Assuming that English is undoubtedly the real international lingua franca in the present world of economics and finance, this paper tries to highlight some of the most common mistakes and misunderstandings which may occur when translating an English term into the Spanish language. The exaggerated use of loan words and Anglicisms in the mass media is thus analysed, together with some other peculiarities connected to the translation of initials, acronyms, numerical forms and, above all, false cognates. The text is also accompanied with a glossary which includes the Spanish translation of a few English words taken from the economic and financial jargon and which are rather frequently misunderstood.