What is an Institutional Investor?

"Large organizations (such as banks, finance companies, insurance companies, labor union funds, mutual funds or unit trusts, pension funds) which have considerable cash reserves that need to be invested. Institutional investors are by far the biggest participants in securities trading and their share of stockmarket volumes have consistently grown over the years. For example, on a typical day, about 70 percent of the trading on the NYSE is on the behalf of institutional investors. Because they are considered knowledgeable and strong enough to safeguard their own interests, institutional investors are relatively less restricted by the security regulations designed to protect smaller investors."

( http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/institutional-investors.html#ixzz3fPG8L9Z8 )

What Is a Retail Investor?

...aka individual investor, aka small investor, aka home gamer? 

It is NOT your shoe collection...but the buying and sell of securities for personal accounts. Retail investing does not include the buying and the selling of securities for companies or for organizations.  

What Is a Handle?

As an avid viewer of CNBC and reader of CNBC articles you will run across the term handle. Handle is a term used by traders to indicate the part of the stock quote before the decimal. If a stock is trading at $43.79 the handle of the stock is 43. You will commonly hear handle used with a price prediction in terms of a stock price moving a certain amount of handles, or a stock reaching a specific handle in the future. ie. "I expect apple to move two handles to the upside to trade at a 134 handle" ie. "yahoo is trading at 50 and I expect it to trade at a 56 handle by the end of the year."

Also, "In foreign exchange markets, the handle refers to the part of the price quote that appears in both the bid and the offer for the currency. For example, if the EUR/USD currency pair has a bid of 1.4183 and an ask of 1.4185, the handle would be 1.41 - the part of the quote that is equal to both the bid and the ask. Also called big figure."  ( http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/handle.asp#ixzz3eOO1UxvR )

What Is a Checking Account?

What is a checking account?...This is best summed up by Nico Leyva of NerdWallet:




Banking 101: What Is a Checking Account?
by Nico Leyva

The Basics
A checking account is the most commonly used bank account. Checking refers to the act of writing a check to transfer money from your account, but nowadays, you also have the option of using a debit or ATM card to withdraw or transfer funds. Checking accounts differ from other accounts, like savings accounts or CDs (Certificates of Deposit), in that there are few, if any, restrictions on how often you access your money. Some even come with checking account bonuses, like cash and gift cards, just for signing up.

Finding the Best Account
Because checking accounts are so frequently used, and because they are very basic accounts, most people don’t realize there are options that fit certain consumers better than others. Here are some of the most popular types of checking accounts.

Free Checking Accounts – Some regular checking accounts come with monthly service fees or minimum balance requirements, which can be tough on lower-income individuals who cannot afford to pay fees each month. Fortunately, many credit unions and banks offer free checking accounts that do not have these monthly fees or balance requirements.
Online Checking Accounts – A number of banks offer online checking accounts that allow you to conduct all your account transactions on the Internet. These accounts are designed for consumers who enjoy the ease and accessibility of electronic banking, and they also offer perks like competitive interest rates, mobile check deposit and ATM fee refunds.
Rewards Checking Accounts – If you use your checking account frequently, and are looking for something extra, rewards checking accounts provide benefits like above-market interest rates, rewards points and ATM fee refunds. As an added bonus, most rewards checking accounts are also free, even if you don’t meet the monthly requirements to earn rewards.
Teen Checking Accounts – Teen or youth checking accounts are a great option for young consumers testing the waters of personal finance. These accounts can be found at credit unions and banks, and tend to require a parent or guardian to co-sign. They often come with financial education advice and other helpful perks directed at teens and young adults.





Where to Bank
Now that you know what a checking account is, you can decide where to open one.

Credit Unions – Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives (which means they prioritize their members’ financial well-being over the credit union’s success) that often have membership fields based on location or employment.
Banks – Banks come in many sizes, from global banks to hometown community banks, and each has unique deals and special services depending on their areas of service.
Online Banks – If you are a bank-on-the-go kind of person who doesn’t need to visit a physical bank branch very often, online banks are a great option, as they tend to offer higher interest rates on checking accounts, as well as other perks.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/banking/banking-101-what-is-a-checking-account/
https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/author/nico/

What is The Capital Markets (expanded)?

"Capital markets are perhaps the most widely followed markets. Both the stock and bond markets are closely followed and their daily movements are analyzed as proxies for the general economic condition of the world markets. As a result, the institutions operating in capital markets - stock exchanges, commercial banks and all types of corporations, including nonbank institutions such as insurance companies and mortgage banks - are carefully scrutinized.

The institutions operating in the capital markets access them to raise capital for long-term purposes, such as for a merger or acquisition, to expand a line of business or enter into a new business, or for other capital projects. Entities that are raising money for these long-term purposes come to one or more capital markets. In the bond market, companies may issue debt in the form of corporate bonds, while both local and federal governments may issue debt in the form of government bonds. Similarly, companies may decide to raise money by issuing equity on the stock market. Government entities are typically not publicly held and, therefore, do not usually issue equity. Companies and government entities that issue equity or debt are considered the sellers in these markets.

The buyers, or the investors, buy the stocks or bonds of the sellers and trade them. If the seller, or issuer, is placing the securities on the market for the first time, then the market is known as the primary market. Conversely, if the securities have already been issued and are now being traded among buyers, this is done on the secondary market. Sellers make money off the sale in the primary market, not in the secondary market, although they do have a stake in the outcome (pricing) of their securities in the secondary market.


The buyers of securities in the capital market tend to use funds that are targeted for longer-term investment. Capital markets are risky markets and are not usually used to invest short-term funds. Many investors access the capital markets to save for retirement or education, as long as the investors have long time horizons, which usually means they are young and are risk takers."



( http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/052313/financial-markets-capital-vs-money-markets.asp#ixzz3dQZE9ik1 )