Gigabyte (GB)
A gigabyte (GB) is a unit of digital information storage used in computing and telecommunications. It is equivalent to 1,024 megabytes (MB) or approximately one billion bytes.
Gigabyte (GB)
Gigabyte (GB) is a computer storage unit representing one billion bytes or precisely 1,073,741,824 bytes (2^30^ bytes) when referring to computer memory.
Gigabyte (GB)
A Gigabyte (GB) is a unit of digital storage in computers, equating to 2^30^ or approximately one billion bytes.
Gilt Repo Market
The Gilt Repo Market is a platform for the sale and repurchase of gilt-edged securities, established by the Bank of England in 1996. This market plays a crucial role in the implementation of monetary policy by influencing the liquidity within the banking system.
Gilt Strip
A discount UK government stock that has been issued by the Bank of England since 1996. A bond can be divided into a set of payments, which are made by the state and sold at a discount.
Gilt-Edged Security
Gilt-edged securities, known as gilts, are fixed-interest securities issued by the British government. They are trusted for their safety, as the risk of default by the government on interest or principal repayments is minimal.
Ginnie Mae
Ginnie Mae, commonly referred to as the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), is a government corporation within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on mortgage-backed securities (MBS) issued by approved lenders.
Ginnie Mae Pass-Through
A Ginnie Mae pass-through security is backed by a pool of mortgages and guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), passing through to investors the interest and principal payments of homeowners.
Giro
A Giro is a banking arrangement for clearing and settling small payments, commonly used in Europe. It includes systems like the National Girobank in the UK, Bank Giro, and Bancogiro, along with a colloquial use related to social security payments.
Glamor Stock
A Glamor Stock is a type of stock that has a wide public and institutional following, often due to consistently rising sales and earnings over a long period. These stocks tend to outperform market averages during bull markets.
Glass Ceiling
The 'glass ceiling' refers to the invisible barriers that prevent women and minorities from advancing to senior management and executive positions within an organization despite their qualifications and achievements.
Glass-Steagall Act of 1933
The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 is a legislative measure passed by Congress that authorizes deposit insurance and prohibits commercial banks from owning brokerage firms. This act was largely repealed by the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999.
Glitch
A glitch is a temporary, often unexplained, malfunction or irregularity in software, hardware, or digital communication systems. While usually minor, glitches can impact functionality and user experience.
Global Bond
A comprehensive guide exploring the definition, examples, FAQs, related terms, references, and recommended books for understanding global bonds.
Global Custody
Safekeeping, usually by banks, of securities held on behalf of clients, with comprehensive services spanning markets and securities in multiple countries.
Global Fisher Effect
An economic equilibrium that exhibits an equality of expected real interest rates among countries when there are no restrictions on international trade, credit, and currency exchanges.
Global Hedging
A risk management strategy utilized to balance positions of various business units or with unrelated third parties to mitigate exposure to financial risks.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
A network of satellites allowing users with portable GPS devices to determine precise locations on the surface of the Earth.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
An international non-profit organization that encourages companies to disclose information about their ethical, social, and environmental behavior as well as their financial performance. The GRI has developed a Sustainability Reporting Framework for companies and aims to make its use standard practice.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is an international independent organization that helps businesses, governments, and other organizations understand and communicate their impact on critical sustainability issues.
Global Search
A computer search throughout an entire document for words, characters, or other data that might need to be located or changed.
Globalization
Globalization refers to the multifaceted process that allows investment in financial markets and the exchange of goods, services, and information across international boundaries, facilitated by advancements in technology, deregulation, and the operations of powerful multinational enterprises.
Glut
A situation in which the supply of a good or service exceeds its demand at the current price, leading to an excess that cannot be sold.
Gmail
Gmail is a free email service provided by Google, offering users a substantial amount of online storage for messages and comprehensive search capabilities.
Go-Between
A go-between acts as an intermediary between two people or groups, facilitating communication, negotiation, or transactions to ensure smooth handling of particulars in the relationship. The go-between often has a vested interest in the process.
Goal
An individual or organizational objective target to be achieved within a particular time period. Organizational goals, for example, may include becoming number one in market share of a particular product within a specified timeframe.
