Investopedia

Idle Funds

Filed Under »
Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Idle Funds'

Money that is not invested and, therefore, earning no interest or investment income. Idle funds are simply funds that are not deposited in an interest bearing or investment tracking vehicle, that is, not participating in the economic markets. These funds are often thought of as "wasted" funds, since they do not appreciate in any manner.
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Idle Funds'

In instances where there is a positive inflation rate in a domestic nation, idle funds will actually decrease in value from a purchasing power perspective, as the funds fail to keep up with the rate of inflation. One option individuals have to earn income on funds, while maintaining liquidity of those funds, is to invest in money market or short-term interest accounts that will provide the depositor with a short-term rate of interest.

Articles Of Interest

  1. What Investors Should Know About Interest Rates

    Understanding interest rates helps you answer the fundamental question of where to put your money.
  2. Interest Rates And Your Bond Investments

    By understanding the factors that influence interest rates, you can learn to anticipate their movement and profit from it.
  3. The Bear On Bonds

    Bond investing is a stable and low-risk way to diversify a portfolio. However, knowing which types of bonds are right for you is not always easy.
  4. Forces Behind Interest Rates

    Get a deeper understanding of the importance of interest rates and what makes them change.
  5. 7 Ways To Position Yourself For Recovery

    Preparing yourself for an economic turnaround can give you great peace of mind.
  6. Do long-term bonds have a greater interest rate risk than short-term bonds?

    The answer to this question lies in the fixed income nature of bonds and debentures, often referred to together simply as "bonds". When an investor purchases a given corporate bond, he or she ...
  7. What is a stock ticker?

    A stock ticker is a report of the price for certain securities, updated continuously throughout the trading session by the various stock exchanges. A "tick" is any change in price, whether that ...
  8. Institutional Investors

    Learn more about the advantages that financial institutions enjoy when buying and selling securities.
  9. Weighted Average

    Learn how to weigh the relative importances of data points in a calculated average.
  10. Bid-Ask Spread

    Find out more about this frequently referenced, but often misunderstood, term used to describe the price at which a stock is bought or sold at.
comments powered by Disqus
Marketplace
Hot Definitions
  1. Winner's Curse

    Because of incomplete information, emotions or any other number of factors regarding the item being auctioned, bidders can have a difficult time determining the item's intrinsic value. As a result, the largest overestimation of an item's value ends up winning the auction.
  2. Glocalization

    A combination of the words "globalization" and "localization" used to describe a product or service that is developed and distributed globally, but is also fashioned to accommodate the user or consumer in a local market.
  3. Disaster Loss

    A special type of tax-deductible loss, similar to a casualty loss, where a loss has been incurred by taxpayers who reside in an area that has been designated as a federal disaster area by the President.
  4. Fool In The Shower

    The notion that changes or policies designed to alter the course of the economy should be done slowly, rather than all at once.
  5. Pattern Day Trader

    An SEC designation for traders who trade the same security four or more times per day (buys and sells) over a five-day period, and for whom same-day trades make up at least 6% of their activity for that period.
  6. Cost-Push Inflation

    A phenomenon in which the general price levels rise (inflation) due to increases in the cost of wages and raw materials.
Trading Center