A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Z
ABA (American Banking Association) routing number
See defintion under Transit or Routing code.
Depending on the current state of your MyStockFund brokerage account, MSFS
will assign a status to your account. You can view your account status from
your Member Home page. The account status controls your online account activities in which
you can participate. For example, once you open a MyStockFund brokerage account, you may
access the Member site, set up your MyFundBuilder, research stocks, etc. However, you
will not be able to engage in MyStockFund transactions such as purchasing or selling stocks
until your account is "Active."
For more information about a specific status, see:
New, Pending, Active,
Rejected, Suspended, or Closed.
Custodial - an account set up by an adult for the benefit of a minor. The child becomes the sole owner and has full rights to the account when he/she reaches the age of majority in that state. The age of majority is usually 21, except in the following states where it is currently 18: AK, CA, DC, KY, LA, ME, MI, NV, SC, SD, VA. Consult the laws in your state for more information.
Joint - an account co-owned by two or more individuals.
Individual - an account owned by one individual. The individual must be of legal age to open an account. Legal age varies by state, but it is typically 21 except in the following states where it is 18: AK, CA, DC, KY, LA, ME, MI, NV, SC, SD, VA.
Corporate - an account set up by a corporation.
Investment Club - an account owned by an investment club that is managed by one authorized agent.
Partnership - an account owned by a partnership with a designated authorized agent for the group.
Trust - a brokerage account set up under legal arrangement of a trust.
Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer
An electronic funds transfer. MyStockFund uses ACH to fund stock purchases, collect the annual subscription fee, and can use ACH to withdraw funds from your MyStockFund cash account into your checking or savings account. Most banks, credit unions and other financial institutions participate in the ACH network and are therefore able to send funds this way, but it's best to check with your financial institution before authorizing an ACH transaction.
Your account will be set to an "Active" status once MyStockFund Securities receives your complete Account Registration and opens your MyStockFund brokerage account. While in the "Active" status, you may participate in all purchase cycles, sell stocks, and engage in other MyStockFund transactions. Your account must be in an "Active" state five (5) days prior to the MyFundBuilder Purchase date to participate in that month's purchase cycle.
Any item of economic value owned by an individual or corporation, especially that which could be converted to cash. Examples are cash, securities, inventory, a house, a car, or other property. On a balance sheet, assets are equal to the sum of liabilities, common stock, preferred stock and retained earnings.
A tax-collection method whereby a percentage of your income (31%) is deducted by the payer and sent to the Internal Revenue Service. You are subject to backup withholding if:
- You do not provide your taxpayer identification number in the required manner.
- You provide an incorrect taxpayer identification number.
- You did not certified, when required, that you were not subject to backup withholding.
- The IRS notifies the payer to start withholding because you did not report all of your interest or dividend income. As part of the Registration process, you will complete a Substitute W-9 to declare whether or not you are subject to backup withholdings.
In a securities transaction, the individual or firm authorized to act as your agent. Your broker arranges the transaction, confirming the security, the price and the number of shares to be bought or sold.
MyStockFund Securities offers market orders placed via phone. ORDERS MUST BE PLACED DURING MARKET HOURS, MONDAY-FRIDAY, 9:30AM - 4:00PM ET, EXCEPT HOLIDAYS.
The difference between what you sold an asset for and what you paid for it. If the difference is positive, you have a capital gain; if it's negative, you have a loss.
Short-term Gain - if you owned the asset for one year or less, any gain (or loss) is classified as a short-term gain or loss.
Long-term Gain - if you owned the asset for more than one year, any gain (or loss) is classified as a long-term gain or loss.
cash account (insured deposit)
Cash in your account will automatically be invested into an interest bearing account insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ('FDIC') providing clients with up to $600,000 of FDIC insurance. Each account will be paid a rate of interest, which may fluctuate daily depending on market conditions. Interest will accrue from the date of deposit to the last full day before the date of withdrawal and is compounded and credited monthly. There is no minimum period that money must remain on deposit and consequently, there is no penalty for withdrawals of your entire balance or any part thereof at any time without notice.
