# Financial term question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-term-question/317367>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 17, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-term-question/317367 "2005-08-17T01:38:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Topologist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/topologist/32/3208_2.png) [@Topologist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Topologist)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-term-question/317367/1 "2005-08-17T01:38:34Z")

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What is a generic term for an interest bearing fund into which you make periodic payments? A sinking fund is such a thing, but implies a specific purpose, usually to pay off a bond. For the opposite, an interest bearing fund from which you make periodic withdrawals, we have the generic term “annuity.” So, what’s the generic term for the case of deposits rather than withdrawals?

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-term-question/317367/2 "2005-08-17T02:33:24Z")

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\*Sinking fund \* seems the closest, unless you want to go with a vague term like _savings account_. Perhaps _general purpose sinking fund_?