📖 A–Z of money and digital words
Insurance, mutual fund, tax and online business words explained in one or two lines.
A
AMFI: Association of Mutual Funds in India, the industry body for mutual funds.
ARN: AMFI Registration Number held by a mutual fund distributor.
Asset allocation: How money is divided between shares, bonds, deposits, gold and other assets.
B
Bima Bharosa: IRDAI's online system to register insurance grievances.
C
Call to action (CTA): A clear next step for visitors, such as "Call now" or "Book a visit".
Cashless claim: Treatment at a network hospital where the insurer settles the bill directly.
Claim settlement ratio: The share of claims an insurer settled in a year; one of several measures to look at.
Co-pay: A share of the hospital bill that the policyholder pays.
Compounding: Returns earning further returns over time.
Content calendar: A plan of what to post on social media and when.
Corpus: The total fund built up for a goal, such as retirement.
Critical illness cover: Pays a lump sum on diagnosis of a listed serious illness.
D
Debt fund: A mutual fund that invests mainly in bonds and similar instruments; not risk-free.
Deductible: The amount of a claim you (or another policy) pay before the policy starts paying.
Domain: Your website address, like yourshop.in.
E
ELSS: Equity Linked Savings Scheme: an equity mutual fund with a 3-year lock-in, eligible under Section 80C (old regime).
Emergency fund: Money kept aside, safe and easy to withdraw, for unexpected expenses; often 6 months of expenses.
Endowment plan: Life insurance that combines protection with saving; the premium is higher for the same cover.
Engagement: Likes, comments, shares and clicks on a post.
EPF: Employees' Provident Fund: retirement savings for salaried employees.
Equity fund: A mutual fund that invests mainly in shares; for long-term goals; can go up and down a lot.
Exit load: A charge for withdrawing from some funds before a set period.
Expense ratio: The yearly fee charged by a mutual fund, as a percentage of your investment.
F
Family floater: A health policy where one sum insured is shared by the whole family.
Free-look period: A period after buying a new policy during which you can return it if not satisfied (as per policy terms).
G
Google Business Profile: A free listing that shows a business on Google Search and Maps.
Grace period: Extra days after the premium due date during which you can pay without the policy lapsing.
H
Hosting: The server where a website's files live.
Human Life Value (HLV): An estimate of the money a family would need if the earning member's income stopped.
Hybrid fund: A fund that invests in both shares and bonds.
I
Inflation: The rise in prices over time, which reduces what money can buy.
Insurance Ombudsman: An independent forum for insurance complaints not resolved by the insurer.
IRDAI: Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, the insurance regulator.
K
KYC: Know Your Customer: identity and address verification needed to invest or buy insurance.
L
Landing page: A single web page focused on one offer or action.
Lapse: When a policy stops because premiums were not paid.
Legal heir: A person entitled to inherit as per a will or succession law.
M
Mutual fund: A pool of money from many investors, invested by professional managers in shares, bonds or both.
N
Network hospital: A hospital tied up with the insurer for cashless treatment.
No claim bonus: A reward (more cover or a discount) for a claim-free year, as per policy terms.
Nominee: The person who receives the claim or investment amount on the holder's death.
NPS: National Pension System: a retirement savings scheme regulated by PFRDA.
P
Phishing: Fake messages or websites that trick people into sharing passwords or OTPs.
PPF: Public Provident Fund: a long-term government-backed savings scheme.
Pre-existing disease (PED): An illness you had before buying the policy; usually covered after a waiting period.
R
Reach: The number of people who saw a post or ad.
Reimbursement claim: You pay the hospital and then claim the money back from the insurer.
Revival: Restarting a lapsed policy by paying dues and meeting conditions.
Rider: An optional add-on to a policy, such as accident or critical illness cover.
Room rent limit: A cap on the hospital room cost covered; a costlier room can reduce the whole claim proportionately.
S
SEBI: Securities and Exchange Board of India, the regulator for securities markets and mutual funds.
Section 80C: An income tax deduction (old regime) up to ₹1.5 lakh a year for eligible investments and payments.
Section 80D: An income tax deduction (old regime) for health insurance premiums, within limits.
SEO: Search Engine Optimisation: improving a website so it appears in relevant search results.
SIP: Systematic Investment Plan: investing a fixed amount regularly in a mutual fund.
SSL: The security certificate that makes a website load with https and a lock symbol.
STP: Systematic Transfer Plan: moving money regularly from one fund to another.
Sum assured: The amount a life insurance policy pays on a claim.
Sum insured: The maximum a health or general insurance policy pays in a policy year.
Super top-up: Extra health cover that pays after yearly bills cross a deductible.
SWP: Systematic Withdrawal Plan: taking out a fixed amount regularly from a mutual fund.
T
Term plan: Life insurance that gives pure protection for a fixed period, usually at a low premium.
TPA: Third Party Administrator: a company that processes health claims for some insurers.
Two-step verification: A second check, such as an OTP or app code, in addition to a password.
W
Waiting period: Time before some illnesses are covered under a new health policy.
Will: A legal document stating how your assets should be distributed after your death.
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