Punctuation

Ampersand (&)

In Text

No ampersand in text, unless it is part of a design element or trademark. 
In Tables and Headings

You may use ampersands in tables and headings as long as they are used consistently.

Apostrophe (')

When to use an apostrophe

Ask yourself this  key question when deciding whether or not to use an apostrophe: Am I talking about possession or ownership? If you are, you need an apostrophe. If you aren't, you don't need an apostrophe. For example, Users Guide and Loan Review Department Managers Forum do not involve possession or ownership, so an apostrophe is not used. 
More Examples:  
  • Chapter Leaders Conference
  • Young Professionals Group
Leaders and Professionals are adjectives here, not possessives.

Depending on the context, the same words will use different punctuation. For example: 
  1. Did you track this mortgage’s slide into delinquency?
  2. Have you been watching subprime mortgages slide into delinquency?

In the first sentence, we're talking about one mortgage that is delinquent. It's possessive, so mortgage needs an apostrophe.  In the second sentence, we’re talking about what is sliding. In this instance, mortgages is not possessive, so it doesn't use an apostrophe.

No apostrophe in  plurals of years or abbreviations (1990s, CEOs).
Examples:
        Correct:        
  • 1990s
  • CEOs
        Incorrect:
  • 1990’s   
  • CEO’s
No apostrophe to form the plural of single capital letters.
Example: the three Rs

Use an apostrophe when denoting possession:
Examples:
  • CEO's phone number
  • 1990's fad

Brackets ([ ])

Use brackets to set off parenthetical remarks within parentheses.
Example:
See the pages on punctuation (The Chicago Manual of Style [Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1999]).

Use brackets to set off editorial corrections, comments, or explanations.
Example:
Helen had savior fair [savoir faire].
Use brackets to set off interpolations in quotes.
Example:
"He [Pat Paulson] ran for president of the United States."

Colon (:)

Note:  Never insert a space before a colon. 

Use a colon to introduce a list. 
Example: Choose one category: poor, average, or good. 

Use a complete statement before a colon. Don't insert a colon between verb and object, preposition and object, or verb and complement. 
Examples:
   Incorrect: 
The meetings are in: Iowa, Texas, and Utah. 
We want to assess: the cost, the benefit, and the risk.
Correct: 
The meetings are in the following states: Iowa, Texas, and Utah. 
We want to assess the following factors: the cost, the benefit, and the risk. 
We want to assess the cost, the benefit, and the risk. 

Use a colon to introduce a restatement or explanation. The initial letter of the second sentence may be capitalized when the colon is followed by two sentences. 
Example: We are left with two questions: Who will pay? Who will implement it?

If the colon is followed by one sentence, the following sentence is not capitalized.
Example: We are left with one thought: the Dodd-Frank regulation needs to be implemented carefully.

 Note: The headings for event information should be followed by colons.
Example:
May 1, 2008: An update of the Central Texas office, residential, industrial, and retail markets.
Location: Carrabba’s, 11590 Research Blvd, Austin, TX 
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Contact: Sean Delehanty, seand@omnibank.com  

Comma (,)

Commas are used to make a sentence more readable.

Use a comma to separate introductory clauses.

Use serial commas. I.e., use a comma preceding the conjunction in a series (e.g., the Fed, the FDIC, and the OCC)

Use a comma to separate degrees from surnames.

Do NOT use a comma to separate Jr., Sr., II, or III from surnames.

Dates:

No comma between month and year (May 2008)

No comma if date is presented as day, month, year (08 May 2008)

Use a comma between day and year (May 8, 2008)

Dashes and Hyphens 

See Dashes and Hyphens 

Ellipsis (...)

An ellipsis is three dots or periods: ... 

Use an ellipsis to represent deleted material in a sentence. Use a space before and after an ellipsis if it occurs within a sentence.

Example: 
Conrad defines visualization as "a representation ... of an abstract object through spatial relationships." 

Use four dots for omissions at the end of a sentence. When four dots indicate the omission of the end of the sentence, the first dot is the period—that is, there is no space between it and the preceding word. The sentence preceding four dots must be a grammatically complete sentence.
Example: 
Conrad defines visualization as "a representation of an abstract object through spatial relationships...." 

