Financial terms beginning with D
15 terms in our plain-English finance glossary starting with the letter D.
- Data Protection
The law governing how your personal data is used, with rights to see and correct it.
- Debit Card
A card that spends money from your own bank account, rather than borrowing it.
- Debt Consolidation Loan
A single loan that pays off several debts, leaving you one monthly payment.
- Debt Management Plan — DMP
An informal plan to repay non-priority debts at a reduced, affordable monthly rate.
- Debt Relief Order — DRO
A low-cost way to write off smaller debts if you have little income or assets.
- Debt Write-Off
When a creditor agrees to cancel a debt you cannot realistically repay.
- Default
A formal record that you broke a credit agreement, which harms your credit file for six years.
- Defined Benefit Pension
A pension that pays a guaranteed income based on your salary and service.
- Defined Contribution Pension
A pension pot built from contributions and investment growth — value not guaranteed.
- Deposit
The money you put in yourself towards buying a home; the mortgage covers the rest.
- Digital Wallet
An app that lets you pay by tapping your phone or watch instead of a card.
- Direct Debit
An instruction letting an organisation collect varying payments from your account, protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee.
- Disputed Transaction
A payment you formally challenge with your bank or card provider.
- Diversification
Spreading money across different investments to reduce the impact of any one falling.
- Dividend
A payment of company profits made to shareholders, usually a few times a year.