Circuit Breakers
Circuit Breakers are measures instituted by major stock and commodities exchanges to temporarily halt trading when the market experiences a significant decline. These measures aim to prevent a market free-fall, allowing for a rebalance of buy and sell orders and giving the public time to assimilate current news.
Circular E
An IRS publication that provides instructions for employers concerning employment tax withholding amounts and procedures.
Circularization of Debtors
A technique used by auditors to confirm the amounts outstanding from debtors to ensure that the debts exist and are correctly valued in a company's financial statements.
Circulating Assets
Circulating assets, also known as current assets, are the assets that a company expects to convert into cash, sell, or consume within one year or its operating cycle, whichever is longer.
Circulation Expenses
Costs associated with establishing, maintaining, or increasing the readership of a periodical such as a magazine or newspaper.
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Cisco Systems, Inc., headquartered in San Jose, California, is a leading provider of high-speed networking hardware and telecommunications technology.
Citizen
A citizen is a legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalized. In the context of the United States, a U.S. citizen is an individual who has met specific requirements laid out by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
City Code on Takeovers and Mergers
The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, initiated in 1968, provides guidelines and regulations to ensure fair practices in company takeovers and mergers, safeguarding shareholder interests and maintaining market integrity.
CIVETS
An acronym representing Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey, and South Africa, identified in the late 2000s as emerging markets with significant growth and investment potential due to their dynamic economies, young populations, and political stability.
Civil Law
Civil law is a legal system originating in Europe, codified in comprehensive written statutes, embodying Roman law principles, and applied to noncriminal matters to regulate private relationships among individuals and organizations.
Civil Liability
Civil liability refers to negligent acts and/or omissions, other than breach of contract, independent of moral obligations for which a remedy can be provided in a court of law.
Civil Penalty
A civil penalty is a fine or money damages imposed by a government authority as punishment for certain activities, serving as a criminal sanction. It differs from civil remedies, which aim to redress wrongs between private parties.
Civil Rights
Rights protected by the U.S. Constitution, enforceable by court action, encompassing rights such as property ownership, court utilization, marriage, contract, and other legal benefits, including those outlined in federal statutes.
Civil Wrong
A civil wrong, also known as a tort, is an act or omission that violates a legal duty, giving the victim the right to bring a civil action for remedy.
Civilian Labor Force
The civilian labor force encompasses all individuals aged 16 or over in the United States who are not in military service or institutionalized and are either employed or unemployed but actively seeking and available for work.
Claim
A claim is a request by an insured party for compensation or indemnification from an insurance company for loss incurred due to an insured peril.
Claim for Refund
A Claim for Refund is a request made by taxpayers to the IRS seeking a refund for taxes paid in prior years, often due to errors or the availability of carryback losses or credits.
Claim Report
A Claim Report is a document furnished by the adjuster to the insurance company (insurer) that details the amount of payment the insurer is legally obligated to provide to or on behalf of the insured under the terms of the policy.
Class
The term 'class' has versatile meanings across different fields such as education, finance, and law. It commonly refers to a group sharing common characteristics, whether in a school, investment category, or legal context.
Class A/Class B Shares
Class A and Class B shares refer to different types of stock issued by the same company, typically differentiated by voting rights, dividend preference, or participation in the company's profits.
Class Action
A class action is a legal proceeding in which a person sues on behalf of a group of people who collectively share a common claim.
Class Life Asset Depreciation
Class Life Asset Depreciation refers to the tax guidelines that determine the period over which different types of assets can be depreciated. The IRS uses these guidelines to assign a specific 'class life' to asset categories, dictating how many years over which the depreciation can be calculated.
Class Struggle
Class struggle refers to the antagonism between social classes resulting from different economic and social interests. First identified by Karl Marx, it highlights the conflict between the owners of capital (bourgeoisie) and the nonowning employees (proletariat).
Classical Economics
Classical Economics is a major thread in historical economic thought originating from the work of Adam Smith in the eighteenth century. It emphasizes the role of unregulated markets in achieving desirable social outcomes, despite participants pursuing their self-interests.
Classification
Classification in a business context refers to the organization of jobs, activities, and products into categories or grades based on predefined criteria. This helps in standardizing evaluation, simplifying management, and enhancing operational efficiency.
Classified Stock
Classified stock refers to a company's common stock that is divided into two or more classes, typically with varying voting rights and privileges. This approach is often used to maintain control within a specific group, such as management or the founders, while raising equity capital from the broader market.