In a securities transaction, the firm that handles the actual transfer of funds and securities. Legent Clearing Corp. performs this role for MyStockFund Securities, Inc.
For your account to be in a "Closed" status, MyStockFund Securities must receive a signed Close Account Form from the account holder(s). You will be able to access your account until all cash and/or securities in your account have been liquidated or transferred to another financial institution.
An indicator of whether individuals are paying more or less for the goods and services they need to maintain their homes. The CPI is one measure of inflationary pressures.
The original cost of an asset, which is usually the price you paid for it. When you sell securities, you need to determine the original cost so you can calculate any capital gain or loss.
The most common from of business organization that is chartered by a state and given many legal rights as a separate entity from its owners.
Changes in companies that affect their listings on stock exchanges. Examples of corporate actions are new issues, defunct issues, mergers and name changes.
A security's identifying number. The nine digits are assigned by Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures (CUSIP). The first six digits identify the issuer, such as a company, while the last three digits reveal exactly what kind of security it is, such as a particular kind of stock or bond. It's good to have CUSIP numbers handy when you're transferring shares of stock or if you've lost your certificates.
Non-profit, member-owned, financial cooperatives operated entirely by and for members. When you deposit money in a credit union, you become a member of the union because your deposit is considered partial ownership in the organization.
A central repository through which members electronically transfer stock certificates. The DTC is a member of the Federal Reserve System and is owned by most of the brokerage houses on Wall Street and the NYSE.
In calculations of a company's intrinsic value, the term "discount rate" refers to the gain you'd need to realize to make your investment in a given stock worth the associated risk ("opportunity costs").
Investing in many different securities and asset classes as a way of reducing total portfolio risk. When you have a diversified portfolio, gains or losses from one security may be offset by the performance of other securities.
For stock investors, a distribution of company profits. Not all companies declare dividends. Many instead reinvest profits to grow the business.
The amount of the dividend stated on a per-share basis. If a company declares a dividend per share of $0.05 and you own 100 shares, you'll receive a $5 dividend distribution.
dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP)
Buying more shares in a company by automatically reinvesting any dividends.
Dividends earned expressed as a percent of the stocks price. To calculate a stock's dividend yield, divide the amount of the dividend earned by the stock's purchase price.
Ability to buy stock for a defined dollar amount (e.g., $10 or $15) instead of based on the number of shares (e.g., 10 shares of IBM).
A method of buying shares at regular intervals regardless of the stock's price. Since you're buying at a range of prices, you effectively average your cost basis.
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)
A stock performance benchmark comprised of 30 large, primarily industrial companies that are widely owned and actively traded.
Company profits after deducting for taxes and certain other payments stated on a per-share basis. For example, a company with annual earnings of $50 million and $100 million outstanding shares reports earnings per share of $0.50.
See "Automated Clearing House (ACH) Transfer"
When you own part of something, you have equity in it. Stockholders, unlike bondholders, have an ownership interest in the company. So, for example, when you own 50 shares of Company XYZ's stock, that is your equity in the corporation. Accordingly, stocks are sometimes referred to as equity securities or equities.
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) represent shares of ownership in either fund, unit investment trusts, or depository receipts that hold portfolios of common stocks which closely track the performance and dividend yield of specific index, either broad market, sector or international. ETFs give investors the opportunity to buy or sell an entire portfolio of stocks in a single security, as easily as buying or selling a share of stock. They offer a wide range of investment opportunities. While similar to an index mutual fund, ETFs differ from mutual funds in significant ways. Unlike Index mutual funds, ETFs are priced and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. A federal agency that insures deposits in member banks up to $100,000. Cash and Money Market balances in your MyStockFund brokerage account are insured by the FDIC.
The rate banks charge each other on overnight loans, typically to meet reserve requirements.
The U.S. central bank. The Federal Reserve sets monetary policy, oversees banks and seeks to maintain financial stability.
Less than a single share of stock. MyFundBuilder allows its members to purchase fractional shares of stock because purchases are defined by the dollar amount the member wishes to invest in a corporation, as opposed to traditional brokerages in which purchases are defined by the number of shares the member wishes to purchase.
