Financial Management
When businesses need money to grow, they have two main options: debt financing (borrowing money) or equity financing (selling ownership shares). Debt means you'll have to repay with interest, while equity means sharing future profits with investors but no repayment obligation.
Stocks and bonds represent two fundamentally different relationships with a company. When you own stock, you're a partial owner with voting rights and might receive dividends. When you buy bonds, you're essentially lending money to the company in exchange for interest payments. Bonds are generally less risky than stocks.
Stock investments come with different categories. Common stock gives voting rights at shareholder meetings, while preferred stock usually pays fixed dividends but doesn't include voting rights. The P/E ratio price−to−earnings helps investors determine if a stock is overvalued or underpriced by comparing its current price to its earnings.
Remember This: The stock market isn't just for big investors! Understanding these concepts now will help you make smarter financial decisions when you start investing your own money.
Investment options extend beyond individual stocks. ETFs Exchange−TradedFunds let you invest in multiple companies at once, while annuities provide guaranteed income streams, typically for retirement. For retirement savings, you might choose between a traditional IRA tax−deductiblecontributionsnow,taxedwithdrawalslater and a Roth IRA after−taxcontributionsnow,tax−freewithdrawalslater.