Goal Congruence
Goal congruence refers to the consistency or agreement of individual or departmental actions with overarching organizational goals, ensuring alignment in pursuit of a firm’s central objectives.
Goal Congruency
The situation in which the objectives of agents coincide with those of principals, ensuring organizational and shareholder goals align with individual managers' objectives. Essential in agency theory for optimizing performance and reducing conflicts.
Goal Programming
Goal programming is a form of linear programming that allows for consideration of multiple, potentially conflicting goals in decision-making processes.
Goal Setting
Goal setting involves establishing steps to meet the objectives of an individual or a firm. For instance, to achieve a 10% increase in sales, a company may increase each salesperson's quota by $10,000.
Going Long
Going long refers to the practice of purchasing a stock, bond, or commodity for investment or speculation purposes. The purchased security is held with the expectation that its value will increase over time, thereby providing profits to the investor.
Going Private
Going private refers to the movement of a company from public to private ownership, either by the company's repurchase of its shares or through purchases by an outside private investor.
Going Public
The process in the securities industry where a private company offers its shares to the public for the first time. This transition involves the shift of company ownership from a few private shareholders to a broader base of public shareholders and brings the company under the regulatory and legal requirements applicable to public companies.
Going Short
Going short refers to the act of selling a stock or commodity that the seller does not own, typically in anticipation that the price will decline, allowing them to buy it back at a lower price for a profit.
Going-Concern Concept
A fundamental accounting concept that assumes an enterprise will continue its operations for the foreseeable future. It is integral in financial reporting and valuation of assets and liabilities.
Gold Fixing
Gold fixing refers to the daily determination of the price of gold by selected gold specialists and bank officials in London, Paris, and Zurich. The price is fixed at 10:30 A.M. and 3:30 P.M. London time every business day according to prevailing market forces of supply and demand.
Gold Standard
A monetary system where currency units are directly convertible into fixed amounts of gold. Known for its anti-inflationary characteristics, the United States operated under this system until 1933.
Goldbrick
Goldbricking is a term used to describe the act of shirking one's responsibilities. It implies that a person is avoiding their duties and wasting time instead of performing the tasks expected of them.
Goldbug
An analyst or investor enamored with gold as a significant investment, often recommending gold as a safe haven during economic uncertainties such as depressions or hyperinflation.
Golden Handshake
A golden handshake, also known as a golden good-bye, is an ex gratia payment made by an employer to an employee upon termination of employment, such as in the event of a company takeover. Certain conditions may allow such payments to be partially or fully tax-free.
Golden Hello
A Golden Hello is a financial incentive offered to a potential new employee to entice them to join a company, often provided in industries where talent competition is fierce.
Golden Key
The 'Golden Key' in an employment context typically refers to a provision or payment that releases an employee from a long-term employment contract, often described as the key that unlocks the Golden Handcuffs.
Golden Parachute
A provision in an executive's employment contract that promises substantial severance packages if the individual is terminated or chooses to leave following a change in company ownership or a takeover.
Golden Share
A golden share is a type of share in a company that holds significant voting rights, often retained by governments to maintain control in strategic sectors following privatization.
Goldilocks Economy
A colloquial term for an economy that combines low inflation with steady economic growth. Such an economy is 'not too hot, not too cold, but just right,' similar to the porridge in the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Good Delivery
Good delivery is a term used in the securities industry to signify that a certificate has the necessary endorsements and fulfills all specified requirements (including signature guarantees, proper denomination, and other qualifications) so that the title can be transferred by delivery to the buying broker, who is then obligated to accept it.
Good Faith
Good Faith refers to the total absence of intention to seek unfair advantage or to defraud another party; it denotes an honest intention to fulfill one's obligations and the observance of reasonable standards of fair dealing.
Good Housekeeping Seal
The Good Housekeeping Seal is a prestigious seal of approval awarded to products that meet rigorous standards established by the Good Housekeeping Institute, under the direction of Good Housekeeping Magazine. It is a symbol of quality and consumer trust, used for over 100 years.
Good Money
In the context of banking, federal funds that are good the same day in contrast to clearinghouse funds, which typically require three days to clear or involve a one-day float. Good money is also a concept discussed in Gresham's Law, which states that currency of superior intrinsic value will be driven out of circulation by currency of lesser intrinsic value.