Clause
In an insurance policy, sentences and paragraphs describing various coverages, exclusions, duties of the insured, locations covered, and conditions that suspend or terminate coverage.
Clawback
A clawback is a provision in a law or contract that limits or reverses a payment or distribution for specified reasons.
Clayton Antitrust Act
The Clayton Antitrust Act is a landmark piece of legislation aimed at promoting fair competition and eliminating unethical business practices in the public marketplace.
Clean
In various fields such as Accounting, Finance, International Trade, and Securities, the term 'Clean' refers to different contexts of unstained or debt-free conditions, reflecting a desirable state or favorable judgment.
Clean Hands
The principle of Clean Hands in both business conduct and legal contexts refers to maintaining integrity and ethical behavior, ensuring one has not engaged in improper conduct.
Clean Opinion (Unqualified Opinion)
A clean opinion, also known as an unqualified opinion, is an auditor's verdict that a company's financial statements are accurate and comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
Cleanup Fund
The informal phrase 'Cleanup Fund' describes the 'needs approach' used to determine the amount of life insurance necessary for a family. The Cleanup Fund is intended to cover last-minute expenses as well as those expenses that surface after the death of an insured, such as burial costs, probate charges, and medical bills.
Clear
In various financial contexts, the term 'clear' refers to the process of validating and finalizing transactions, whether in banking, finance, or securities markets. This ensures accurate and timely settlements.
Clear Title
A clear title signifies that a property is free from any encumbrance, obstruction, burden, or limitation that questions its legal validity or ownership.
Clearance
Clearance is an indication from a taxing authority that a certain provision does not apply to a particular transaction. This procedure is only available when specified by statute and can significantly impact tax liabilities and treatment of specific transactions.
Clearance Sale
A clearance sale is a special retail sale often conducted to completely eliminate a particular type or brand of product from inventory, frequently offered at significantly reduced prices.
Cleared Balance
Cleared balance refers to the funds in a bank account that have been processed and are available for withdrawal or use. It excludes any deposits that have not yet been confirmed or cleared by the bank.
Cleared For Fate
Refers to the date when the payer's bank confirms that the funds for a transfer are available and the instructions in a cheque have been processed.
Cleared for Value
Cleared for Value refers to the exact time when a credit to a customer's bank account is recognized for calculating interest and determining the undrawn balance of an agreed overdraft facility.
Clearing Cycle
The clearing cycle is the process by which a payment made by cheque or other methods through the banking system is transferred from the payer's to the payee's account. Different stages of clearance determine when the funds are available for use.
Clearing House
A clearing house is a centralized and computerized system for settling indebtedness between members, enabling efficient offsetting of claims for direct debits and credits.
Clearing House Interbank Payments System (CHIPS)
CHIPS is a U.S. bank clearinghouse for large-value dollar transactions, owned by financial institutions and operated by the Clearing House Payments Company. It facilitates the efficient settlement of large financial transactions between banks.
Clearing Market
A Clearing Market is a situation in which supply and demand reach equilibrium quickly, resulting in no excess supply or demand at the market price. Typically, this involves short-lived goods where suppliers are motivated to sell their inventories promptly without price constraints.
Clearinghouse
A clearinghouse is an essential financial institution that functions to facilitate the exchange, balancing, and settlement of payments or securities transactions, reducing the complexity and risk associated with such transactions.
Clearstream
Clearstream is a pan-European clearing and settlement facility for eurobonds and other financial securities, based in Luxembourg. It plays a crucial role in the European financial market infrastructure.
Clerical Error
A clerical error is a mistake made during the process of copying, typing, or transmitting a document, as opposed to judgment errors or technical errors.
Clerk
A clerk is an administrative employee responsible for performing various routine tasks, such as maintaining records, managing inventory, and general office duties. Clerical tasks vary widely depending on the specific role of the clerk.
Click
Click refers to the action of pressing one of the buttons on a computer mouse. Different functionalities are triggered depending on whether the left (primary), right (secondary), or center button is clicked, and even whether single or double-clicking is used.
Clicks-and-Mortar (Bricks-and-Clicks)
A business model that integrates both online (e-commerce) and offline (physical premises) modes of operation to enhance customer experience and expand market reach.
Client
A client is a person, company, or organization that uses the professional services of another. In the advertising context, a client is the manufacturer, owner, or provider of a product or service who desires to advertise that product or service utilizing the help of a qualified specialist; also called an 'account.' The client is the customer for whom the advertising agency works.
