Catch-Up Contribution

What Does it Mean?
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A type of retirement savings contribution that allows people over 50 to make additional contributions to their 401(k) and/or individual retirement accounts. The catch-up contribution provision was created by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA), so that older individuals would be able to set aside enough savings for retirement.

Investopedia Says:
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Originally, the ability to make catch-up contributions under EGTRRA was set to end at around 2011. However, the Pension Protection Act of 2006 made catch-up contributions and other pension-related provisions permanent. 

Although using catch-up contributions is a great way for many people to expand their retirement savings, a report from the Vanguard Center for Retirement Research entitled "Catch-Up Contributions in 2004: Plan Sponsor and Participant Adoption" (2004) found that only 13% of eligible candidates use catch-up contributions to expand their savings.

Risk Of Ruin

What Does it Mean?
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The probability of an individual losing sufficient trading or gambling money (known as capital base) to the point at which continuing on is no longer considered an option to recover losses.  

Risk of ruin is calculated by taking into account the probability of winning (or making money on a trade), the probability of incurring losses, and the portion of an individual's capital base that is in play or at risk. Also known as the "probability of ruin".

Investopedia Says:
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Risk of ruin need not result in bankruptcy (although it often does), but rather the point at which continuing on would be unwise. It signifies a risk more relevant in trading and gambling, where there is a high probability of losing an entire bet or trade. 

The risk becomes even greater for individuals who trade large percentages of their accounts. For example, say an investor has $3,000 and purchases $3,000 worth of call options. If there is a 40% chance that the options will not be exercised, then the risk of ruin is 40%. 

Graveyard Market

What Does it Mean?
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The period near the end of a prolonged bear market. In a graveyard market, long-time investors have taken large losses, while new investors prefer to stay liquid by sitting on the sidelines and keeping their money in cash or cash-equivalent securities until market conditions improve.

Investopedia Says:
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The term graveyard market is an apt description of this market phenomenon: the investors in a graveyard market can't get out of it, and the investors who aren't in it don't want to be. Therefore, until a positive outlook becomes more conclusive, the overall market conditions will be slow to improve.

Soft Patch

What Does it Mean?
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A period of economic slowdown amid a larger trend of economic growth. This buzzword is most often used in the financial media and by the U.S. Federal Reserve to describe a period of economic weakness.

Investopedia Says:
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This term gained popularity when former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan used it in his review of the overall U.S. economy. Central banks often cut interest rates in an attempt to spur the economy through the soft patch. An example of a soft patch would be an economic slowdown due to rising commodity prices, which is believed to be short term, with the economy growing at a faster rate after the slow patch. 

Shareholder Value

What Does it Mean?
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The value delivered to shareholders because of management's ability to grow earnings, dividends and share price. In other words, shareholder value is the sum of all strategic decisions that affect the firm's ability to efficiently increase the amount of free cash flow over time.

Investopedia Says:
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Making wise investments and generating a healthy return on invested capital are two main drivers of shareholder value. It is no wonder why there is a fine line between responsibly growing shareholder value and doing whatever is needed to generate a profit. Reckless decisions and aggressively chasing profit at the expense of the environment or others can easily cause shareholder value to decline.

Downswing

What Does it Mean?
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A reduction in the overall level of economic or business activity. Downswings may be caused by fluctuations in the business cycle or a variety of macroeconomic events. Downswing may also refer to the downward movement in the value of a security following a period of stable or rising prices.

Investopedia Says:
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A downswing is one of many buzzwords related to poor performance in the market. When interest rates rise, the economy will typically experience a downswing. The new rates make it more difficult for businesses to acquire financing, which results in a lower number of new firms and less expansion.

A downswing in the stock market or a single security will usually occur after the market has peaked. At this point, a bear market starts to occur as prices swing lower.

Stabilization Policy

What Does it Mean?
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A macroeconomic strategy enacted by governments and central banks to keep economic growth stable, along with price levels and unemployment. Ongoing stabilization policy includes monitoring the business cycle and adjusting benchmark interest rates to control aggregate demand in the economy. The goal is to avoid erratic changes in total output, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and large changes in inflation; stabilization of these factors generally leads to moderate changes in the employment rate as well.

