How can I use the InvestorWords search engine effectively?

It's simple to get great search results with InvestorWords - just type in the term you are looking for. If the term appears in our drop down menu, simply click on it; otherwise, click 'Search' to view the results.

Tips for a better search:

• Enter search terms in their root form. For example, if you enter "liquid" you will get results such as liquid, illiquid, liquidate, liquidation, etc). Wildcards or special characters are not required by InvestorWords. Our search engine will automatically find all variations.
• Make your search as succinct as possible. Do not write questions or long sentences in the search box or you will likely get too many results back.
• Be as specific as possible. For example, enter "coupon bond" rather than just "bond".
• Use words likely to appear in the definition you want. For example, enter "early retirement" instead of "stop working before age 50".
• Do not worry about capitalization. The InvestorWords search engine is case-insensitive. Searching for "INstitUTioNaL bROkeRAge" is the same as searching for "institutional brokerage" or "INSTITUTIONAL BROKERAGE."
• If you are not sure exactly what term you are searching for, try our "By Subject" search. Simply click on the "Browse By Subject" button in the navigation bar and then select the subject you want to browse.

 

How should I use my search results?

If you select a term from our drop down menu, you will be taken directly to the definition for that term. If you perform a search, however, the InvestorWords search engine always attempts to rank your search results in the most relevant order. There are at most three sections to your results:

• The first section is exact or nearly exact matches. We recommend you investigate these definitions first - they're probably just what you were looking for. However, your search may not have generated an exact or nearly exact match, in which case you should try the next section.
• The second section is for terms containing your search request. We recommend you try this section if you did not get any exact or nearly exact matches. Terms in this section will likely be relevant to you.
• The third section is for terms which have definitions containing the term you searched for. To see this section, you must click on the link which says "Click here to see definition(s) containing 'your query'." If you phrased your search in an unusual way you may find relevant terms here. This section also provides a great way to see how your search term is related to other financial fields.

If relevant, we will also display search results from our sister site, InvestorWords.com. These results will be presented in the same order, and will specify that they are coming from InvestorWords.