Good Title
A *Good Title* refers to a legal concept where a title is free from present litigation, obvious defects, and grave doubts concerning its validity or merchantability. This implies that such a title is marketable to a reasonable purchaser or can be used as security for a loan to a person of reasonable prudence.
Good-Faith Deposit
A Good-Faith Deposit is a monetary advance indicating intent to pursue a contract to completion and is used in various settings including commodities, securities, and real estate transactions.
Good-Till-Canceled Order (GTC)
A brokerage customer's order to buy or sell a security, usually at a particular price, that remains in effect until executed or canceled.
Goodness-of-Fit Test
A statistical procedure used to test the hypothesis that a particular probability distribution adequately fits an observed set of data.
Goods
Goods refer to commodities or items of commerce that are tangible and physical, and can be owned, sold, or exchanged in the marketplace, excluding real estate, choses in action, investment securities, or similar items.
Goods and Services
Goods and Services form the backbone of any economy, representing the outputs that fulfil human needs and wants. Goods refer to tangible products, while services pertain to tasks performed by individuals or entities.
Goods Received Note (GRN)
A document used by businesses to confirm and record the receipt of goods ordered. The GRN ensures that the items received match the order in terms of quantity, quality, and specification.
Goods Received Note (GRN)
A Goods Received Note (GRN) is an important document used in the accounting and inventory management process, signifying the receipt of goods by a business.
Goodwill
Goodwill is an intangible asset reflecting a business's customer connections, reputation, and similar factors. It is the difference between the value of the separable net assets of a business and the total value of the business.
Goodwill Write-Off Reserve
A special reserve used for accounting purposes to handle the write-off of goodwill from the balance sheet. This reserve has a particular debit balance and serves as a tool for managing potential overvaluations in the goodwill asset.
Google
Google is a search engine owned by Google Inc., recognized as the largest and most popular on the Web. Its influence has become so pervasive that 'google' has been adopted as a verb in the English language.
Google Earth
Google Earth is an application provided by Google that allows users to browse satellite images of the world via street addresses or geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude).
GOV (Government)
In various domains such as business law, taxation, and international business, the term 'GOV' refers to governmental bodies, regulations, or actions pertaining to public policies, administrative systems, and regulatory frameworks that impact businesses, individuals, and the economy.
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency that provides auditing, evaluation, and investigative services for the United States Congress.
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), formerly known as the General Accounting Office, is an independent, non-partisan agency that works for Congress, investigating how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars.
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent Congressional agency established in 1921, originally known as the General Accounting Office. It reviews federal financial transactions by examining expenditures and appropriations of federal agencies, reporting directly to Congress.
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is the audit and investigation department of the U.S. Congress, established in 1921. The GAO’s mission is to carry out financial and performance audits of government organizations and programs.
Government Accounting
Government accounting encompasses the principles and procedures unique to accounting for federal, state, and local governmental units, with established rules by the National Council on Governmental Accounting.
Government Agency Securities
Government agency securities are debt instruments issued by U.S. government agencies that, while often rated highly, are not explicitly backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
Government Budget
A government budget outlines the anticipated annual expenditures and revenue for goods and services, offering a financial framework for policy implementation and national economic health.
Government Enterprise
A Government Enterprise is a governmentally sponsored business activity, which operates like a corporate business entity. Despite generating its revenue from services rather than through taxation, this enterprise is often publicly managed and oriented towards public welfare.
Government Grant
A government grant is a financial award provided by a government body to an organization to support activities that are deemed socially or economically beneficial. These grants can be either revenue-based or capital-based and have specific accounting treatments according to Financial Reporting Standards.
Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA)
The Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), commonly known as Ginnie Mae, is a government organization that facilitates housing finance by guaranteeing mortgage-backed securities and supporting low-income housing through loan write-downs.
Government Obligations
Government obligations refer to debts that a government owes to creditors, typically in the form of bonds. These obligations are crucial for funding government operations and projects.
Government Rectangular Survey
The Government Rectangular Survey is a rectangular system of land surveying that divides a district into quadrangles, townships, and sections, predominantly used in most western states of the USA.