A measure of the U.S. economy's total output of goods and services.
Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
A type of investment account designed to stimulate personal retirement savings by offering tax benefits.
A company' first public issuance of stock.
Compensation for the use or forbearance of money.
An organization that is formed when a group of friends, neighbors, business associates, or others pool their money to invest in stock or other securities. The club may or may not have a written agreement, a charter, or bylaws. Usually the group operates informally with members pledging to pay a regular amount into the club monthly. Some clubs have a committee that gathers information on securities, selects the most promising securities, and recommends that the club invest in them. Other clubs rotate these responsibilities among all their members. Most clubs require all members to vote for or against all investments, sales, trades, and other transactions.
The interest you paid or accrued on money you borrowed that is allocable to property held for investment
Lists the amount of interest income earned for the year. MyStockFund is required to report this amount to the IRS. You'll receive a copy of this form early in the year. You'll want to refer to it when you prepare your tax return. Interest income is generally taxable to non-retirement account investors.
A per stock transfer in ownership of a security to someone else. Necessary when the legal status of the brokerage account or account holder(s) change.
Legent has a strong history in the securities clearing business. Located in Omaha, NE, their experienced personnel provide securities trade execution, clearing and settlement, maintain records, and assist MSFS with any other clearing function. It's a member of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and other principal exchanges, the National Association of Securities Dealers, and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.
A market order is an order to buy or sell a stock immediately at the best available current price. A market order guarantees execution.
A measure of a company's total stock market value. Calculated by multiplying the company's share price by the number of shares outstanding.
The section of the MyStockFund site subscribers use to give us dollar-based trading instructions. Subscribers can change his/her MyFundBuilder instructions at any time, however changes made less than five (5) business days prior to the Purchase date may not be included. The subscriber can change the dollar allocation assigned to specific stocks, decrease the total purchase amount, or elect not to participate within this five-day timeframe. However, the subscriber cannot increase the total purchase amount within this five-day timeframe.
An online investment service that allows investors to make incremental purchases in stocks over time, in an affordable and convenient way.
National Association of Securities Dealers. A self regulatory, nonprofit securities industry organization responsible for the operation and regulation of the NASDAQ stock market and the American Stock Exchange.
A stock performance index that represents the performance of all stocks traded on the NASDAQ over-the-counter market, currently more than 5,000 issues.
National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. Deposits in credit unions are insured to $100,000 by NCUSIF, which is administered by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Like the FDIC Bank Insurance Fund, the NCUSIF is backed by the full faith and credit of the USA. All funding for the NCUSIF is made by insured credit unions.
Notification or action that is performed after only a short delay. Compare to real time.
The status assigned once you have successfully completed the Account Registration process. It will remain in this state until MyStockFund Securities receives your signed Account Registration forms, ACH Agreement and Substitute W-9. For more information, see account status.
You may elect whether or not to participate in MyFundBuilder Purchase cycle(s) by updating your Participation Status from the MyFundBuilder section of the site. Your current Participation Status setting is visible from the MyFundBuilder page. MyStockFund will never update this status for you - you must update your participation status when you want/don't want to participate in purchase cycles.
Participate - When your MyFundBuilder is scheduled to Participate, MyStockFund will electronically transfer funds from your bank or credit union account to your MyStockFund cash account five (5) days prior to the Purchase date, and will use the funds to purchase stocks per your MyFundBuilder instructions on the Purchase date.
Not Participate - When your MyFundBuilder is not scheduled to Participate, MyStockFund will not transfer funds from your account, and/or will not purchase stocks on the purchase date.
An unincorporated organization with two or more members that is formed for federal tax purposes so that its members carry on a trade, business, financial operation, or venture and divide its profits.
Signifies that MyStockFund Securities requires additional information before we can activate your account. This may be due to an incomplete registration (such as a missing signature), or something specific to your account application. You will receive correspondence from MyStockFund Securities explaining exactly what information we need to receive prior to activating your account. For more information, see account status.
