What Are Retail Sales? The term “retail sales” refers to an economic metric that tracks consumer demand for finished goods. This figure is a very important data set as it is a key monthly market-moving event. Retail sales are reported each month by the U.S. Census Bureau and indicate the direction of the economy. It
What Are Retained Earnings? Retained earnings are the cumulative net earnings or profits of a company after accounting for dividend payments. As an important concept in accounting, the word “retained” captures the fact that because those earnings were not paid out to shareholders as dividends, they were instead retained by the company. For this reason
What Is a Retainer Fee? A retainer fee is an amount of money paid upfront to secure the services of a consultant, freelancer, lawyer, or other professional. A retainer fee is most commonly paid to individual third parties that have been engaged by the payer to perform a specific action on their behalf. These fees
What Is a Retaliatory Eviction? A retaliatory eviction occurs when a landlord attempts or succeeds at removing a renter, or refuses to renew a lease in response to a complaint or action that is within a tenant’s legal rights. Retaliatory evictions are generally illegal, as they take place following a tenant’s exercise of one or
What Is a Retention Bonus? A retention bonus is a targeted payment or reward outside of an employee’s regular salary that is offered as an incentive to keep a key employee on the job during a particularly crucial business cycle, such as a merger or acquisition, or during a crucial production period. This payment, meant
What Is the Retention Ratio? The retention ratio is the proportion of earnings kept back in the business as retained earnings. The retention ratio refers to the percentage of net income that is retained to grow the business, rather than being paid out as dividends. It is the opposite of the payout ratio, which measures
What Are Retired Securities? Retired securities have been repurchased by the issuer out of the company’s retained earnings and canceled, according to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations. They have no market value and no longer represent a share of ownership in the issuing corporation. Key Takeaways Retired securities have been bought back by the
What Is a Retirement Contribution? Retirement contribution refers to a monetary contribution made to a retirement plan. Retirement contributions can be pretax or after-tax, depending on whether the retirement plan is qualified. Taxpayers can set aside their money to a variety of different retirement accounts but are limited as to how much they can set
What Is a Retirement Income Fund (RIF)? A Retirement Income Fund (RIF) is an investment product available to anyone as a conservative means of saving for retirement. A RIF is generally a mutual fund that is well diversified in large and mid-cap stocks and bonds. A RIF balances its portfolio to allow for moderate gains using
What Is Retirement Planning? Retirement planning involves determining retirement income goals and what’s needed to achieve those goals. Retirement planning includes identifying income sources, sizing up expenses, implementing a savings program, and managing assets and risk. Future cash flows are estimated to gauge whether the retirement income goal is possible. You can start at any
