From Sayed

I hear a lot people talking about "points". A lot of people talk about point and percentage...What is the difference between percentage and point?

Hi Sayed.

When mathematicians talk about points, they really do mean something quite different from percentages!

But of course you are referring to financial topics, where the two terms are used interchangeably. They mean the same thing. In fact, I've heard that "point" is a short form of "percentage point".

Don't get "points" confused with "basis points" (a term often used when referring to interest rates). Basis points are hundredths of percentages (100 basis points = 1 point = 1 percent).

Hope this helps!
Stephen La Rocque.