Ponzi Scheme
A "Ponzi scheme" is the method developed by Charles Ponzi (1882-1949), using international reply coupons for postage stamps, to allegedly make money for investors. Ponzi's method was…
Ponzimonium (Ponzi scheme + pandemonium)
The word "ponzimonium" (Ponzi scheme + pandemonium) was coined by Bart Chilton, a commissioner on the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), in March 2009. Chilton…
Ponzinomics (Ponzi scheme + economics)
Ponzinomics (Ponzi scheme + economics) is an economy based on an unsustainable Ponzi scheme, such as printing fiat money and incurring large debts. The term "Ponzinomics" has been cited…
Poopstock (Occupy Wall Street nickname)
The 2011 "Occupy Wall Street" protests began in Manhattan's Zuccotti Park and spread to many other cities, protesting Wall Street greedand other (mostly far left) political causes.…
Poor Man’s Gold (silver nickname)
Silver is sometimes called the "poor man's gold" because silver is cheaper to buy. The term "poor man's gold" was used in 1932 by Rene Leon, but other metals (copper,…
POSX (U.S. Dollar Index or USDX nickname)
The U.S. Dollar Index (USDX) began in March 1973 and indexes the value of the United States dollar to foreign currencies. Turd Ferguson, of the blog TF Metals Report (his previous blog was…
Pre-rich (euphemism for someone who is not rich)
"I'm not broke/poor. I'm pre-rich" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The term "pre-rich" was entered in the Urban Dictionary on September 19, 2015.…
Printer in Chief (Fed chairman nickname)
"Printer in chief" (or "printer-in-chief," often preceded by "money") is a jocular term to the head of an organization that prints fiat money -- money that is not…
Profit of Doom
Entry in progress -- B.P. Doctor Doom OCLC WorldCatThe profit of doom.Author: Hugh Dirac Publisher: London : Sidgwick & Jackson, 1970. Edition/Format: Book : Fiction : English OCLC WorldCat…
Pulse Loan
A "pulse loan" is a loan given to anyone with a pulse. It's sometimes said that banks so dearly wanted to make mortgages (and collect mortgage fees) that the banks would give a loan…
Pyramid Scheme
A "financial pyramid" is one where there are many people/investors at the bottom of the pyramid, but few at the top. A "pyramid scheme" pays off the oldest investors by getting…
QEeen (quantitative easing or QE + queen)
In 2013, Janet Yellen was nominated for Federal Reserve chair. The Federal Reserve has a well known quantitative easing (QE) program (called "money printing" by many). During…
QEternity (quantitative easing or QE + eternity)
Quantitative easing (QE) is when a central bank (such as the Federal Reserve) pumps money into the economy by various financial transactions, usually to increase asset prices and to create a…
Quant or Quant Jock (quantitative analyst)
A "quant" is a "quantitative analyst" -- a person who applies mathematical models to the finance of Wall Street. Many college MBA programs trained "quants," and these…
Quantitative Tightening (QT; Reverse QE)
"Quantitaive easing" (QE) increases the money supply. A "reverse QE" is "quantitative tightening" (QT). "Hard to do QE with QT (qualitative tightening)" was…
Quarterly Capitalism
"Quarterly capitalism" means the same thing as "short-termism" -- overreliance on quarterly reports and quarterly profits rather than long term planning. "Capitalism, for…
Rabbits (dollars, or any fiat currency that can be printed in large amounts)
The first Belarusian ruble had a European hare on the currency, giving it the nickname of "rabbits." In July 2012, Simon Black of the Sovereign Man blog wrote a post from Ukraine titled…
Rags to Riches
"Rags to riches" is an expression to describe someone who was poor (wearing "rags") and who has become rich. "Rags to riches" has been cited in print in 1875 amd 1878,…
Rally Tuesday
The stock market (New York Stock Exchange) on Tuesday in the first half of 2013 had a 20-week-long streak of always entering positive territory at the end of the day. The Wall Street Journal had an…
Rathole (“money down the rathole”)
To throw or to pour something "down a/the rathole" means to put it in an endless space (where lots of rats enter and leave). "Money down a/the rathole" is money wasted, not to…