Investopedia Says:
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Stabilization policies are also used to help an economy recover from a specific economic crisis or shock, such as sovereign debt defaults or a stock market crash. In these instances stabilization policies may come from governments directly through overt legislation, securities reforms, or from international banking groups, such as the World Bank.

As economies become more complex and advanced, top economists believe that maintaining a steady price level and pace of growth is the key to long-term prosperity. When any of the aforementioned variables becomes too volatile, there are unforeseen consequences and effects to the broad economy that keep markets from functioning at their optimum level of efficiency.

Most modern economies employ stabilization policies, with much of the work being done by central banking authorities like the U.S. Federal Reserve Board. Stabilization policy is largely credited with the moderate but positive rates of GDP growth seen in the United States since the early 1980s.

VIX - CBOE Volatility Index

What Does it Mean?
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The ticker symbol for the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Volatility Index, which shows the market's expectation of 30-day volatility. It is constructed using the implied volatilities of a wide range of S&P 500 index options. This volatility is meant to be forward looking and is calculated from both calls and puts. The VIX is a widely used measure of market risk and is often referred to as the "investor fear gauge".

There are three variations of volatility indexes: the VIX tracks the S&P 500, the VXN tracks the Nasdaq 100 and the VXD tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Investopedia Says:
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The first VIX, introduced by the CBOE in 1993, was a weighted measure of the implied volatility of eight S&P 100 at-the-money put and call options. Ten years later, it expanded to use options based on a broader index, the S&P 500, which allows for a more accurate view of investors' expectations on future market volatility. VIX values greater than 30 are generally associated with a large amount of volatility as a result of investor fear or uncertainty, while values below 20 generally correspond to less stressful, even complacent, times in the markets.

Account Reconcilement

What Does it Mean?
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The process of confirming that two separate records of transactions in an account are equal. This can happen internally with a bank or broker, such as between general ledger entries and individual account records. Reconcilement also occurs when a customer of a bank or broker confirms that his or her personal records match what is reported on periodic statements. Ther term can also refer to balancing the books and records of a business with software programs and data entries.

Investopedia Says:
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Account reconcilement within financial institutions is a key regulatory and compliance function, and it is a primary focus for outside regulators in their routine audits of the firm. Customers of these firms should also keep an accurate record and report discrepancies promptly.

With the advent of computer systems to record transactions and client positions, reconciling often amounts to fixing small discrepancies of a few dollars, or even pennies, between one source and another. The longer an error goes uncovered, the more difficult it will be to reconcile the two records.

Credit Crunch

What Does it Mean?
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An economic condition in which investment capital is difficult to obtain. Banks and investors become wary of lending funds to corporations, which drives up the price of debt products for borrowers.

Investopedia Says:
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Credit crunches are usually considered to be an extension of recessions. A credit crunch makes it nearly impossible for companies to borrow because lenders are scared of bankruptcies or defaults, which results in higher rates. The consequence is a prolonged recession (or slower recovery), which occurs as a result of the shrinking credit supply.

Recognition Lag

What Does it Mean?
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The time lag between when an actual economic shock, such as sudden boom or bust occurs, and when it is recognized by economists, central bankers and the government.

The recognition lag is studied in conjunction with implementation lag and response lag, two other measures of time lags within an economy. Recognition lags may be days, weeks, or months, depending on the nature and severity of the economic shock or shift.

Investopedia Says:
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Followers of the market are familiar with the phenomenon of when economists signal a recession in the economy several months after it has actually begun. This is because it can take several months for data metrics that are studied to predict economic shifts to be aggregated and published for the investing public.

Recession

What Does it Mean?
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A significant decline in activity across the economy, lasting longer than a few months. It is visible in industrial production, employment, real income and wholesale-retail trade. The technical indicator of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth as measured by a country's gross domestic product (GDP).

