Depreciation

IPO

Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) often help companies raise substantial capital - Alibaba's 2014 IPO raised $25 billion, making it the largest IPO in history.

Debt

Debt is one of the oldest financial instruments, with the earliest known written records of loans dating back to ancient Mesopotamia around 3000 BC.

Diversification

The concept of diversification was formally introduced by Harry Markowitz in 1952, leading to Modern Portfolio Theory and eventually earning him a Nobel Prize.

Liquidity

Cash is considered the most liquid asset, while real estate is typically considered one of the least liquid major asset classes.

Principal

The word 'principal' comes from the Latin 'principalis' meaning 'first in importance' - fitting as it's the base amount from which interest is calculated.

Installment

Installment payments were first widely popularized in the 1920s to help middle-class Americans purchase expensive consumer goods like cars and appliances.

Equity

The concept of equity ownership dates back to the 1600s with the Dutch East India Company, which was the first company to issue shares of stock to the public.