Editing Debt

{{Short description|Obligation to pay borrowed money}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Debits and credits}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2016}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2009}}
[[File:Payday loan shop window.jpg|thumb|right|[[Payday loan]] businesses lend money to customers, who then owe a debt to the payday loan company.]]
{{accounting}}
{{Finance sidebar}}
'''Debt''' is an obligation that requires one party, the [[debtor]], to pay [[money]] [[Loan|borrowed]] or otherwise withheld from another party, the [[creditor]]. Debt may be owed by a [[sovereign state]] or country, [[local government]], [[company]], or an individual. Commercial debt is generally subject to [[contractual term]]s regarding the amount and timing of repayments of [[#Principal|principal]] and [[interest]].<ref>{{cite journal|page=348|journal=Weekly Notes of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the County Courts of Philadelphia, and the United States District and Circuit Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania|title=Brooke et al versus the City of Philadelphia et al|volume=34|issue=18|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GUqTAAAAIAAJ|publisher=Kay and brother|year=1894|author=Superior Court of Pennsylvania|author-link=Superior Court of Pennsylvania}}</ref> [[Loan]]s, [[bond (finance)|bonds]], notes, and [[Mortgage loan|mortgages]] are all types of debt. In [[financial accounting]], debt is a type of [[financial transaction]], as distinct from [[equity (finance)|equity]].

The term can also be used metaphorically to cover [[morality|moral]] obligations and other interactions not based on a monetary value.<ref>{{OED|debt}}</ref> For example, in Western cultures, a person who has been helped by a second person is sometimes said to owe a "debt of gratitude" to the second person.

==Etymology==
The English term "debt" was first used in the late 13th century and comes by way of [[Old French]] from the Latin verb ''debere'', "to owe; to have from someone else."<ref name="auto3">{{cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=debt |title=Debt |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=www.etymonline.com |publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=20 May 2017 |archive-date=10 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810011655/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=debt |url-status=live }}</ref> The related term "debtor" was first used in English also in the early 13th century.

== Terms ==

=== Principal ===
{{redirect|Principal (finance)|the principal of a bond|Bond (finance)#Principal}}
Principal is the amount of money originally invested or loaned, on which basis interest and returns are calculated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chen|first=James|title=Principal|url=https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/principal.asp|access-date=2020-08-01|website=Investopedia|language=en|archive-date=17 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217044029/https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/principal.asp|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Repayment ===
There are three main ways repayment may be structured: the entire principal balance may be due at the maturity of the loan; the entire principal balance may be [[Amortization (business)|amortized]] over the term of the loan; or the loan may be partially amortized during its term, with the remaining principal due as a "[[balloon payment]]" at maturity. Amortization structures are common in [[mortgage]]s and [[credit card]]s.

===Default provisions===
{{main|Debt collection}}
Debtors of every type [[default (finance)|default]] on their debt from time to time, with various consequences depending on the terms of the debt and the law governing default in the relevant jurisdiction.  
If the debt was secured by specific [[collateral (finance)|collateral]], such as a car or house, the creditor may seek to repossess the collateral.  In more serious circumstances, individuals and companies may go into [[bankruptcy]].

== Types of giving finance ==

=== Individuals ===
Common types of debt owed by individuals and households include [[mortgage loan]]s, car loans, [[credit card]] debt, and [[income tax]]es. For individuals, debt is a means of using anticipated [[income]] and future [[purchasing power]] in the present before it has actually been earned. Commonly, people in industrialized nations use consumer debt to purchase houses, cars and other things too expensive to buy with cash on hand.

