WACC Explained: How Companies Calculate Their Cost of Capital
WACC blends the cost of equity and after-tax cost of debt into one discount rate. Here is the formula, a worked Apple example, and the pitfalls to avoid.
Market Education
The Repo Market Explained: $12.6 Trillion of Plumbing
How the repo market works: $12.6T daily, SOFR, tri-party clearing, the Fed’s Standing Repo Facility, and the 2019 spike that changed everything.
Black-Scholes Explained: How Options Are Priced
The Black-Scholes options pricing model, in plain English: the formula, the five inputs, a worked example with verified numbers, and where it breaks.
Relative Strength vs RSI: What’s the Difference?
Relative Strength (RS) and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) sound alike but measure totally different things. Here’s the clean distinction.
CPI vs PCE: Why the Fed Targets PCE Inflation
CPI vs PCE explained: how the two US inflation gauges differ in scope, weights, and formula, and why the Fed’s 2% target rides on core PCE.
Credit Default Swaps Explained: How Bond Insurance Works
What is a credit default swap? How CDS premiums, credit events, and the ISDA auction work, with worked numbers and verified market data.
Options Greeks Explained: Delta, Gamma, Theta, Vega, Rho
A plain-English guide to the five option Greeks — Delta, Gamma, Theta, Vega and Rho — with worked examples, charts and common mistakes traders make.
Bond Convexity Explained: Why Duration Isn’t Enough
Duration is a tangent line; convexity is the curvature. Here is the formula, a worked 10-year Treasury example, and why MBS has negative convexity.
Investment Grade vs High Yield Bonds: A Complete Guide
How investment grade and high yield bonds differ: rating cutoffs, spreads, default rates, recovery rates, and the math behind credit risk.
Mortgage-Backed Securities Explained: Pass-Throughs & CMOs
How an MBS actually works: who issues it, how cash flows from borrower to investor, why CMOs exist, and the prepayment risk every investor must understand.