Guesstimate or Guestimate (guess + estimate)
A "guesstimate" is a "guess/estimate." Business and government economic forecasting involves what many call "guesstimates" or "guesstimation." The word…
Haines Bottom (call of a market bottom on March 10, 2009)
CNBC Squawk on the Street host Mark Haines (1946-2011) went on the air on March 10, 2009 and declared that there was a bottom to the stock market. "I'm going to step out on a limb…
Hanukkah Gelt
Jewish children celebrating Hanukkah or Chanukah (the Festival of Lights) traditionally have received "Hanukkah gelt" (money), which the children would spend on candies or on a charitable…
Have Yachts (from “haves and have nots”)
The world has "haves" (the rich) and "have nots" (the poor). A new category is sometimes added -- the "have yachts" (mega-rich). A battle between the "haves"…
Head-and-Shoulders Pattern
A "head and shoulder" chart pattern looks like a shoulder, then rising to form a head, and then another shoulder; there is also an "inverted head and shoulders" pattern. The…
Heartbeat Loan
A "heartbeat loan" is a loan given to anyone with a heartbeat. It's sometimes said that banks so dearly wanted to make mortgages (and collect mortgage fees) that the banks would give…
Hedgie
A "hedgie" is a hedge fund or someone who works for a hedge fund. The term "hedgie" has been cited in print since at least 1986-87. The Free DictionaryHedgieSlang for a hedge…
Helicopter Drop or Helicopter Printing Press (“Helicopter Ben” Bernanke)
The economist Milton Friedman (1912-2006) wrote, in 1969, about dropping money from a helicopter to stimulate the economy. In November 2002, Ben Bernanke (then a member of the Board of Governors of…
Hells Fargo or Hell’s Fargo (Wells Fargo nickname)
Wells Fargo bank was founded in New York City in 1852. Wells Fargo -- one of the Big Four banks in the United States with Bank of America, Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase -- is now headquartered in…
High Finance
"High finance" means financial transactions that involve large sums of money. The term "high finance" has been cited in print since at least 1858, but began to be used with…
High-Speed Swim Lane (HSSL or “hustle”)
Countrywide Financial was once a large mortgage lender; Countrywide failed during the financial crisis of 2008, when it was sold to Bank of America. The U.S. Department of Justice sued Bank of…
Hindenburg Omen
The "Hindenburg Omen" is named after the Hindenburg passenger airship that burst into flames in 1937, killing 36 people. Jim Miekka, a blind mathematician and writer for the Sudbury Bull…
Holy Shit Bank Corrupt (HSBC nickname)
HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a global bank with many branches in New York City. In December 2012, HSBC was assessed a $1.9 billion penalty for money laundering. Jon Stewart…
Holy Shit Buffalo’s Cold (HSBC nickname)
HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a global bank with many branches in New York City. Marine Midland Bank was based in Buffalo, New York; HSBC acquired full ownership of Marine…
Holy Shit my Bank’s Chinese (HSBC nickname)
HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a global bank with many branches in New York City. Marine Midland Bank was based in Buffalo, New York; HSBC acquired full ownership of Marine…
Hot Sauce Blue Cheese or Hot Sauce Bleu Cheese (HSBC nickname)
HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a global bank with many branches in New York City. Marine Midland Bank was based in Buffalo, New York; HSBC acquired full ownership of Marine…
ICE (Income, Credit and Equity)
"ICE" is an acronym for "income, credit and equity" -- three things that banks look for before issuing a mortgage or a loan. "ICE" has been cited in print since at…
Idiot-Maker Rally
There is the Wall Street term of a "sucker's rally" -- a brief run-up in stocks that "suckers" fall for. The blog Business Insider ran the story "The Nine-Month Idiot…
Imposing Misery and Famine (International Monetary Fund or IMF nickname)
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was founded in 1944-1945 and seeks to foster international development and sound monetary currencies. Some critics of the IMF maintain that its development…
Inflationista
Entry in progress -- B.P.(inflation + -ista, as in words such as “Sandinista” and “fashionista”) A similar term is "deflationista."…