on web portals and news websites. A blu

Finance

Bursa Malaysia

Bursa Malaysia (MYX or MSX; lit. 'Malaysian Bourse' or 'Malaysia Exchange') is the stock exchange in Malaysia. It is one of the largest bourses in ASEAN. It is based in Kuala Lumpur and was previously known as the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE). It provides full integration of transactions, offering a wide range of currency exchange and related services, including trading, settlement

Banking

Central Bank of Paraguay

The Central Bank of Paraguay (Spanish: Banco Central del Paraguay) is Paraguay's highest monetary authority, and the country's governing body, in finances and economics. Its headquarters are in Asunción's Carmelitas neighbourhood.

Finance

Debt: The First 5,000 Years

Debt: The First 5,000 Years is a book by anthropologist David Graeber published in 2011. It explores the historical relationship of debt with social institutions such as barter, marriage, friendship, slavery, law, religion, war and government. It draws on the history and anthropology of a number of civilizations, large and small, from the first known records of debt from Sumer in 3500 BC

Finance

Economic capital

In finance, mainly for financial services firms, economic capital (ecap) is the amount of risk capital, assessed on a realistic basis, which a firm requires to cover the risks that it is running or collecting as a going concern, such as market risk, credit risk, legal risk, and operational risk. It is the amount of money that is needed to secure survival in a worst-case scenario. Firms a

Trading basics

Eden Gemeinnützige Obstbau-Siedlung

Eden Gemeinnützige Obstbau-Siedlung is a fruit-growing cooperative in Oranienburg north of Berlin. The cooperative was founded in 1893 exclusively for vegetarians but since 1901 has accepted membership for anyone who "adopts a healthy lifestyle".

Fiat currencies

Electricity as the Dominant Force in the World

Electricity as the Dominant Force in the World is an 1896 United States five-dollar silver certificate. It is of the US large-size variety measuring 7.375 in (187.3 mm) by 3.125 in (79.4 mm). The note is one of three notes that are part of the "Educational Series". As a result of the nudity portrayed on the obverse and other controversies, the note was replaced in 1899.

Trading basics

Euronext Amsterdam

Euronext Amsterdam is a stock exchange based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Formerly known as the Amsterdam Stock Exchange (Dutch: Amsterdamse effectenbeurs), it merged on 22 September 2000 with the Brussels Stock Exchange and the Paris Stock Exchange to form Euronext. The registered office of Euronext, itself incorporated in the Netherlands a public limited company (naamloze vennootschap),

Trading basics

Expedited Funds Availability Act

The Expedited Funds Availability Act (EFA or EFAA) was enacted in 1987 by the United States Congress for the purpose of standardizing hold periods on deposits made to commercial banks and to regulate institutions' use of deposit holds. It is also referred to as Regulation CC or Reg CC, after the Federal Reserve regulation that implements the act. The law is codified in Title 12, Chapter

Trading basics

Fair Credit Reporting Act

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq., is federal legislation enacted to promote the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of consumer information contained in the files of consumer reporting agencies. It was intended to shield consumers from the willful or negligent inclusion of erroneous data in their credit reports. To that end, the FCRA regulates the collection, di

Trading basics

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Pub. L. 95-109; 91 Stat. 874, codified as 15 U.S.C. § 1692 –1692p, approved on September 20, 1977 (and as subsequently amended), is a consumer protection amendment, establishing legal protection from abusive debt collection practices, to the Consumer Credit Protection Act, as Title VIII of that Act. The statute's stated purposes are: to eli

Finance

Federal budget of Russia

The federal budget of Russia (Russian: федеральный бюджет России) is the leading element of the budget system of Russia. It is a major state financial plan for the fiscal year, which has the force of law after its approval by the Russian parliament and signed into law by the President of Russia.

Finance

Financial Literacy and Education Commission

The Financial Literacy and Education Commission (the Commission) was established under Title V, the Financial Literacy and Education Improvement Act which was part of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT) Act of 2003, to improve financial literacy and education of persons in the United States. The FACT Act named the Secretary of the Treasury as head of the Commission and r

Finance

First Report on the Public Credit

The First Report on the Public Credit was one of four major reports on fiscal and economic policy submitted by Founding Father and first US Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton on the request of Congress. The report analyzed the financial standing of the United States and made recommendations to reorganize the national debt and to establish the public credit. Commissioned by the US Hous

Trading basics

Four Freedoms (Rockwell)

The Four Freedoms is a series of four oil paintings made in 1943 by the American artist Norman Rockwell. The paintings—Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear—are each approximately 45.75 by 35.5 inches (116.2 by 90.2 cm), and are now in the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The four freedoms refer to President Franklin D. Roose