Client Focus
Client focus is a company policy, philosophy, or mission aimed at being responsive to client needs, fostering client relationships, and committing to client service and innovation.
Client-Server Model
A configuration in which one computer, designated as a server, sends information to a number of other 'client' computers.
Climate Change Levy (CCL)
A UK tax charged on the supply of electricity, gas, coal, and coke, as they are supplies that are regarded as leading to global warming. The levy is imposed by the Finance Act 2000 on any supply made on or after 1 April 2001.
Clip Art
Clip art consists of computer graphics files that can be inserted into a document or other file. The term originates from physical books of art from which designers literally clipped art to paste into their layouts. Clip art is commonly included in many software programs, especially desktop publishing and drawing applications like Microsoft Publisher and CorelDRAW, and can also be purchased in separate packages.
Clipboard
The clipboard is a temporary storage area in a computer's memory used for storing text, images, and other data that are cut or copied from a document. Both Macintosh and Windows operating systems support this feature.
Clipping Coupons
The term 'clipping coupons' originally referred to collecting interest payments from coupon bonds, but it has since evolved to describe saving money by using discount coupons from newspapers or magazines.
Clock Card
A comprehensive breakdown of the term 'clock card,' its uses, examples, related terms, and guidance for further study.
Clone
A clone is an exact or nearly exact duplicate of an original entity. In biology, clones refer to genetically identical copies of an organism. In business and technology contexts, cloning refers to duplicating digital devices or media.
Close Company
A company resident in the UK that is under the control of five or fewer participators or any number of participators who are also directors.
Close Corporation
A Close Corporation, also known as a Closely Held Corporation, is a type of corporation in which stock is publicly limited to a small group of investors, often involving tighter control and fewer regulations compared to large public corporations.
Close Corporation Plan
A Close Corporation Plan consists of a pre-arrangement that ensures surviving stockholders can purchase the shares of a deceased stockholder based on a pre-determined formula, thereby maintaining control of the corporation within the existing shareholder group.
Close Family
Close family refers to the family members of an individual or members of the individual's household who are expected to influence or be influenced by that person in their dealings, potentially leading to related party transactions.
Close Investment Holding Company
A Close Investment Holding Company is a type of close company that is primarily engaged in holding investments rather than trading or property letting, which subjects it to full-rate corporation tax without the benefit of lower rates and reliefs.
Closed Account
A closed account refers to either a bank or charge account that has been terminated or an accounting ledger that has been closed off at the end of a financial period.
Closed Economy
A self-sufficient economic system where all production and consumption activities occur within the confines of the system, with no external trade (importing or exporting).
Closed Fund
A closed fund is a type of mutual fund that has stopped issuing shares because it has become too large. This typically occurs when the fund manager believes that accepting additional investments could hinder the fund's performance.
Closed Period
A closed period refers to a span of time, often 10 years following the issuance of a bond, during which the bond cannot be called by the issuer.
Closed Shop
A closed shop is an organization where workers are required to be members of a union before they can be hired. Due to legislation, closed shops are largely illegal.
Closed Stock
Closed stock refers to merchandise sold only in complete sets, where individual items from the set cannot be purchased separately, and there is no guarantee that replacements will be available in the future.
Closed Union
A closed union, often referred to as a closed shop, is a type of employment arrangement where employers agree to hire only members of a specific labor union.
Closed-End Funds
Closed-End Funds are investment funds with a fixed amount of capital managed by an investment company, as opposed to open-ended funds like unit trusts that continually issue and redeem shares.
Closed-End Mortgage
A closed-end mortgage is a type of mortgage bond issue with an indenture that prohibits repayment before maturity and the repledging of the same collateral without the permission of the bondholders, also known as a closed mortgage.
Closed-End Mutual Fund
Closed-End Mutual Funds are investment companies that operate with a limited number of shares outstanding. Unlike open-end mutual funds, which create new shares to meet investor demand, closed-end funds have a fixed number at inception.
Closely Held Corporation
A closely held corporation in the USA is a public corporation that has a limited number of stockholders, with relatively few of its shares actively traded.
Closeout
Clearance or closeout sales typically involve selling off inventory at reduced prices, often to free up retail space or discontinue specific product lines.
Closet Indexing
Closet indexing involves structuring a mutual fund or other managed portfolio to nearly replicate an index while avoiding full disclosure and charging active management fees.