People are likely to spend more and get into debt when they use credit cards as against cash to buy products and services.<ref>Chatterjee, P., & Rose, R. L. (2012). [https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/bitstream/handle/1808/17603/ChatterjeeNew.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Do payment mechanisms change the way consumers perceive products?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912101134/http://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/bitstream/handle/1808/17603/ChatterjeeNew.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |date=12 September 2015 }} Journal of Consumer Research, 38(6), 1129–1139.</ref><ref>Pettit, N. C., & Sivanathan, N. (2011). The plastic trap. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2(2), 146-153.</ref><ref name="auto">Prelec, D. & Loewenstein, G. (1998). The red and the black: Mental accounting of savings and debt. Marketing Science, 17(1), 4-28.</ref><ref name="auto1">Raghubir, P. & Srivastava, J. (2008), [http://204.14.132.173/pubs/journals/releases/xap143213.pdf Monopoly money: The effect of payment coupling and form on spending behavior] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215041600/http://204.14.132.173/pubs/journals/releases/xap143213.pdf |date=15 February 2015 }}. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 14 (3), 213–25.</ref><ref name="auto2"/> This is primarily because of the transparency effect and consumer's "[[pain of paying]]."<ref name="auto" /><ref name="auto2">Soman, D. (2003). [http://www-2.rotman.utoronto.ca/facbios/file/transparency.pdf The effect of payment transparency on consumption: Quasi experiments from the field] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219075854/http://www-2.rotman.utoronto.ca/facbios/file/transparency.pdf |date=19 February 2018 }}. Marketing Letters, 14, 173–183.</ref> The transparency effect refers to the idea that the further you are from cash (as with a credit card or other forms of payment), the less transparent it is and the less aware you are of how much you have spent.<ref name="auto2" /> The less transparent or further away from cash the form of payment employed is, the less an individual feels the "[[pain of paying]]" and thus is likely to spend more.<ref name="auto" /> Furthermore, the differing physical appearance/form that credit cards have from cash may cause them to be viewed as [[Monopoly money#As a phrase|"monopoly" money]] vs. real money, luring individuals to spend more money than they would if they only had cash available.<ref name="auto1" /><ref>Chatterjee, P., & Rose, R. L. (2012). Do payment mechanisms change the way consumers perceive products? Journal of Consumer Research, 38(6), 1129–1139.</ref>

Besides these more formal debts, private individuals also lend informally to other people, mostly relatives or friends. One reason for such informal debts is that many people, in particular those who are poor, have no access to affordable credit. Such debts can cause problems when they are not paid back according to expectations of the lending household. In 2011, 8 percent of people in the [[European Union]] reported their households has been in arrears, that is, unable to pay as scheduled "payments related to informal loans from friends or relatives not living in your household".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ef_files/pubdocs/2013/73/en/2/EF1373EN.pdf|title=Household over-indebtedness in the EU: The role of informal debts.|date=2013|website=eurofound.europa.eu|publisher=Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg|access-date=19 April 2016|archive-date=8 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208105301/http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ef_files/pubdocs/2013/73/en/2/EF1373EN.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Businesses ===
A [[company]] may use various kinds of debt to [[finance]] its operations as a part of its overall [[corporate finance]] strategy.

A [[term loan]] is the simplest form of corporate debt. It consists of an agreement to lend a fixed amount of money, called the [[principal sum]] or principal, for a fixed period of time, with this amount to be repaid by a certain date. In commercial loans [[interest]], calculated as a percentage of the principal sum per year, will also have to be paid by that date, or may be paid periodically in the interval, such as annually or monthly. Such loans are also colloquially called "[[bullet loan]]s", particularly if there is only a single payment at the end – the "bullet" – without a "stream" of interest payments during the life of the loan.

A [[revenue-based financing]] loan comes with a fixed repayment target that is reached over a period of several years. This type of loan generally comes with a repayment amount of 1.5 to 2.5 times the principle loan. Repayment periods are flexible; businesses can pay back the agreed-upon amount sooner, if possible, or later. In addition, business owners do not sell [[equity (finance)|equity]] or relinquish control when using revenue-based financing. [[Lenders]] that provide revenue-based financing work more closely with businesses than bank lenders, but take a more hands-off approach than [[private equity]] [[investors]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Uzialko |first1=Adam |title=Using Revenue-Based Financing to Grow Your Business |url=https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6659-revenue-based-financing-tips.html |website=Business News Daily |access-date=5 December 2018 |archive-date=1 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171101061705/http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6659-revenue-based-financing-tips.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

A [[syndicated loan]] is a loan that is granted to companies that wish to borrow more money than any single lender is prepared to risk in a single loan. A syndicated loan is provided by a group of lenders and is structured, arranged, and administered by one or several commercial banks or investment banks known as arrangers. Loan syndication is a [[risk management]] tool that allows the lead banks [[underwriting]] the debt to reduce their risk and free up lending capacity.

A company may also issue [[Bond (finance)|bonds]], which are debt [[security (finance)|securities]]. Bonds have a fixed lifetime, usually a number of [[year]]s; with long-term bonds, lasting over 30 years, being less common. At the end of the bond's life the money should be repaid in full. Interest may be added to the end payment, or can be paid in regular installments (known as [[coupon (bond)|coupons]]) during the life of the bond.

