What is an account balance?

The amount of money a user has stored in a financial repository.

Account balance with a bank account

When you check your account balance at your bank, it will show the amount of cash you have stored with the bank.

If you have pending transactions, your account balance might be greater than the amount that is actually available to you. That is because the money needed to make those transactions has not yet been removed from your account.

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Account balance with a stockbroker

An account balance with a brokerage is likely to look different from a bank account balance. That’s because you don’t just keep cash with a broker.

Instead, the account balance that you see when you check your brokerage account will be the sum of any cash you hold and any stocks you have bought.

Because the value of stocks changes all the time, your account balance will also vary more frequently with stockbroker than a bank.

More terms

Free Trade

The other free trade. International trade in which countries allow goods to flow across their borders without imposing import or export taxes.
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Gross Margin

The difference between a company's revenue and the cost to produce its goods/services, divided by revenue.
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Bond

Learn what a bond is
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Dirty price

The total price payable on the purchase of a gilt. It’s calculated as the clean price plus accrued interest.
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Margin call

Learn what a margin call stands for in financial terms.
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Unicorn

A startup valued at over £1 billion. They are rare, hence the name.
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Net Asset Value (NAV)

The value of a company's assets relative to the number of shares it has.
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Direct listing

Going public without the traditional IPO. Existing shares, straight onto the exchange, no new money raised.
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Inflation

The increase in the prices of goods and services over time, and the process by which money loses its value.
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