Investopedia Says:
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Recession is a normal (albeit unpleasant) part of the business cycle; however, one-time crisis events can often trigger the onset of a recession. A recession generally lasts from six to 18 months. Interest rates usually fall in recessionary times to stimulate the economy by offering cheap rates at which to borrow money.

Bailout

What Does it Mean?
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A situation in which a business, individual or government offers money to a failing business in order to prevent the consequences that arise from a business's downfall. Bailouts can take the form of loans, bonds, stocks or cash. They may or may not require reimbursement.

Investopedia Says:
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Bailouts have traditionally occurred in industries or businesses that may be perceived no longer being viable, or are just sustaining huge losses. Typically, these companies employ a large number of people, leading some people to believe that the economy would be unable to sustain such a huge jump in unemployment if the business folded.

For example, Chrysler, a large U.S. automaker was in need of a bailout in the early 1980s. The U.S. government stepped in and offered roughly $1.2 billion to the failing company. Chrysler was able to pay the entire bailout back, and is currently a profitable firm.

One of the biggest bailouts is the one proposed by the U.S. government in 2008 that will see $700 billion put towards bailing out various financial organizations and those affected by the credit crisis.

Credit Crisis

What Does it Mean?
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A crisis which occurs when several financial institutions issue, or were sold through securitization, high-risk loans that start to default. As borrowers default on their loans, the financial institutions which issued the loans stop receiving payments. There follows a period in which financial institutions redefine the riskiness of borrowers, making it difficult for debtors to find creditors.

Investopedia Says:
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In the case of a credit crisis, banks either do not charge enough interest on loans or pay too much for the securitized loan, or the rating system does not rate the risk of the loans correctly

Weighted Average Loan Age - WALA

What Does it Mean?
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A dollar-weighted average measuring the age of the individual loans in a mortgage pass-through or pooled security, such as Ginnie Mae or a Freddie Mac security. The WALA is measured as the time in months since the origination of the loans, with the weighting based on each loan's size in proportion to the aggregate total of the pool.

Investopedia Says:
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The weighted average age will change over time as some mortgages get paid off faster than others. Based on the issuer of the mortgage-backed securities (MBS), the WALA may be weighted on the remaining principal balance dollar figure, or the beginning notional value of the loan.

The flip side of the WALA is the weighted average maturity (WAM), which is a dollar-weighted measure of the months remaining until the principal amounts are completely repaid on each loan in the pool.

What Does it Mean?
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A market condition in which the prices of securities are falling, and widespread pessimism causes the negative sentiment to be self-sustaining. As investors anticipate losses in a bear market and selling continues, which contributes to further pessimism. Although figures can vary, for many, a downturn of 20% or more in multiple broad market indexes, such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) or Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500), over at least a two-month period, is considered an entry into a bear market.

Investopedia Says:
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A bear market should not be confused with a correction, which is a short-term trend that has a duration of less than two months. While corrections are often a great place for a value investor to find an entry point, bear markets rarely provide great entry points, as timing the bottom is very difficult to do. Fighting back can be extremely dangerous because it is quite difficult for an investor to make stellar gains during a bear market unless he or she is a short seller.

Capital Gains Tax

What Does it Mean?
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A type of tax levied on capital gains incurred by individuals and corporations. Capital gains are the profits that an investor realizes when he or she sells the capital asset for a price that is higher than the purchase price.

Capital gains taxes are only triggered when an asset is realized, not while it is held by an investor. An investor can own shares that appreciate every year, but the investor does not incur a capital gains tax on the shares until they are sold.

Investopedia Says:
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Most countries' tax laws provide for some form of capital gains taxes on investors' capital gains, although capital gains tax laws vary from country to country. In the U.S., individuals and corporations are subject to capital gains taxes on their annual net capital gains.

It is important to note that it is net capital gains that are subject to tax because if an investor sells two stocks during the year, one for a profit and an equal one for a loss, the amount of the capital loss incurred on the losing investment will counteract the capital gains from the winning investment.

