A to Z of financial terms

Imposed by the Government on individuals, firms and other governments, whether in the UK or abroad. Typical financial sanctions include forbidding a firm from carrying out transactions with a person or organisation, and the freezing of assets. In some cases, sanctions may forbid a firm from providing any financial services.

ScamSmart is an FCA campaign to help you avoid investment and pension scams. Visit ScamSmart to find out more.

Screen sharing is a method scammers use to take information from you or access your accounts. The scammer will typically ask you to download legitimate screen sharing software. Once they have access to your screen, they can access your personal information, including any financial accounts, such as your online banking.

A financial instrument that represents some type of financial value, for example, shares, bonds, stocks, debentures and stakeholder pension schemes.

When you invest in a fund, it usually includes a range of different assets. Sometimes one particular asset, or a small number of them, can run into difficulties. This could then affect the whole fund. For example, if an asset can’t be bought and sold, it can be difficult to value the fund correctly. A side pocket is an emergency measure designed to separate the problem assets from the rest of the fund, until the problem can be resolved.

The Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) makes euro payments easier and cheaper, and means you can move money as freely throughout Europe as you can in the UK, for example, when online shopping. SEPA countries include the EU and European Economic Area (EEA) member states and some non-EEA jurisdictions such as the UK and Switzerland. See the full list of SEPA countries and read more about your rights when making payments or transfers in a SEPA country.

Skimming is a type of scam where card details are copied from the information on the magnetic strip of a bank or credit card at a cash machine or in a store. By doing this, fraudsters are aiming to access your account or create a fake card that has your details on it. Find out more about skimming and banking scams.

A speculative mini-bond is where a company raises money from investors with the intention of lending the money to a third party or investing in other companies, or property. Our rules have permanently banned the promotion of these types of mini-bonds to consumers, unless a consumer is 'sophisticated' or a 'high-net-worth investor'.

SONIA is a widely used measure of sterling overnight interest rates, that is also closely linked to the Bank of England’s base rate. It's an alternative rate to LIBOR, which is now being phased out. Read more about LIBOR and how it could affect some mortgages.

Strong Customer Authentication is the process that your bank or payment service provider uses to check your identity. Read more about how our rules reduce the risk of a fraudster pretending to be you to steal money.

Structured products are a type of fixed-term investment. The amount you earn, or receive back, depends on the performance of a specific market (such as the FTSE 100) or specific assets (such as shares in individual companies). Structured products are usually complex and it can be difficult to understand or work out the return you're likely to get. Read more about structured products on MoneyHelper, guidance that's backed by Government.