D

• Date of entry - (term used in Scotland), see exchange of contracts.
• Debt consolidation loan - loan taken out to consolidate applicant's current debt.
• Decreasing term assurance/insurance - life assurance where the amount of cover reduces over time to reflect a decreasing mortgage balance.
• Deposit - the amount of money you pay towards the purchase of a property at the start of the mortgage.
• Depreciation - the decreasing value of an asset, for example a house or car, over a period of time.
• Disbursements - solicitor's expenses.
• Discount rate - a reduced mortgage interest rate that lasts for a fixed period of time.
• Dividend - money paid out to shareholders relative to the company's profits over a period of time, usually on an annual or six monthly basis.

E

• Early redemption fee - a charge made by the mortgage lender if the loan is repaid or moved to another lender before the agreed date.
• Endowment mortgage - type of interest-only mortgage where an endowment policy is taken out to pay off the remaining debt at the end of the mortgage term.
• Endowment policy - a life assurance savings scheme designed to pay out a lump sum when the policy matures.
• Equity - the value of a property minus any money owed on it.
• Equity release - when a new or larger mortgage is taken out to free some of the equity that has built up in your property.
• Estate agency fee - the commission charged by an estate agent to a property vendor, usually charged as a percentage of the sale price.
• Exchange of contracts - a legally binding agreement where buyer and vendor sign identical contracts agreeing the terms of the sale, including the price of the property, any fixtures and fittings included in the price, and the completion date.
• Execution only - where the company arranging or selling the financial product does not give any advice regarding the benefits or risks concerning the product.

F

• Final salary scheme - a type of pension scheme where the fund is calculated based upon the policy holder's final salary. The number of years in employment are also taken into consideration.
• Financial accounting - the area of accounting concerned with reporting financial information to interested external parties.
• Financial analysis - analysis of a company’s financial statement, usually by accountants or financial analysts.
• First-time buyer - a borrower taking out his or her first mortgage.
• Fixed rate - where the interest rate charged on a loan or mortgage remains at the same level for an agreed length of time.
• Flexible mortgage - where the borrower can under-pay or over-pay on the mortgage without incurring charges.
• Freehold - when the land on which the property sits is also owned by the homeowner.
• FSA- the Financial Services Authority is the sole regulator of financial services in the UK. In 2001, it took over responsibilities previously held by a number of regulators including the Building Societies Commission, Personal Investment Authority, Securities and Futures Authority, etc.
• Fund manager - a person employed to run a fund and make decisions about where money is invested.