Business and Personal Finance Dictionary

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• EMBEDDED OPTION
  
  A provision in a financial contract or financial instrument, such as a loan or a security, that allows one party to change the timing or amount of one or more cash flows associated with that contract or instrument. An options feature of minor importance in bank products or debt instruments. Sometimes called a hidden option. They are "hidden" not because they are in any way secret but because they are not separate, detachable features that banks or customers can add or subtract to customize individual transactions. Instead, they are one of a number of features, terms, or contract rights that are embedded in the contract or financial instrument. Examples include prepayment options on loans, early withdrawal options on certificates of deposit, annual and lifetime rate caps on ARMs, and call options in bonds. Embedded options make both the projected return and the interest rate risk of a financial instrument difficult to evaluate because the probability that the option will be exercised must be evaluated, and may vary with movements in rates. See embedded derivative instrument, option, and option risk.
  
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