DefinitionA heat map is a graphical representation of data where the individual values contained in a matrix are represented as colors. "Heat map" is a newer term but shading matrices have e

National Bank What is a 'National Bank' A national bank, in the United States, is a commercial bank chartered by the comptroller of the currency of the U.S. Treasury. A national bank funct

Pass-Through Rate What is the 'Pass-Through Rate' The pass-through rate is the rate on a securitized asset pool -- such as a mortgage-backed security (MBS) -- that is "passed-through" to i

Vandalism Endorsement What is 'Vandalism Endorsement' An optional type of coverage that can be added to a basic hazard or property and casualty insurance policy to provide remuneration to

Vendor Note What is 'Vendor Note' A type of debt instrument used in a particular type of short-term loan agreement in which the seller of goods or merchandise sells them to the buyer, but

Fallen Angel What is a 'Fallen Angel' A fallen angel is a bond that was given an investment-grade rating but has since been reduced to junk bond status due to the weakening financial condi

General Obligation Bond (GO) What is a 'General Obligation Bond - GO' A general obligation bond (GO) is a municipal bond backed by the credit and taxing power of the issuing jurisdiction r

Above Par What is 'Above Par' A term used to describe the price of a security when it is trading above its face value. A security usually trades at above par when its income distributions

Tax Anticipation Note (TAN) What is 'Tax Anticipation Note - TAN' A short-term debt security issued by a state or local government to finance an immediate project that will be repaid with

Dealer-Median Prepayment Speed What is 'Dealer-Median Prepayment Speed' The median value of all Wall Street securities dealers' prepayment speed estimates for the underlying mortgages used