issued by a deficitunit to acquire funds for investment in real assets. Direct costs of financial distress Costs such as fees or penalties incurred as a result of bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings. Direct deposit A method of payment which electronically credits your checking or savings account. Direct deposit service A service that electronically transfers all or part of any recurring paymentincluding dividends, paychecks, pensions, and Social Security paymentsdirectly to a shareholder's account. Direct estimate method A method of cash budgeting based on detailed estimates of cash receipts and cash disbursements category by category. Direct Exchange Rate The home currency price of one unit of a foreign currency. Discount Interest Interest at a beginning of the loan. For example if you take out a one-year loan of $100 at a discount interest rate of 10%, you would receive $90 at the outset. Direct investment The purchase of a controlling interest in a company or at least enough interest to have enough influence to direct the course of the company. Direct lease Contract in which a lessor purchases new equipment from the manufacturer and leases it to the lessee. Direct overhead A fraction of overhead costs devoted to the manufacturing sector of a firm to cover expenses such as rent and utilities. Direct paper Commercial paper sold directly by the issuer to investors. Direct participation program An investment program enabling investors to directly participate in the cash flow and tax benefits of the partnership invested in by the investor, typically a form of passive investment. Direct placement Selling a new issue not by offering it for sale publicly, but by placing it with one of several institutional investors. Also known as a private placement. Direct Purchase Plan A plan that enables interested first-time individual investors to purchase a company'sstock directly from the company or without the direct intervention of a broker. The administrator also ensures the safekeeping of the shares by registering them directly on the books of the company. Eliminates the need for shareholders to hold on to physical certificates. Direct quote For foreign exchange, the number of US dollars needed to buy one unit of a foreign currency. Direct Registration System A system, sometimes referred to as DRS, that allows electronic direct registration of securities in an investor's name on the books for the transfer agent or issuer, and allows shares to be transferred between a transfer agent and broker electronically. DRS provides investors with a different way of holding their securities in certificate or street form. Under DRS, investors can elect to have their securities registered directly on the issuer's records in book-entry form. An investor electing to hold a security in a DRS book-entry position will receive a statement from the issuer or its transfer agent verifying ownership of the security. The investor can subsequently transfer electronically the DRS book-entry position to their bank or broker/dealer. Direct rollover Movement of tax-deferred retirement plan money from one qualified plan or custodian to another. No immediate tax liabilities or penalties are incurred, but there is an IRS reporting requirement. Direct search market