Payments & settlement

GovPay

GovPay is a digital payment platform launched by the Government of Sri Lanka to streamline and modernise payment processes for government services. Officially introduced on 7 February 2025, under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, GovPay represents a significant step toward the digitalization of public services in Sri Lanka. This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of

Trading basics

Hillary Clinton cattle futures controversy

In 1978 and 1979, lawyer and First Lady of Arkansas Hillary Rodham Clinton engaged in a series of trades of cattle futures contracts. Her initial $1,000 investment had generated nearly $100,000 (equivalent to $443,603.85 in 2025), when she stopped trading after ten months. In 1994, after Clinton had become First Lady of the United States, the trading became the subject of considerable co

Trading basics

History of Philippine money

The history of Philippine money covers currency in use before the Hispanic era with gold Piloncitos and other commodities in circulation, as well as the adoption of the peso during the Hispanic era and afterwards.

Trading basics

Hudson's Bay Company

The Hudson's Bay Company (abbreviated HBC and colloquially Hudson's Bay or The Bay) was a Canadian holding company of department stores and commercial property. It was the oldest corporation in North America, founded in 1670 and liquidated in 2025. It was headquartered at the Simpson Tower in Toronto. Today, it serves as an Intellectual Property and brand of Canadian Tire for its iconi

Trading basics

Investment Canada Act

The Investment Canada Act (ICA; French: Loi sur Investissement Canada, LIC) is a Canadian federal law governing foreign direct investment in Canada. The ICA was one of the first acts of Brian Mulroney's newly elected Progressive Conservative government, receiving royal assent on 20 June 1985. It has been amended at various times, including recently through Bill C-34, An Act to amend th

Trading basics

Jersey pound

The pound (French: Livre de Jersey, Jèrriais: Louis d'Jèrri; abbreviation: JEP; sign: £) is the currency of Jersey. Jersey is in currency union with the United Kingdom, and the Jersey pound is not a separate currency but is an issue of banknotes and coins by the States of Jersey denominated in sterling, in a similar way to the banknotes issued in Scotland and Northern Ireland (see Bankno

Trading basics

La Caldera (NFT collection)

La Caldera is a non-fungible token (NFT) collection created by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira and Australian graphic designer BossLogic released on 21 September 2021. The collection consists of four pieces named "Zenith", "Caloris", "Watch, Don't Touch", and "Save Me from Myself". Each piece features music by Shakira and animated, digitally altered pictures of Shakira in the fantasy

Payments & settlement

LankaQR

LankaQR, stylised in all caps as LANKAQR, is a national QR code payment system in Sri Lanka, initiated by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) in collaboration with LankaClear (Pvt) Ltd and licensed financial institutions. The standard was introduced on 12 October 2018 and formally launched on 11 March 2019, aiming to promote a cashless society, enhance financial inclusion, and reduce re

Trading basics

Martin Chuzzlewit

The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit (commonly known as Martin Chuzzlewit) is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, considered the last of his picaresque novels. It was originally serialised between January 1843 and July 1844. While he was writing it, Dickens told a friend that he thought it was his best work thus far, but it was one of his least popular novels, judged by sa

Finance

Midas Touch (book)

Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich — And Why Most Don't is a non-fiction book about personal finance, co-authored by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki. The book was published in hardcover format in 2011. The coauthors became familiar with each other through mutual work at The Learning Annex, and The Art of the Deal. Trump was impressed by Kiyosaki's writing success with Rich Da

Finance

Ministry of Finance (Afghanistan)

The Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan (Dari: وزارت مالیه افغانستان, Pashto: د افغانستان د مالیې وزارت) is responsible for the implementation and execution of the budget, collection of taxes, organization, and control of public expenses in Afghanistan; it also controls the management of the Custom Affairs. It is located next to the Pashtunistan Square in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood

Finance

Ministry of Finance (Russia)

The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation (Russian: Министерство финансов Российской Федерации), also known as MinFin (Минфин России), is a ministry of the Government of Russia responsible for financial policy and general management in the field of finance.

Finance

Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1922–24

The 1922–1924 monetary reform of the Soviet Union was a set of monetary policies which was implemented in the Soviet Union as a part of the Soviet government’s New Economic Policy. The principal objectives of the reform included stopping the effects of hyperinflation, establishing a unified medium of exchange and the creation of a more-independent central bank.