Depreciation Recapture

What Does it Mean?
The amount of gain received from the sale of depreciable capital property that must be reported as income. Depreciation Recapture is assessed when the tax basis of an asset exceeds the sale price. The difference between these figures is thus "recaptured" by being reported as income.
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Investopedia Says...
When property is depreciated, the basis of the property is reduced by the amount of depreciation taken. If the sale price is larger than amount of depreciation that has been taken, then the difference will be reported as either ordinary income or capital gain, depending on the type of property that is sold.

For example, suppose that Frank buys business equipment for $10,000 and uses it for eight years. The total depreciation deduction is $6,000. Then he sells the equipment for $6,000. He must declare a "recaptured" gain of $2,000, the difference between the actual sales price and the depreciated tax basis of $4,000 ($10,000-$6,000).

Warren Buffett

What Does it Mean?
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Known as "the Oracle of Omaha", Buffett is Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and arguably the greatest investor of all time. His wealth fluctuates with the performance of the market but as of 2008 his net worth was estimated at $62 billion, making him the richest man in the world.

Investopedia Says:
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Buffett is a value investor. His company Berkshire Hathaway is basically a holding company for his investments. Major holdings he has had at some point include Coca-Cola, American Express and Gillette. Critics predicted an end to his success when his conservative investing style meant missing out on the dotcom bull market. Of course, he had the last laugh after the dotcom crash because, once again, Buffett's time tested strategy proved successful.

Stop Loss Order

What Does it Mean?
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An order placed with a broker to sell a security when it reaches a certain price. It is designed to limit an investor's loss on a security position. 

Also known as a "stop order" or "stop-market order".

Investopedia Says:
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In other words, setting a stop-loss order for 10% below the price you paid for the stock would limit your loss to 10%. 

It's also a great idea to use a stop order before you leave for holidays or enter a situation in which you will be unable to watch your stocks for an extended period of time.

Short Selling

What Does it Mean?
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The selling of a security that the seller does not own, or any sale that is completed by the delivery of a security borrowed by the seller. Short sellers assume that they will be able to buy the stock at a lower amount than the price at which they sold short.

Investopedia Says:
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Selling short is the opposite of going long. That is, short sellers make money if the stock goes down in price. 

This is an advanced trading strategy with many unique risks and pitfalls. Novice investors are advised to avoid short sales..

Chartered Financial Analyst - CFA

What Does it Mean?
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A professional designation given by the CFA Institute (formerly AIMR) that measures the competence and integrity of financial analysts. Candidates are required to pass three levels of exams covering areas such as accounting, economics, ethics, money management and security analysis.

Investopedia Says:
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Before you can become a CFA charterholder, you must have a minimum of three years of investment/financial experience. To enroll in the program, you must hold a bachelor's degree.

Earnings Per Share - EPS

What Does it Mean?
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The portion of a company's profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock. EPS serves as an indicator of a company's profitability.

Calculated as:

In the EPS calculation, it is more accurate to use a weighted average number of shares outstanding over the reporting term, because the number of shares outstanding can change over time. However, data sources sometimes simplify the calculation by using the number of shares outstanding at the end of the period.

Diluted EPS expands on basic EPS by including the shares of convertibles or warrants outstanding in the outstanding shares number.

Investopedia Says:
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Earnings per share is generally considered to be the single most important variable in determining a share's price. It is also a major component of the price-to-earnings valuation ratio. 

For example, assume that a company has a net income of $25 million. If the company pays out $1 million in preferred dividends and has 10 million shares for half of the year and 15 million shares for the other half, the EPS would be $1.92 (24/12.5). First, the $1 million is deducted from the net income to get $24 million, then a weighted average is taken to find the number of shares outstanding (0.5 x 10M+ 0.5 x 15M = 12.5M).