Parentheses ( )

  
Parentheses, like commas and dashes, are used to set off amplifying, explanatory, or digressive information. If the logical relationship is close, use commas. If the logical relationship is more remote, use parentheses or dashes (see Dashes).
In figures

For citations: 
Example: The graphic shows regulatory capital under stress-test conditions (Figure 4). 
In captions
Use to identify, explain, or direct reader attention: 
Example: Figure 1. Two views of the keyboard: Installing the template (left); raising the legs (right) 
In text
For abbreviations and acronyms: 
Example: International banks adhere to the rules set down by the Anti-Money-Laundering Act (AML). 
For asides
Information that clarifies procedures or results:
Examples: 
  • Omit commas after short introductory adverbial phrases (less than five words).
  • Herbert J. Muller (1905–1967) states that instability is one of the conditions of life.
Capitalization/Punctuation with Parentheses

If a whole sentence is put in parentheses, begin the sentence with a capital and put the period or other terminal punctuation inside the right parenthesis. 
Example: Cancellations are not refundable after the March 15, 2008. (See page 10 for details.) 

Do not put a sentence starting with a capital and ending with punctuation in parentheses in the middle of a sentence. 
Examples:
Incorrect: The mistake (See Figure 2.) was obvious. 
Correct: The mistake (see Figure 2) was obvious. 

Semicolon (;)

Note: Never insert a space before a semicolon.

Use a semicolon to link two complete sentences that use no connecting words (and, but, for, or, not, so, yet).
Example: They are going to the conference; they intend to learn more about risk. 

Use a semicolon to separate each item in a series, if one of the items contains a comma.
Example: The measures recorded are user time, recorded in seconds; transfer rate; and compression ratio. 

Solidus (/)

The solidus, also called a diagonal or forward slash mark, is a mark of punctuation used:
  • In mathematical formulae. Use a space on each side of the solidus—e.g., 
    (a / b) x c.
  • In text, to denote date ranges or other word combinations (an en dash is the preferred presentation for a date range).  Use NO spaces between the solidus and the words it separates—e.g., asset/liability.  Avoid using and/or and he/she.
  • In text, to separate lines of poetry. Use a space on each side of the solidus (/) to separate quoted lines of poetry in text.

Quotation Marks ("  ")

Use smart quotes.

Do not use quotation marks for emphasis; it suggests sarcasm or insincerity. Instead, use italics for emphasis.

Do not use quotation marks with acronyms or initialisms in side parentheses.  E.g., write probability of default (PD), not probability of default ("PD").

Use quotation marks before and directly after quoted material and words of dialogue.

Use quotation marks to set off certain titles, usually those of minor or short works—essays, articles in periodicals, etc.  For titles of longer works and separate publications—books, journals, etc.— use italics.

Use italics, not quotation marks, to set off words specifically referred to as terms.
Example: I know you like the word unique, but do you really have to use it 10 times in one essay?

Single Word Quotations
Single-word quotations use no quotations marks. Words such as yes, no, who, when etc., used singly, are not enclosed in quotation marks except in direct discourse:
Examples without quotation marks:
–The bank answered yes to the survey.
–Do not ask why.

Examples with quotation marks:
– “No,” the bank answered.
–Again, I asked, “Why?”

With Punctuation
Commas and periods always go inside the quotation marks. 

Semicolons and colons always go outside the quotation marks.

Question marks, exclamation points, and dashes/other interruption marks can go inside or outside of the quotation marks depending the context. 

When the question, exclamation, dash or other interruption is limited to the part inside quotation marks, the punctuation goes inside. 
  • Kevin asked, "Where are the bankers?"
  • Denise completed all seven course and Kevin yelled, "Hurray!"
  • "But you said the bank was ..." Denise started, but then stopped.
When the question, exclamation, dash or other interruption applies to the whole sentence, the punctuation goes outside.
  • Did you say, "Are the bankers coming"?
  • Hurry up; Denise said, "Now"!
  • One of the most interesting articles—"Articulating the Value Proposition"—is in The RMA Journal.