The actual performance of a contract to pay for or deliver goods, securities, or currency. Because of the documentation involved, and postal and clerical delays, many bargains are not carried out immediately, but some time is allowed. This may take the form of having a set date for completion of all contracts made during a given period, or of ‘rolling settlement’, where each bargain is allowed n days for settlement. Settlement risk is the risk that other parties may fail to fulfil their side of bargains. Prompt and reliable settlement is a major attraction of goods and securities markets. Failure to settle by a major financial institution could trigger a chain reaction of failures among other firms; fear of this is a major reason for financial regulation.

• Current Population Survey
• current prices
• current-weighted index
• curse, winner's
• curve
• Customs and Excise
• customs drawback
• customs duty
• customs union
• cuts in expenditure
• cut-throat competition
• cycle
• cyclical adjustment
• cyclically adjusted budget deficit
• cyclically adjusted PSBR
• cyclical unemployment
• data mining
• date, redemption
• dawn raid
• DCE
• DDD
• deadweight burden of taxes
• deadweight debt
• dealing
• dear money