An important aspect of EPS that's often ignored is the capital that is required to generate the earnings (net income) in the calculation. Two companies could generate the same EPS number, but one could do so with less equity (investment) - that company would be more efficient at using its capital to generate income and, all other things being equal, would be a "better" company. Investors also need to be aware of earnings manipulation that will affect the quality of the earnings number. It is important not to rely on any one financial measure, but to use it in conjunction with statement analysis and other measures.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles - GAAP

What Does it Mean?
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The common set of accounting principles, standards and procedures that companies use to compile their financial statements. GAAP are a combination of authoritative standards (set by policy boards) and simply the commonly accepted ways of recording and reporting accounting information.

Investopedia Says:
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GAAP are imposed on companies so that investors have a minimum level of consistency in the financial statements they use when analyzing companies for investment purposes. GAAP cover such things as revenue recognition, balance sheet item classification and outstanding share measurements. Companies are expected to follow GAAP rules when reporting their financial data via financial statements. If a financial statement is not prepared using GAAP principles, be very wary!

That said, keep in mind that GAAP is only a set of standards. There is plenty of room within GAAP for unscrupulous accountants to distort figures. So, even when a company uses GAAP, you still need to scrutinize its financial statements.

Bo Derek

What Does it Mean?
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A slang term used to describe a perfect stock or investment. In the 1979 hit movie "10", actress Bo Derek portrayed the "perfect woman", or "the perfect 10". Investopedia Says: ------------------------------------------------------------ This term was used more often in the early 1980s, after the movie "10" first came out. Nowadays, the name of a more current celebrity, like Jennifer Lopez, might be used in finance jargon.

Price-Earnings Ratio - P/E Ratio

What Does it Mean?
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A valuation ratio of a company's current share price compared to its per-share earnings.

Calculated as:

 

For example, if a company is currently trading at $43 a share and earnings over the last 12 months were $1.95 per share, the P/E ratio for the stock would be 22.05 ($43/$1.95). 

EPS is usually from the last four quarters (trailing P/E), but sometimes it can be taken from the estimates of earnings expected in the next four quarters (projected or forward P/E). A third variation uses the sum of the last two actual quarters and the estimates of the next two quarters.
 
Also sometimes known as "price multiple" or "earnings multiple". 

Investopedia Says:
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In general, a high P/E suggests that investors are expecting higher earnings growth in the future compared to companies with a lower P/E. However, the P/E ratio doesn't tell us the whole story by itself. It's usually more useful to compare the P/E ratios of one company to other companies in the same industry, to the market in general or against the company's own historical P/E. It would not be useful for investors using the P/E ratio as a basis for their investment to compare the P/E of a technology company (high P/E) to a utility company (low P/E) as each industry has much different growth prospects. 

 
The P/E is sometimes referred to as the "multiple", because it shows how much investors are willing to pay per dollar of earnings. If a company were currently trading at a multiple (P/E) of 20, the interpretation is that an investor is willing to pay $20 for $1 of  current earnings.

It is important that investors note an important problem that arises with the P/E measure, and to avoid basing a decision on this measure alone. The denominator (earnings) is based on an accounting measure of earnings that is susceptible to forms of manipulation, making the quality of the P/E only as good as the quality of the underlying earnings number.

Compound Annual Growth Rate - CAGR

What Does it Mean?
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The year-over-year growth rate of an investment over a specified period of time.

The compound annual growth rate is calculated by taking the nth root of the total percentage growth rate, where n is the number of years in the period being considered.

This can be written as follows:



Investopedia Says:
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CAGR isn't the actual return in reality. It's an imaginary number that describes the rate at which an investment would have grown if it grew at a steady rate. You can think of CAGR as a way to smooth out the returns.

Don't worry if this concept is still fuzzy to you - CAGR is one of those terms best defined by example. Suppose you invested $10,000 in a portfolio on Jan 1, 2005. Let's say by Jan 1, 2006, your portfolio had grown to $13,000, then $14,000 by 2007, and finally ended up at $19,500 by 2008.

Your CAGR would be the ratio of your ending value to beginning value ($19,500 / $10,000 = 1.95) raised to the power of 1/3 (since 1/# of years = 1/3), then subtracting 1 from the resulting number:

1.95 raised to 1/3 power = 1.2493. (This could be written as 1.95^0.3333).
1.2493 - 1 = 0.2493
Another way of writing 0.2493 is 24.93%.