Closing
Closing refers to multiple contexts related to financial and business operations, computing, and everyday actions. These contexts could include the financial market activities, accounting procedures, concluding agreements, and computing functions.
Closing
Closing encompasses the completion of a transaction involving real estate or the final steps in accounting at the end of a fiscal period.
Closing Agreement
A closing agreement is a written agreement between a taxpayer and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that conclusively settles a tax liability for a specific taxable year ending prior to the agreement date, or settles one or more issues affecting a tax liability.
Closing Balance
The debit or credit balance on a ledger at the end of an accounting period, which will appear on the balance sheet at that date and be carried forward to the next accounting period.
Closing Cost
Various fees and expenses payable by the seller and buyer at the time of a real estate closing; also termed transaction cost. Some closing costs include brokerage commissions, lender discount points and other fees, title insurance premiums, deed recording fees, loan prepayment penalties, inspection and appraisal fees, and attorney's fees.
Closing Date in Real Estate
The closing date is the specified date on which the seller delivers the deed and the buyer completes payment for the property, finalizing the transfer of ownership.
Closing Entries
Final entries made at the end of an accounting period to close off the income and expense ledgers to the profit and loss account.
Closing Entry
In accounting, a closing entry is one of the final entries made at year-end to close accounts and transfer the amounts to financial statements, ensuring all temporary accounts are reset for the next accounting period.
Closing Inventory
The value and quantities of stock in trade at the end of an accounting period, used in determining the cost of goods sold during that period.
Closing Price
The closing price, also known as the closing quote, refers to the price at which the last transaction of a trading session on an organized securities exchange occurs. This price is critical for valuation purposes in various financial contexts, such as charitable contributions and estates.
Closing Statement
A closing statement is a crucial document in real estate transactions, providing an accounting of funds from the sale to both the seller and the buyer separately. Most states require brokers to furnish accurate closing statements to all parties involved.
Closing Stock
Closing stock refers to the inventory remaining within an organization at the end of an accounting period, including raw materials, work in progress, or finished goods. It plays a crucial role in determining the profitability and financial status of a company.
Closing-Rate Method (Net-Investment Method)
The Closing-Rate Method, also known as the Net-Investment Method, involves restating balance sheet figures into another currency using the closing rate of exchange for all assets and liabilities as of the balance-sheet date.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing offers a modern approach to computing where end users connect to a network of remote servers to run applications, store data, and leverage computing power, enhancing accessibility and reducing the need for local infrastructure.
Cloud on Title
A cloud on title refers to any matter appearing in the record of a title to real estate that appears to reflect the existence of an outstanding claim or encumbrance which, if valid, would defeat or impair the title. This could, however, be proven invalid by evidence outside the title record.
Club Deal
A club deal is a specific type of financial arrangement whereby a small group of investors or financial institutions jointly fund a particular investment, typically in a syndicate arrangement. These deals are common in private equity, venture capital, and large-scale lending.
Cluster Analysis
Cluster Analysis is a method of statistical analysis that involves grouping individuals or objects by common characteristics of interest to the researcher. This technique is extensively used in various fields like marketing, finance, and sociology to identify patterns or behaviors among different groups for targeted actions.
Cluster Housing
A subdivision technique in which detached dwelling units are grouped relatively close together, leaving open spaces as common areas.
Cluster Sampling
Cluster sampling is a method of selecting a sample by dividing the population into clusters (groups) and then taking a random sample from each cluster. This technique is commonly used in auditing.
CME Group
CME Group Inc. is a prominent global markets company, composed of four principal exchanges— the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), and the Commodity Exchange (COMEX)—enabling investors and traders to hedge and tap into risk management assets and strategies.
Co-Borrower
A co-borrower is an additional person who is responsible for repaying a loan and is listed on the loan agreement alongside the primary borrower. Both borrowers are equally liable for the debt.
Co-Managers
Banks that rank after lead managers in marketing a new issue, usually a Eurobond. They are typically chosen for their ability to place a substantial portion of the issue with their customers.
Co-Mortgagor
A co-mortgagor is an individual who signs a mortgage contract with another party and is jointly obligated to repay the loan. This person typically helps in meeting the loan requirements and gains a share of ownership in the property.

Accounting Terms Lexicon

Discover comprehensive accounting definitions and practical insights. Empowering students and professionals with clear and concise explanations for a better understanding of financial terms.