A financial domain is a specific area of consumer finance that can be isolated, researched, developed, analyzed, and modeled independently of other domains, a process known as encapsulation or functional decomposition.
A possible schema includes the following primary financial domains (headings) and subdivisions (rows):
Domains can be formally characterized using class (computer science) representation. Each domain is codified by its unique set of attributes and stochastic or deterministic behaviors. A financial domain thus described becomes a component that can be modeled.
Assisted by the use of Unified Modeling Language, creation of the independent domain classes and sub-classes (i.e., modeled components) is an important underpinning of a financial decision support architecture.