Thus, your CAGR for your three-year investment is equal to 24.93%, representing the smoothed annualized gain you earned over your investment time horizon.

Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization - EBITDA

What Does it Mean?
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An indicator of a company's financial performance which is calculated as follows:
EBITDA can be used to analyze and compare profitability between companies and industries because it eliminates the effects of financing and accounting decisions. However, this is a non-GAAP measure that allows a greater amount of discretion as to what is (and is not) included in the calculation. This also means that companies often change the items included in their EBITDA calculation from one reporting period to the next.

Investopedia Says:
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EBITDA first came into common use with leveraged buyouts in the 1980s, when it was used to indicate the ability of a company to service debt. As time passed, it became popular in industries with expensive assets that had to be written down over long periods of time. EBITDA is now commonly quoted by many companies, especially in the tech sector - even when it isn't warranted.

A common misconception is that EBITDA represents cash earnings. EBITDA is a good metric to evaluate profitability, but not cash flow. EBITDA also leaves out the cash required to fund working capital and the replacement of old equipment, which can be significant. Consequently, EBITDA is often used as an accounting gimmick to dress up a company's earnings. When using this metric, it's key that investors also focus on other performance measures to make sure the company is not trying to hide something with EBITDA.

How To Set A Forex Trading Schedule

Many first-time forex traders hit the market running. They watch various economic calendars and trade voraciously on every release of data, viewing the 24-hours-a-day, five-days-a-week foreign exchange market as a convenient way to trade all day long. Not only can this strategy deplete a trader's reserves quickly, but it can burn out even the most persistent trader. Unlike Wall Street, which runs on normal business hours, the forex market runs on the normal business hours of four different parts of the world and their respective time zones, which means the trading day lasts all day and night. So what's the alternative to staying up all night long? If traders can gain an understanding of the market hours and set appropriate goals, they will have a much stronger chance at realizing profits within a workable schedule.

Know the Markets
Currency trading is unique because of its hours of operation. The week begins at 6pm EST on Sunday and runs until 4pm on Friday.

But not all hours of the day are equally good for trading. The best time to trade is when the market is most active. When more than one of the four markets are open simultaneously, there will be a heightened trading atmosphere, which means there will be greater fluctuation in currency pairs. When only one market is open, currency pairs tend to get locked in a tight pip spread of roughly 30 pips of movement. Two markets open at once can easily see movement north of 70 pips, particularly when big news is released. (Need a refresher on forex concepts? Common Questions About Currency Trading covers the basics.)

First, here is a brief overview of the four markets (hours in EST):
New York (open 8am to 5pm): According to "Day Trading the Currency Markets" (2005) by Kathy Lien, New York is the second largest forex platform in the world and is watched heavily by foreign investors because the U.S. dollar is involved in 90% of all trades. Movements in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) can have an immediate and powerful effect on the dollar. When companies merge and acquisitions are finalized, the dollar can gain or lose value instantly. (Learn one way to predict movements in the NYSE in Which Direction Is The Market Heading?)

Tokyo (open 7pm to 4am): Tokyo takes in the largest bulk of Asian trading, just ahead of Hong Kong and Singapore. It was the first Asian trading center to open. The best currency pairs to aim for (for traders looking for a lot of action) are USD/JPY, GBP/CHF and GBP/JPY. The USD/JPY is an especially good pair to watch when the Tokyo market is the only market open because of the heavy influence the Bank of Japan has over the market. (Learn about this influence in Profiting From Interventions In Forex Markets, and about currency pairs in Using Currency Correlations To Your Advantage.)

Sydney (open 5pm to 2am): Sydney is where the trading day officially begins, and while it is the smallest of the mega-markets, it sees a lot of initial action when the markets reopen on Sunday afternoon because individual traders and financial institutions try to stabilize after all the action that may have happened since Friday afternoon.

