In many such cases, the amount of money to be transferred in the future is uncertain. Financial economists thus deal with both time and uncertainty. Often the latter is called risk. In many situations, agreements allow one party to make decisions at later times that can affect subsequent transfers of money. Thus financial economists deal with contracts involving options.
Information can reduce the uncertainty associated with future outcomes.
Thus financial economists study the impact of information on trades involving money. In sum, financial economists can be distinguished from more traditional ones by their concentration on monetary activities in which time, uncertainty, options and information play decisive roles.