revenues

Definition

The money flowing into a company's or government's coffers from all possible sources—taxation, sales, investments, or whatever creative accounting method they're employing this quarter. The number that makes CFOs smile or weep.

Example Usage

The startup's quarterly revenues exceeded projections by 30%, sending stock prices soaring.

Source: Finance and accounting terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

discounted

To reduce a price, debt, or future obligation by a mathematical percentage because apparently money today is worth more than money tomorrow (who knew?).

💰 Finance / Accounting

Beginner

profit

The magical number left over after you subtract all expenses from revenue, assuming your accounting department is feeling generous about what counts as an expense. It's what companies supposedly exist to generate, though many startups operate for years as if this is merely optional. Shareholders love it, the IRS wants to tax it, and CFOs have seventeen different ways to calculate it.

💰 Finance / Accounting

Intermediate

window dressing

The practice of making financial statements look prettier than reality through perfectly legal but ethically questionable timing of transactions. It's like cleaning your apartment only when you know someone's coming over.

💰 Finance / Accounting

Intermediate

underwriting

The mystical process where financial institutions assess risk and decide whether to give you money, usually involving algorithms, credit scores, and prayers to the profit gods. Investment banks use it to evaluate securities before offering them to investors, while insurance companies use it to determine if you're worth the gamble. It's essentially professional betting on whether you'll pay your bills or file a claim.

💰 Finance / Accounting

Intermediate

beneficiaries

The lucky souls legally designated to receive your money, assets, or insurance payout after you've shuffled off this mortal coil—or sometimes while you're still using it. They're the people you're incentivizing to keep you alive, or in some noir scenarios, quite the opposite. Estate planning's way of playing favorites from beyond the grave, ensuring your ungrateful nephew gets exactly nothing while your cat inherits the vacation home.

💰 Finance / Accounting

Advanced

notional value

The total value of a leveraged position's assets, as opposed to the actual cash you put up, which is usually much less. It's the difference between owning a $100,000 house and the $20,000 you put down.

💰 Finance / Accounting

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