At AARP Financial, we strive to take the mystery and confusion out of investing. To better understand how financial jargon impacts people's ability to save and invest, AARP Financial Inc. conducted a first-ever nationwide survey of 1,203 adults to understand Americans' knowledge of financial jargon. This survey uncovered jargon as one of the key reasons for investor hesitation and missteps.

What is Jargon?

Over time, every professional field develops a language of its own — with slang, acronyms, and terms that are far more likely to be known by insiders than outsiders. In highly regulated fields like Financial Services, the development of unique terminology is reinforced by the effort to have verbal and written communications be consistent (and legally defensible) with how the concepts are referenced in relevant laws, rulings or regulations.

Demystifying Jargon

Demystifying the Jargon is difficult, and as we found, providing mere definitions does not always create clear understanding. With this is mind, this site attempts to provide plain language definitions and where possible, provide 'tips' to help further understand how to use the terms. For more information on the research, click here.