THE GLOSSARY Start reading →
A Connor Houlihan reference project

Every markets term. Explained once, properly.

The Connecticut Markets Glossary — a single reference that defines the fund industry's vocabulary in plain English. Written by someone who used these words for fifteen years.

Free
No signup · no email wall
Just definitions that hold up
Browse the glossary → How it's organized
A–Z
Share classExpense ratioWholesalerNAVLoad12b-1 feeProspectusCustodianRIABroker-dealer Share classExpense ratioWholesalerNAVLoad12b-1 feeProspectusCustodianRIABroker-dealer
What's inside

Built like a reference. Reads like a person.

Not a dictionary dump — every entry written in one voice, with the industry context that makes the term make sense.

150+

Terms defined

From "12b-1 fee" to "wholesaler" — the working vocabulary of the fund business.

A–Z

Organized to browse

Alphabetical index plus topic clusters, so you can wander or hunt.

1

One voice

Every definition written plainly by the same author. No committee prose.

CT

Connecticut roots

Written from the Hartford-corridor perspective the industry actually lives in.

0

Zero jargon left

If a definition uses another term of art, that term links to its own entry.

✓

Verifiable author

Fifteen years registered, clean record — check the author on FINRA BrokerCheck.

The details

How it's organized.

Entries
150+ terms, each with a plain-English definition and industry context
Cross-links
Every term of art inside a definition links to its own entry
Clusters
Funds · Fees · People · Regulation — browse by topic or A–Z
Author
Connor Houlihan — 15 years in fund distribution, FINRA CRD #5881228
Updates
New entries added as reader questions come in
Cost
Free. No signup, no email wall, no affiliate links
Reader notes

People use this.

Placeholder notes — swap for real ones as they arrive.

★★★★★

"I finally understand what a share class actually is. Ten years of statements suddenly make sense."

PlaceholderReader
★★★★★

"Send this to every new hire. It's the vocabulary onboarding nobody writes."

PlaceholderIndustry reader
★★★★★

"The cross-linking is the killer feature. You fall down the rabbit hole and come out educated."

PlaceholderReader
Questions

Quick answers.

Is this investment advice?

No — it's a vocabulary reference. Definitions and context, not recommendations.

Who writes the entries?

Connor Houlihan, who spent fifteen years in fund distribution. His record is public on FINRA BrokerCheck under CRD #5881228.

Can I suggest a term?

Yes — missing terms become new entries. That's how the glossary grows.

Start with any term.

They all link to each other anyway. You'll find your way.

Open the glossary →