Finance

Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1947

The monetary reform in the Soviet Union of 1947 (known as the "postwar reform") was carried out during December 16–19, 1947. It was the second Soviet monetary reform. At the same time the post-World War II rationing system was discontinued. The reform was a combination of redenomination and confiscation, the latter depending on the amount exchanged and whether the monies were kept at t

Finance

Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961

A monetary reform of the Soviet ruble, also known as the Khrushchev reform (after Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet leader at the time), took place on 1 January 1961. The reform consisted of the devaluation of the ruble against the United States dollar, and the redenomination of the ruble at a ratio of 10 to 1.

Trading basics

Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007

The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 was introduced in the United States Congress on September 25, 2007, and signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 20, 2007. This act offers relief to homeowners who would have owed taxes on forgiven mortgage debt after facing foreclosure. The act extends such relief for three years, applying to debts discharged in calendar ye

Trading basics

Mug shot of Donald Trump

On August 24, 2023, a mug shot of Donald Trump, then a former president of the United States who went on to win the 2024 presidential election, was taken at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia. The mug shot was taken after Trump was indicted on racketeering and related charges, and voluntarily surrendered himself to authorities at the Fulton County Jail. In the photograph, Trump,

Trading basics

Nepalese rupee

The Nepalese rupee (Nepali: नेपाली रुपैयाँ; sign: रु; code: NPR) is the official currency and legal tender of Nepal. It is also sometimes informally abbreviated as N₨ or Re./Rs. Each rupee is subdivided into 100 paisa, although coins of lower denominations are rarely used today. It is issued and regulated by the Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank of Nepal.

Assets

Neptune's Brood

Neptune's Brood is a science fiction novel by British author Charles Stross, set in the same universe as Saturn's Children, but thousands of years later and with all new characters.

Trading basics

Ottoman public debt

The Ottoman public debt was a term which dated back to 24 August 1855, when the Ottoman Empire first entered into loan contracts with its European creditors shortly after the beginning of the Crimean War.

Trading basics

Ottoman Public Debt Administration

Ottoman Public Debt Administration (OPDA) was a European-controlled organization that was established in 1881 to collect the payments which the Ottoman Empire owed to European companies in the Ottoman public debt. The OPDA became a vast, essentially independent, bureaucracy within the Ottoman bureaucracy, run by the creditors: Its governing council included one representative each from B

Banking

Pennies from Heaven (1981 film)

Pennies from Heaven is a 1981 American musical romantic drama film directed by Herbert Ross, based on the 1978 BBC television drama. Dennis Potter adapted his screenplay from the BBC series for American audiences, changing its setting from London and the Forest of Dean to Depression-era Chicago and rural Illinois.

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

Finance

Philippine Dealing Exchange

The Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. (PDEx) is a dealing exchange for major banks in the Philippines. The primary exchange of the country for all sectors is the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Securities & exchanges

Securities Investor Protection Corporation

The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) is a non-profit, member-funded, United States government corporation created under the Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA) of 1970 that most US-registered broker-dealers are required to join. Although created by federal legislation and overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SIPC is neither a government agency no

Trading basics

Singapore dollar

The Singapore dollar (sign: $; code: SGD) is the official currency of the Republic of Singapore. Each dollar is divided into 100 cents (Malay: sen, Chinese: 分; pinyin: fēn, Tamil: காசு, romanized: kācu). It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issues the banknotes and co

Fiat currencies

Smithsonian Agreement

The Smithsonian Agreement, announced in December 1971, created a new dollar standard, whereby the currencies of a number of industrialized states were pegged to the US dollar. These currencies were allowed to fluctuate by 2.25% against the dollar. The Smithsonian Agreement was created when the Group of Ten (G-10) states (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sw

Trading basics

Symbolic capital

In sociology and anthropology, symbolic capital can be referred to as the resources available to an individual on the basis of honor, prestige or recognition, and serves as value that one holds within a culture. A war hero, for example, may have symbolic capital in the context of running for political office.

Trading basics

Waterstones

Waterstones Booksellers Limited, trading as Waterstones (formerly Waterstone's), is a British book retailer based in London, United Kingdom, owned by the American investment group Elliott Investment Management. As of 2025, it operates 316 shops, mainly in the United Kingdom and other nearby countries. As of 2024 it employed over 3,600 staff in Britain and Europe. The average Waterstones

Trading basics

William McKinley 1896 presidential campaign

In 1896, William McKinley was elected President of the United States. McKinley, a Republican and former Governor of Ohio, defeated the joint Democratic and Populist nominee, William Jennings Bryan, as well as minor-party candidates. McKinley's decisive victory in what is sometimes seen as a realigning election ended a period of close presidential contests, and ushered in an era of domina