Glossary Terms:

A certificate of indebtedness issued by a government or a publicly held corporation, promising to repay borrowed money to the lender at a fixed rate of interest and at a specified time.

To receive and use something belonging to somebody else, with the intention of returning or repaying it--often with interest in the case of borrowed money.

A spending-and-savings plan, based on estimated income and expenses for an individual or an organization, covering a specific time period.

Refers to national budgets; occurs when government spending is greater than government income in a given year. A yearly deficit adds to the public debt.

A written order to a financial institution directing the financial institution to pay a stated amount of money, as instructed, from the customer's account.

Money owed to someone else. Also the state or condition of owing money. Can be individual, corporate or government debt.

The taxing and spending plan of the national government.

A federal health-care program that pays for certain medical and hospital costs for people aged 65 and older (and for some people who are under the age of 65 and disabled). Part of Social Security.

Anything that is generally accepted as final payment for goods and services; serves as a medium of exchange, a store of value and a standard of value. Characteristics of money are portability, stability in value, uniformity, durability and acceptance.

The total amount owed by the national government to those from whom it has borrowed to finance the accumulated difference between annual budget deficits and annual budget surpluses; also called public debt.

The basic kinds of resources used to produce goods and services: land or natural resources, human resources (including labor and entrepreneurship), and capital.

The money a business receives from customers who buy its goods and services. Not to be confused with profit.

Use money now to buy goods and services.

Compulsory payments to governments by households and businesses.