Empowering global professionals with essential industry language
Current Account
A day-to-day bank account used for receiving income, paying bills, and making regular transactions.
Savings Account
A bank account that earns interest over time on deposited funds.
Overdraft
A credit facility allowing customers to withdraw more than their available balance.
Direct Debit
An instruction authorising a third party to collect variable amounts from a bank account.
Standing Order
A regular fixed payment made from a bank account to another account.
Clearing
The process of reconciling and confirming payment instructions between banks before settlement.
Settlement
The final transfer of funds between banks once a transaction has been cleared.
Payment Rail
The infrastructure enabling electronic payments (e.g. Faster Payments, BACS, CHAPS).
BACS (Bankers’ Automated Clearing Services)
A UK system used for bulk payments such as salaries and benefits.
CHAPS (Clearing House Automated Payment System)
A same-day, high-value UK payment system, often used for property and corporate transactions.
Faster Payments
A UK service enabling near-real-time bank transfers.
Credit Score
A numerical assessment of an individual’s or company’s creditworthiness.
Credit Facility
An agreed amount of funding a bank makes available to a borrower.
Revolving Credit
A flexible borrowing arrangement where credit becomes available again after repayment.
Term Loan
A loan repaid over a fixed period with scheduled repayments.
Collateral
Assets pledged by a borrower to secure a loan.
Loan-to-Value (LTV)
The ratio of a loan amount to the value of the asset securing it.
Interest Margin
The difference between interest charged to borrowers and a bank’s funding cost.
Equity Financing
Raising capital through the sale of company shares.
Debt Financing
Raising capital by borrowing, typically via loans or bonds.
IPO (Initial Public Offering)
The first sale of a company’s shares to the public.
M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions)
The consolidation of companies through mergers or takeovers.
Liquidity
The ability to meet short-term financial obligations.
Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR)
A regulatory requirement ensuring banks hold sufficient high-quality liquid assets.
Net Interest Income (NII)
The difference between interest earned and interest paid by a bank.
Cash Flow Forecasting
Estimating future cash inflows and outflows.
Treasury Function
The department managing liquidity, funding, and financial risk.
AML (Anti-Money Laundering)
Regulations designed to prevent illegal money flows.
KYC (Know Your Customer)
The process of verifying customer identity to prevent fraud.
Basel III
A global regulatory framework on bank capital, leverage, and liquidity.
Stress Testing
Simulating adverse scenarios to assess financial resilience.
Prudential Regulation
Regulation ensuring the safety and stability of financial institutions.
Credit Risk
The risk that a borrower fails to repay obligations.
Operational Risk
Risk arising from failed processes, systems, or human error.
Conduct Risk
Risk related to inappropriate behaviour towards customers or markets.
Financial Crime
Criminal activities such as fraud or terrorist financing.
Suspicious Activity Report (SAR)
A report submitted when potential financial crime is identified.
Portfolio
A collection of financial investments.
Mutual Fund
Investment vehicle pooling funds from multiple investors.
ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund)
An investment fund traded on stock exchanges like shares.
Diversification
A risk-management strategy spreading investments across assets.
Correspondent Banking
Banking services provided by one bank on behalf of another, often cross-border.
SWIFT
A global network enabling secure financial messaging between banks.
Foreign Exchange (FX)
The exchange of one currency for another.
FX Exposure
Risk arising from exchange rate movements.
Trade Finance
Financial instruments supporting international trade.
Letter of Credit (LC)
A bank guarantee ensuring payment once contractual conditions are met.
Open Banking
A system allowing regulated third parties access to banking data via APIs.
API (Application Programming Interface)
A secure interface enabling systems to exchange data.
Digital Wallet
An electronic service enabling digital transactions.
Robo-Advisors
Automated platforms providing algorithm-based financial advice.
Blockchain
A decentralised digital ledger for secure transaction recording.
Challenger Bank
A digital-first bank competing with traditional institutions.
Neo-Bank
A fully digital bank without physical branches.
Embedded Finance
Financial services integrated into non-financial platforms.
We are a trusted career consultancy, recruitment, and training organisation that enables local and international talent to excel in fulfilling careers and helps UK employers build high-performing teams.