Government Securities
Government securities are debt instruments issued by a government to support government spending and obligations. These securities include Treasury bills, bonds, notes, and savings bonds, all of which are considered highly creditworthy due to the backing of the government's 'full faith and credit.'
Government-Sponsored Enterprise (GSE)
A quasi-governmental organization that is privately owned but retains certain privileges as it was created by the government. Examples include the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC).
Government-Sponsored Enterprise (GSE)
A Government-Sponsored Enterprise (GSE) is a financial services corporation created by the United States Congress. Their purpose is to enhance the flow of credit to specific sectors of the American economy and to make those segments more efficient and transparent. Two prominent GSEs are the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), commonly known as Fannie Mae, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), known as Freddie Mac.
Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)
The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) is an independent, private-sector organization in the United States, responsible for establishing and improving accounting and financial reporting standards for U.S. state and local governments. The GASB operates under the oversight of the Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF).
Gower Report
An influential report on the protection of investors delivered to the UK government in 1984 by Professor Jim Gower, which laid the groundwork for the Financial Services Act 1986.
Grace and Notice Provision
A grace and notice provision gives borrowers extra time to make required payments or comply with loan terms before being classified as in default in a loan agreement.
Grace Period
A period of time provided in most loan contracts and insurance policies during which default or cancellation will not occur even though payment is past due.
Graduated Lease
A type of lease agreement that includes predetermined rent increases at specified intervals.
Graduated Payment Mortgage (GPM)
A Graduated Payment Mortgage (GPM) is a mortgage that starts with lower payments in the initial years, which gradually increase in steps over time until the payments are sufficient to amortize the loan fully.
Graduated Wage
A salary structure of incremental wage levels in an organization. Wages are graduated by job grade, seniority, experience, or performance.
Graft
Graft involves the fraudulent obtaining of public money through the corruption of public officials, often entailing the use of money as a payoff or the dishonest advantage one person gains over another due to their position, influence, or trust.
Graham and Dodd Method of Investing
The Graham and Dodd Method, also known as value investing, is an investment approach outlined by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd in their landmark book 'Security Analysis,' initially published in the 1930s. This method advocates for buying undervalued stocks based on thorough fundamental analysis, with the expectation that these stocks will eventually appreciate to their true intrinsic value in the marketplace.
Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Amendment
Federal legislation passed in 1985, aimed at reducing the United States federal budget deficit through automatic spending cuts if predefined deficit targets are not met. Officially titled the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Grandfather Clause
A provision included in new legislation or regulations that exempts certain individuals, businesses, or entities already engaged in regulated activities from complying with new requirements.
Grant
A grant can serve as both a term used in property conveyances or as financial assistance provided by government bodies or private foundations to fund projects deemed in the public interest.
Grantee
The grantee is the party to whom the title of real property is conveyed, effectively the buyer or recipient in a real estate transaction. This term is often used in legal documents such as deeds, contracts, and wills.
Grantor
A grantor is an entity, often an individual or trustee, that transfers, or 'grants,' assets or rights to another party; in the context of investments and law.
Grantor Trust
A type of trust that has beneficiaries other than the grantor, but because of the retention of certain interests or certain powers over the trust, all income of the trust is taxed to the grantor.
Grapevine
The grapevine refers to an unofficial pathway of verbal communication where rumors or scuttlebutt spread from person to person through informal networks.
Graphic Software
Graphic software refers to programs designed to create, edit, and display visual content, including charts, diagrams, and signs. These tools enhance information visualization, making data and insights more understandable and accessible.
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is a user-friendly way of interacting with a computer that utilizes visual elements such as icons, menus, and a pointer device. GUIs help simplify commands and improve the overall user experience by providing intuitive and accessible controls.
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is a type of user interface through which users interact with electronic devices using graphical icons and visual indicators, as opposed to text-based interfaces.
Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)
The Graphics Interchange Format, commonly known as GIF, is a bitmap image format introduced by CompuServe in 1987. It supports up to 8 bits per pixel for each image, allowing a single image to reference a palette of up to 256 distinct colors chosen from the 24-bit RGB color space.

Accounting Terms Lexicon

Discover comprehensive accounting definitions and practical insights. Empowering students and professionals with clear and concise explanations for a better understanding of financial terms.