London (open 3am to noon): The United Kingdom dominates the currency markets worldwide, and London is its main component. London, known as the trading capital of the world, accounts for roughly 34% of global trading, according to a report by IFS London. The city also has a big impact on currency fluctuations because the Bank of England, which sets interest rates and controls the monetary policy of the GBP, has set up shop in London. Forex trends often originate in London as well, which is a great thing for technical traders to keep in mind. (Learn more about how the central banks impact currency pairs in Interest Rates Matter For Forex Traders.)

Consumables

Consumables
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Goods used by individuals and businesses that must be replaced
regularly because they wear out or are used up. Consumables
can also be defined as the components of an end product that
are used up or permanently altered in the process of
manufacturing, such as semiconductor wafers and basic chemicals.


Investopedia Says:
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Stocks of companies that make consumables are considered to
be relative safe harbors for equity investors when the economy
shows signs of weakness. The reasoning is simple: people will
always need to purchase groceries, clothes and gas no matter
what is going on in the broad economy.

Many of the items measured in the basket of goods used to
calculate the Consumer Price Index (CPI) are consumables;
inflation in these items is closely watched because it can
lower the discretionary income people have to spend on items
such as cars, vacations and entertainment.

Baby Boomer

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A person who was born between 1946 and 1964. The baby boomer
generation makes up a substantial portion of the North American
population. Representing nearly 20% of the American public,
baby boomers have a significant impact on the economy. As a
result, baby boomers are often the focus of marketing campaigns
and business plans.


Investopedia Says:
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After the end of World War II, birth rates across the world
spiked. The explosion of new infants became known as the baby
boom. During the boom, an estimated 77 million babies were born
in the United States alone! The large increase in population
produced a substantial rise in demand for consumer goods,
stimulating the post-war economy.

Peak Oil

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A hypothetical date referring to the world's peak crude oil
production, whereby following this day, production rates will
begin to diminish. This concept is derived from geophysicist
Marion King Hubbert's "peak theory", which proclaims that oil
production follows a bell-shaped curve.


Investopedia Says:
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Because oil is a non-replenishing resource, there is a
limit to how much the world can extract and refine. Peak
oil is the day that oil production reaches a maximum and
will subsequently begin to decline until full depletion is
ultimately reached.

Fair Trade Investing

What Does it Mean?

Investing in companies or projects that promote fair trade with producers in developing nations. Basic fair trade philosophies call for equal pay for suppliers of raw goods and materials as well as respect for strong environmental practices and a focus on the trading relationships between advanced economies and developing nations

Prenuptial Agreement

What Does it Mean?

A type of contract created by two people before entering into marriage. This contract could outline each party's responsibilities and property rights for the duration of the marriage. More commonly, prenuptial agreements outline terms and conditions associated with dividing up financial assets and responsibilities if the marriage dissolves.

Chennai superstars Launches Team Posters

Yousuf's IPL status in limbo till April 30

Mohammad Yousuf will have to wait till April 30 to know whether he will be allowed to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The final decision of the arbitration panel hearing the case filed by the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL) to block Yousuf from participating in the IPL would not announce its final order till then, ICL lawyers said.

The announcement is a setback for Yousuf as, with the IPL slated to begin on April 18, he is likely to miss a major chunk of the IPL even if the panel rules in his favour. ICL legal adviser Hitesh Jain was quoted by PTI as saying that since the arbitration panel had reserved its order for final pronouncement the stay order on Yousuf from playing in the IPL remained.

The ICL also challenged Yousuf's claim that he had returned the advance payment amount he got from ICL to one of its agents in Pakistan."Our case is that Yousuf has not returned the advance amount to ICL or to an authorised agent of ICL," Jain said. "The person to whom Yousuf claimed to have returned the money is not ICL's agent in Pakistan and therefore ICL has not received any money from Yousuf.

"ICL still holds that there is a binding contract between ICL and Yousuf and he can't participate in any competing league during the term of the contract."

The uncertainty surrounding Yousuf's availability ensured that his services were unsold during the IPL auctions.

