A

Account: Money deposited in a financial institution for investment, later withdrawal and/or safekeeping.

Accumulation Policy (features): The minimum investment period is 31 days. There is no maximum limit, although investments of up to 2 years are suggested. All investments of 365 days or more are exempt from the 2% tax. The interest rate is fixed and agreed upon when the policy is issued or renewed. The minimum investment is $1,000 for individuals and $5,000 for legal entities. Interest is paid by crediting a savings account, checking account or credit card. If the term is longer than 31 days, interest is paid at maturity; if it is longer than 90 days, the client can choose the payment frequency. The policy can be freely transferred by assignment, which must be registered in person at our offices.

Assets: Items of monetary value (for example, a house, land or a car) owned by an individual or a company.

B

Bank: An authorized financial institution that receives deposits and grants loans.

Beneficiary: An individual or company to whom a check is issued; the person who receives money as a means of payment.

Budget: The amount of money calculated to cover the general expenses of daily life.

C

Capital: Accumulated equity that is used, or available, to generate more equity.

Cash: Money in the form of banknotes and coins (e.g., US dollars and cents).

Certificate of Deposit: A savings account in which an individual agrees to deposit money for a specified period, during which the bank pays a higher interest rate than on an ordinary savings account.

Check: A written document in which the account holder orders the bank to pay the amount stated on the check from the funds in the holder’s account.

Checking account: An account on which the holder can write checks. Checking accounts pay less interest than savings accounts, or none at all.

Collateral: Movable or immovable property, or an investment, that the bank accepts as security in case a borrower defaults on a loan. If the borrower defaults, the bank obtains the asset through an authority after legal proceedings. The most common forms of collateral are assets such as houses, vehicles and savings accounts.

Compound interest: Interest calculated not only on the original principal, but also on the interest already accumulated.

Credit: A request made with a promise of payment.

• In business: taking out a loan with the promise to repay it at a later date. Every credit agreement involves a creditor (a person, bank, store or company to whom the money is owed) and a debtor (the person who owes the money).
• In accounting: a sum of money owed to an individual or institution.

Credit card: A plastic card that provides access to a line of credit. Users have a spending limit but are not required to pay the full balance each month; the outstanding balance accrues interest, and only a minimum payment is required.

Credit reporting agency: An agency that reviews credit information and keeps a complete file on people who apply for and use credit.

Credit Risk Registry: The individual information registry of borrowers, established by the Superintendency of Banks and Insurance, where financial institutions update the status of their clients’ loans every month. Among other things, it reports the amount owed, the type of loan, whether it is current or past due and, based on the days of delinquency, the borrower’s credit rating.

Credit subject (debtor): The individual or legal entity that receives the credit.

Credit union: A financial institution owned by its members which, operating on a non-profit basis, keeps operating costs lower.

Creditor: The institution or bank that grants the credit.

Currency: Money; anything used as a common medium of exchange. In practice, it means cash, particularly banknotes and coins. Bankers often use the phrase “money and change” to refer to dollars and cents.

D

Debit card: A bank card with ATM and point-of-sale (POS) functions that can be used to purchase goods and services electronically. It replaces cash or checks, and transactions are deducted immediately from the cardholder’s checking account.

Demand deposit: Money that can be withdrawn at any time, such as the funds in a checking account.

Deposit: An amount of money placed with a credit institution for safekeeping. The institution is obligated to return the same amount plus interest.

Depositor: An individual or company that deposits money into a bank account.

E

Endorsement: A notation used to transfer a check to another beneficiary. The phrase “pay to the order of” is written on the back of the check, followed by the new beneficiary’s name and the endorser’s signature.

Expense: Resources used to meet a need.

G

General Deposit Warehouses: Financial services corporations duly authorized by the Superintendency of Banks and Insurance, whose purpose is the deposit, preservation, safekeeping and handling of domestic or foreign goods and products, for which they issue warehouse receipts. When warehouse receipts are registered as collateral, the back of both the original and the copy must state the creditor’s name, the principal amount, the term and the interest rate. The maturity date will match the term of the secured transaction.

Grace period: The time during which no principal is paid, only interest.

I

Income: Resources that come into someone’s possession.

Interest: The price paid for the use of money. For example, an individual may pay interest to a bank for using a credit card, or a bank may pay interest to an individual for keeping a savings account. Interest is expressed as an annual percentage rate (APR).

L

Legal documents: The credit must be formalized in documents drafted in accordance with the laws governing these operations, which set out the commitments involved in accepting the loan.

Line of credit: An amount of credit authorized to an individual, company or institution.

Loan: An amount of money requested, usually from a financial institution, with the obligation to repay it with interest.

Loan amount: The amount of money borrowed.

Loan purpose: The use that will be given to the loan money.

M

Market economy: An economic system that allows the open exchange of goods and services between producers and consumers.

Marketing: The set of operations a product goes through from the producer to the consumer.

Money: Anything generally recognized as a medium of exchange.

Mortgage: A guarantee backing a long-term loan obtained to buy a property. A lien is registered on the property, and if the debt is not paid, the bank may, after legal proceedings, obtain authorization to take ownership of it.

P

Payer: An individual or company that issues a check; the person who gives money as a means of payment.

Payment capacity: The assessment a financial institution makes to determine whether an individual or company has the means to repay a debt or loan. It is based on assets, ability and the individual’s willingness to repay.

R

Refinancing: Revising a loan agreement so that the repayment terms better match the borrower’s current income and ability to pay. Refinancing typically offers a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments over a longer period.

Research and Development (R&D): Engineering development that combines both areas with the aim of increasing innovation and boosting companies’ sales.

Risk: The possibility of not recovering a loan, partially or totally.

S

Saving: Setting money aside as a precaution for future needs.

Savings account: A bank account that earns interest in exchange for the use of the money on deposit.

Savings passbook: A booklet the bank gives the depositor to record deposits, withdrawals and interest earned on a savings account.

Service charges: A fee, usually monthly, charged for the use of certain financial products or services.

T

Term: The time between the granting of a loan and its repayment.

Trust: The creditor’s assessment of the debtor’s moral and economic solvency.

W

Withdrawal: An amount of money taken out of an account.