Finance

What is Finance?
Finance is a field that is concerned with the allocation (investment) of assets and liabilities over space and time, often under conditions of risk or uncertainty. Finance can also be defined as the art of money management. Participants in the market aim to price assets based on their risk level, fundamental value, and their expected rate of return. Finance can be split into three sub-categories: public finance, corporate finance and personal finance.

Before we begin, first let’s understand the origin of word “FINANCE.”

If we trace the origin of finance, there is evidence to prove that it is as old as human life on earth. The word finance was originally a French word. In the 18th century, it was adapted by English speaking communities to mean “the management of money.” Since then, it has found a permanent place in the English dictionary. Today, finance is not merely a word else has emerged into an academic discipline of greater significance. Finance is now organized as a branch of Economics.

Furthermore, the one word which can easily replace finance is “EXCHANGE.” Finance is nothing but an exchange of available resources. Finance is not restricted only to the exchange and/or management of money. A barter trading system is also a type of finance. Thus, we can say, Finance is an art of managing various available resources like money, assets, investments, securities, etc.

At present, we cannot imagine a world without Finance. In other words, Finance is the soul of our economic activities. To perform any economic activity, we need certain resources, which are to be pooled in terms of money (i.e. in the form of currency notes, other valuables, etc.). Finance is a prerequisite for obtaining physical resources, which are needed to perform productive activities and carrying busbloqiness operations such as sales, pay compensations, reserve for contingencies (un-ascertained liabilities) and so on.

Hence, Finance has now become an organic function and inseparable part of our day-to-day lives. Today, it has become a word which we often encounter on our daily basis.

“Finance is concerned with the process institutions, markets and instruments involved in the transfer of money among individuals, business and governments.”-Gitman