Mumbai to host 10 Indian Premier League matches

Mumbai will play host to ten matches in the April 18-June 1 Indian Premier League, which commences with the Bangalore-Kolkata match in Bangalore.

Mumbai plays seven home matches, like all other franchises, besides hosting the semi-finals (May 30 and 31) and June 1 final.

IPL's complete schedule:
April 18: Bangalore v Kolkata at Bangalore
April 19: Mohali v Chennai at Mohali and Delhi v Jaipur at Delhi
April 20: Mumbai v Bangalore at Mumbai; Kolkata v Hyderabad at Kolkata
April 21: Jaipur v Mohali at Jaipur
April 22: Hyderabad v Delhi at Hyderabad
April 23: Chennai v Mumbai at Chennai
April 24: Hyderabad v Jaipur at Hyderabad
April 25: Mohali v Mumbai at Mohali
April 26: Bangalore v Jaipur at Bangalore; Chennai v Kolkata at Chennai
April 27: Mumbai v Hyderabad at Mumbai; Mohali v Delhi at Mohali
April 28: Bangalore v Chennai at Bangalore
April 29: Kolkata v Mumbai at Kolkata
April 30: Delhi v Bangalore at Delhi.
May 1: Hyderabad v Mohali at Hyderabad; Jaipur v Kolkata at Jaipur
May 2: Chennai v Delhi at Chennai.
May 3: Hyderabad at Bangalore at Hyderabad; Mohali v Kolkata at Mohali
May 4: Mumbai v Delhi at Mumbai; Jaipur v Chennai at Jaipur
May 5: Bangalore v Mohali at Bangalore
May 6: Chennai v Hyderabad at Chennai
May 7: Mumbai v Jaipur at Mumbai
May 8: Delhi v Chennai at Delhi; Kolkata v Bangalore at Kolkata
May 9: Jaipur v Hyderabad at Jaipur
May 10: Bangalore v Mumbai at Bangalore; Chennai v Mohali at Chennai
May 11: Hyderabad v Kolkata at Hyderabad; Jaipur v Delhi at Jaipur
May 12: Mohali v Bangalore at Mohali
May 13: Kolkata v Delhi at Kolkata
May 14: Mumbai v Chennai at Mumbai; Mohali v Jaipur at Mohali
May 15: Delhi v Hyderabad at Delhi
May 16: Mumbai v Kolkata at Mumbai
May 17: Delhi v Mohali at Delhi; Jaipur v Bangalore at Jaipur
May 18: Hyderabad v Mumbai at Hyderabad; Kolkata v Chenna at Kolkata
May 19: Bangalore v Delhi at Bangalore
May 20: Kolkata v Jaipur at Kolkata
May 21: Mumbai v Mohali at Mumbai; Chennai v Bangalore at Chennai
May 22: Delhi v Kolkata at Delhi
May 23: Mohali v Hyderabad at Mohali.
May 24: Delhi v Mumbai at Delhi; Chennai v Jaipur at Chennai
May 25: Bangalore v Hyderabad at Bangalore; Kolkata v Mohali at Kolkata
May 26: Jaipur v Mumbai at Jaipur
May 27: Hyderabad v Chennai at Hyderabad
May 28 and 29: Rest days
May 30: First semi-final at Mumbai
May 31: Second semi-final at Mumbai
June 1: Final at Mumbai

Banglore Royal Challengers - Squad

	Rahul Dravid (c)		Abdur Razzak
	Balachandra Akhil		KP Appanna
	Jagadeesh Arunkumar		Mark Boucher (wk)
	Nathan Bracken		Shivnarine Chanderpaul
	Bharat Chipli		Shreevats Goswami (wk)
	Wasim Jaffer		Sunil Joshi
	Jacques Kallis		Zaheer Khan
	Virat Kohli		Praveen Kumar
	Anil Kumble		Misbah-ul-Haq
	Devraj Patil		Dale Steyn
	Ross Taylor		Vinay Kumar
	Cameron White		Venkatesh Prasad