With Discretion

  

Categories: Ethics/Morals

If you stuck your hand in the cookie jar when someone was in the next room, this is an example of not acting with discretion. Been there, done that. We know you have.

In finance-speak, this usually applies to the situation where a stockbroker "on the floor," as they say, executes a special order type based on their best judgment at the time. A with discretion order is a flexible order type, also known as a “not-held order,” which gives the broker some flexibility in getting the best price at the best time. Unlike a market order, a with discretion order doesn’t execute at the same time you order the trade.

With discretion orders are good during periods of volatility where things are going up and down by leaps and bounds. They’re also good for brokers that are good at seeing patterns, or for those who don’t want to commit to a stock at a price more than x, i.e. an upper limit. If the broker’s head is in the clouds, however, setting a with discretion order with an unrealistic upper limit will mean the trade won’t execute.

Sometimes, you just have to go for it. The cookies, we mean.

Related or Semi-related Video

Finance: What does it mean to have fiduc...51 Views

00:00

Finance a la Shmoop! What does it mean to have fiduciary obligation? Alright well

00:09

fiduciary refers to the responsible person, who has oversight, above a given

00:15

financial transaction, or process. That is, it is the fiduciary obligation, of the

00:21

head of a corporation's Audit Committee, to be certain that the

00:25

accounting process is handled fairly, objectively, inclusively and thoroughly [boss overseeing worker]

00:29

and there are a few other ly's in there, but well you get the gist. Doesn't it

00:34

seem strange, that some companies just seem to get into the same kind of

00:39

trouble again and again. Remember the BP oil spill, well it wasn't the first time

00:45

they'd had, an accident. You know, if you can call that spill only an accident.

00:49

What kind of oversight did they have? Any? Well some companies just have a [man carrying oil barrel

00:54

corporate culture that's run by the notion, that well, whatever isn't caught

00:58

as a crime, is legal. Lots of Wall Street stock brokerages came and went this

01:03

way. Yah, remember the Wolf of Wall Street? Kind of like that. Well what is

01:06

the obligation of a responsible party when faced with ethical dilemmas? Where

01:11

does the obligation start and stop? Should fiduciaries be held to a higher

01:15

personal standard than normal people? Yah, kind of the, you know, Harvey

01:20

Weinstein effect there. Yes, No, maybe, alright. Right, all three times. [question ABCD chart]

01:24

It's definitely yes, no, or maybe.

Up Next

Finance: What is an Accredited Investor?
9 Views

What is an Accredited Investor? An accredited investor, according to the SEC, is an individual with income of $200,000 or more and $300,000 and abo...

Find other enlightening terms in Shmoop Finance Genius Bar(f)