Stock price divided by earnings per share. A stock's P/E is an indication of how much investors are willing to pay for the stock's earnings potential.
Notification or action that is performed immediately, with no delay.
MyStockFund Securities was unable to open a brokerage account due to compliance reasons, or failure to send requested information in a timely fashion. No fees will be assessed. For more information, see account status.
Various stock performance indices calculated by the Frank Russell Company. The Russell 3000 is comprised of the 3,000 largest U.S. companies. The Russell 1000 represents the 1,000 largest of these and the Russell 2000 includes the smallest 2,000 of these.
A stock performance index that represents the performance of 500 stocks selected the Standard & Poor's Corporation. Index holdings are organized under four main sector headings: industrials, utilities, financial and transportation.
In investments, an asset such as a stock or bond.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The U.S. government agency charged with protecting investors. On behalf of investors, the agency requires securities issuers to provide full and fair disclosure. The agency also investigates allegations of fraud.
10-K — a company's annual report. Includes business and management information plus full, audited balance sheet, income and cash flow statements.
10-Q — a company's quarterly report. Includes unaudited financials.
To transfer ownership of a security in exchange for money.
Certificate representing one unit of ownership in a corporation.
Securities Investor Protection Corporation. SIPC provides members with protection of the assets in their account up to $500,000 of coverage of which up to $100,000 may be cash. While the SIPC does not protect against losses from declining market value of investments, the account protection does apply when an SIPC member firm fails financially and is unable to meet obligations to securities members. MyStockFund Securities is an SIPC member, and therefore all MyStockFund accounts are protected by the SIPC.
An instrument or legal right signifying equity, or an ownership position, in a corporation
A paper that certifies your stock ownership. It lists the name of the corporation, the number of shares and the stated value. If you elect to receive stock certificates, your broker cannot trade those shares on your behalf until you return them. For this reason, most stockholders elect not to receive stock certificates.
A marketplace where securities are traded.
Dow Jones Industrials Average — see Dow Jones Industrials Average above.
NASDAQ Composite — see NASDAQ Composite above.
Russell — see Russell Index above.
Standard & Poor's 500 — see S&P; 500 above.
An IRS form applicable to interest or dividend accounts on which the account holder certifies his/her Tax Identification Number (Social Security Number) and specifies whether he/she is subject to backup withholding.
If your account status is "Suspended," MyStockFund Securities may have been unable to collect funds from your bank or credit union account to fund your MyFundBuilder purchase, or to collect for other fees. Please contact Member Care for additional information. While in this status, you will not be able to participate in MyStockFund transactions. For more information, see account status.
See ticker symbol
A stock's trading symbol. For example, Coca-Cola trades as KO.
The performance of an asset over a specified period expressed as a percent. It includes price change plus any dividends or interest paid.
Moving assets (including securities) from one investment vehicle or custodian to another.
A nine character number found at the bottom of your checks that helps track and control your funds as they get processed through the banking system.
Giving assets (including securities) to another individual or organization. Transfers are typically part of an individual's estate planning, tax planning or charitable giving program.
A legal arrangement in which an individual who gives fiduciary control of property to a person or institution for the benefit of beneficiaries.
Uniform Gift to Minors Act (UGMA)
Custodial accounts that are established for a minor. If a parent manages the account, the income will be taxed to parent. Investments are usually restricted by state to life insurance, and certificates of deposit. Gifts may be given to a trust under the $10,000 per person per year exclusion - even to the use of life insurance.
Uniform Transfer to Minors Act (UTMA)
Essentially the same as UGMA except that the UTMA allows a greater use of various investments- mutual funds, partnerships, bonds, stocks, etc. The UTMA may receive assets from a testamentary transfer and get a full step up in basis upon death.
A gain (or loss) which has occurred but has not been realized through a transaction, such as a stock which has risen in value ( or fallen in value) but is still being held. Calculated by subtracting the valuation of a holding in your account from the average purchase price.
Calculated by multiplying the number of a company's shares held in your account by the market value or price per share.
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