Low-Cost Online Trading | Interactive Brokers

Plain vanilla signifies the most basic or standard version of a financial instrument, usually options , bonds , futures and swaps. Plain vanilla is the opposite of an exotic instrument, which alters the components of a traditional financial instrument, resulting in a more complex security. For example, a plain vanilla option is the standard type of option, one with a simple expiration date and strike price and no additional features.

With an exotic option, such as a knock-in option , an additional contingency is added so that the option only becomes active once the underlying stock hits a set price point.

Plain vanilla is a term to describe any tradable asset , or financial instrument, in the financial world that is the simplest, most standard version of that asset. It can be applied to specific categories of financial instruments such as options or bonds, but can also be applied to trading strategies or modes of thinking in economics.

Because, for instance, put options give the option to sell at a predetermined price within a given timeframe , they protect against a stock going below a certain price threshold within that timeframe. The more specific rules regarding options, like most financial instruments, may have different styles associated with regions, such as a European-style option vs.

In contrast, an exotic option is just the opposite, and involves much more complicated features or special circumstances that separate such options from the more common American or European options.

Exotic options are associated with more risk as they require advanced understanding of financial markets in order to execute them correctly or successfully, and as such they trade over the counter. Other exotic options include Bermuda options and Quantity-Adjusting options. To point to another example of the use of plain vanilla, there are also plain vanilla swaps.

The swaps market is not traded on common exchanges but is rather an over-the-counter market. Because of this and the nature of swaps, large firms and financial institutions dominate the market with individual investors rarely opting to trade in swaps.

The Master of Orion 3 Guardian

The counter-party makes payments on a floating interest rate to the first party for the same period of time. This is an exchange of interest rates on certain cash flows, and is used to speculate on changes in interest rates.

Plain Vanilla Swap

There are also plain vanilla commodity swaps and plain vanilla foreign currency swaps. Plain vanilla is also used to describe more generalized financial concepts.

Overall, in the wake of the global financial crisis , there has been a push to make the financial system safer and fairer. The CFPB enforces consumer risk protection in part through regulating financing options that call for a plain-vanilla approach.

Dictionary Term Of The Day. A measure of what it costs an investment company to operate a mutual fund. Latest Videos PeerStreet Offers New Way to Bet on Housing New to Buying Bitcoin? This Mistake Could Cost You Guides Stock Basics Economics Basics Options Basics Exam Prep Series 7 Exam CFA Level 1 Series 65 Exam.

Sophisticated content for financial advisors around investment strategies, industry trends, and advisor education. Vanilla Strategy Plain Vanilla Swap Vanilla Option Asset Swap Plain Vanilla Card Binary Option Exotic Option Step Premium Deferred Payment Option.

Content Library Articles Terms Videos Guides Slideshows FAQs Calculators Chart Advisor Stock Analysis Stock Simulator FXtrader Exam Prep Quizzer Net Worth Calculator.

Work With Investopedia About Us Advertise With Us Write For Us Contact Us Careers. Get Free Newsletters Newsletters. All Rights Reserved Terms Of Use Privacy Policy.