A [[letter of credit]] or LC can also be the source of payment for a transaction, meaning that redeeming the letter of credit will pay an exporter. Letters of credit are used primarily in international trade transactions of significant value, for deals between a supplier in one country and a customer in another. They are also used in the [[land development]] process to ensure that approved public facilities (streets, sidewalks, stormwater ponds, etc.) will be built. The parties to a letter of credit are usually a beneficiary who is to receive the money, the issuing bank of whom the applicant is a client, and the [[advising bank]] of whom the beneficiary is a client. Almost all letters of credit are irrevocable, i.e., cannot be amended or canceled without prior agreement of the beneficiary, the issuing bank and the confirming bank, if any.{{cn|date=May 2023}} In executing a transaction, letters of credit incorporate functions common to [[Giro (banking)|giro]]s and [[traveler's cheque]]. Typically, the documents a beneficiary has to present in order to receive payment include a [[commercial invoice]], [[bill of lading]], and a document proving the shipment was insured against loss or damage in transit. However, the list and form of documents is open to imagination and negotiation and might contain requirements to present documents issued by a neutral third party evidencing the quality of the goods shipped, or their place of origin.

[[Debt consolidation]] is a process whereby a new, large [[Loan#Personal|loan application]] is submitted in order to compensate for numerous outstanding loans.{{cn|date=February 2025}} Some amongst those who are heavily indebted often resort to debt consolidation as a means to resolve their financial difficulties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Credit card hardship programs: What to know about this debt relief option |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/credit-card-hardship-programs-what-to-know-about-this-debt-relief-option/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.cbcsnews.com |date=18 April 2024 |language=en-US |archive-date=22 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722185713/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/credit-card-hardship-programs-what-to-know-about-this-debt-relief-option/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=An Example of Debt Consolidation |url=https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/debtconsolidation.asp#toc-an-example-of-debt-consolidation |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.investopedia.com |language=en-GB |archive-date=22 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722185713/https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/debtconsolidation.asp#toc-an-example-of-debt-consolidation |url-status=live }}</ref> Upon obtaining the borrowed loan, those within the receiving end are then generally enabled to have a greater cash flow, resulting from lowering monthly payments, if not reducing [[interest rates]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pros and cons of debt consolidation: Is it a good idea? |url=https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/debt/pros-and-cons-of-debt-consolidation/#:~:text=Consolidating%20your%20debt%20likely%20isn,currently%20pay%20on%20your%20debts |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.bankrate.com |language=en-US |archive-date=22 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722185714/https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/debt/pros-and-cons-of-debt-consolidation/#:~:text=Consolidating%20your%20debt%20likely%20isn,currently%20pay%20on%20your%20debts |url-status=live }}</ref> However, this varies from every claimant, in that their own eligibility for such is entirely dependent on their own overall circumstances;<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Do I Know If I'm Eligible For a Debt Consolidation Loan? |url=https://consolidationexpert.co.uk/knowledge-hub/how-do-i-know-if-im-eligible-for-a-debt-consolidation-loan/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.consolidationexpert.co.uk |language=en-UK |archive-date=22 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722185715/https://consolidationexpert.co.uk/knowledge-hub/how-do-i-know-if-im-eligible-for-a-debt-consolidation-loan/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Thinking of consolidating your debt? Here are four signs it could be the right move for you |url=https://www.cnbc.com/select/when-to-consolidate-debt/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=[[CNBC]] |language=en-US |archive-date=22 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722185713/https://www.cnbc.com/select/when-to-consolidate-debt/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Should they meet specific requirements, being able to afford such, their requests are usually accepted; Should they fail the criteria, they're almost always swiftly rejected, regardless of their financial ability.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Do You Qualify for a Debt Consolidation Loan? |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/personal-loans/how-to-qualify-for-a-debt-consolidation-loan/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.marketwatch.com |language=en-US |archive-date=22 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722185713/https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/personal-loans/how-to-qualify-for-a-debt-consolidation-loan/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Given the often monetary hardship of contenders, those providing these loans often charge at larger rates of interest than others;<ref>{{Cite web |title=Debt Consolidation - National Deadline |url=https://nationaldebtline.org/get-information/guides/debt-consolidation-ew/#:~:text=Some%20consolidation%20loans%20can%20have,higher%20interest%20rate%20than%20expected. |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.nationaldeadline.com |language=en-US}}</ref> This is often critiqued by its opponents,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Professor Gregory Germain Provides Insights into Debt Consolidation Loans and Low-Income Loans at Money Geek |url=https://law.syracuse.edu/news/professor-gregory-germain-provides-insights-into-debt-consolidation-loans-and-low-income-loans-at-money-geek/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.law.syracuse.edu |date=9 October 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=22 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722185714/https://law.syracuse.edu/news/professor-gregory-germain-provides-insights-into-debt-consolidation-loans-and-low-income-loans-at-money-geek/ |url-status=live }}</ref> who claim that it is an unfair practice aimed at targeting those who are desperate and often holds arbitrary figures,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Debt Consolidation Loan Statistics & Trends in 2024 |url=https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-loans/debt-consolidation-loan-statistics/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.forbes.com |language=en-US |archive-date=22 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722185713/https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-loans/debt-consolidation-loan-statistics/ |url-status=live }}</ref> although those in its defence claim it is a security measure aimed at ensuring its repayment obligations and must take precautions before offering large sums.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is the average debt consolidation loan rate? |url=https://www.creditkarma.com/personal-loans/i/average-debt-consolidation-loan-rate |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.creditkarma.com |date=15 May 2019 |language=en-US |archive-date=22 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722185713/https://www.creditkarma.com/personal-loans/i/average-debt-consolidation-loan-rate |url-status=live }}</ref> Both arguments have resulted in greater debate amongst legislators in different nations, amidst demands for further regulation and more decreases in lending restrictions. Debt consolidation has also been an [[Unsecured debt|area of interest]] for [[loan sharks]], leaving those heavily indebted vulnerable to extortionate rates. The idea behind debt consolidation is occasionally a matter of debate in the financial and institutional sectors, often ranging between analysts towards professors, generally concerning ethics involved in different areas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Professor Rebucci was featured in WalletHub |url=https://econ.jhu.edu/2024/04/15/professor-rebucci-was-featured-in-wallethub/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.econ.jhu.edu |date=15 April 2024 |language=en-US |archive-date=22 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722185713/https://econ.jhu.edu/2024/04/15/professor-rebucci-was-featured-in-wallethub/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Debt Consolidation and Financial Stability |url=https://www.cairn.info/revue-economique-2011-6-page-1067.htm |access-date=2024-07-22 |journal=Revue Économique |date=2011 |doi=10.3917/reco.626.1067 |language=en-GB |last1=Angeloni |first1=Ignazio |last2=Faia |first2=Ester |last3=Winkler |first3=Roland |volume=62 |issue=6 |pages=1067–1079 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Public debt consolidation and its distributional effects |url=https://www.esri.ie/publications/public-debt-consolidation-and-its-distributional-effects |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.esri.ie |date=2 July 2019 |language=en-GB |last1=Varthalitis |first1=Petros |last2=Sakkas |first2=Stelios |archive-date=22 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722185713/https://www.esri.ie/publications/public-debt-consolidation-and-its-distributional-effects |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Government debt consolidation advice and programmes |url=https://www.oceanfinance.co.uk/loans/debt-consolidation/government-debt-consolidation-advice/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.oceanfinance.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Companies also use debt in many ways for [[capital expenditure]]s and other business [[Investment (macroeconomics)|investment]]s produced in their [[asset]]s, "leveraging" the return on their [[Capital stock|equity]]. This [[Debt to equity ratio|leverage]], the proportion of debt to equity, is considered paramount in determining the riskiness of an investment, under the notion that it becomes more risking under more debt.

=== Governments ===
{{Main|Government debt}}
[[File:1979 $10,000 Treasury Bond .jpg|thumb|right|1979 U.S. Government $10,000 [[treasury bond]]]]
Governments issue debt to pay for ongoing expenses as well as major capital projects. Government debt may be issued by sovereign states as well as by local governments, sometimes known as municipalities.

Debt issued by the government of the United States, called [[United States Treasury security|Treasuries]], serves as a reference point for all other debt.  There are deep, transparent, liquid, and open capital markets for Treasuries.<ref>Lew, Jacob (2016), [https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2016-04-11/america-and-global-economy America and the Global Economy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203182710/https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2016-04-11/america-and-global-economy |date=3 December 2018 }}, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2016.</ref>  Furthermore, Treasuries are issued in a wide variety of maturities, from one day to thirty years, which facilitates comparing the interest rates on other debt to a security of comparable maturity.  In finance, the theoretical "[[risk-free interest rate]]" is often approximated by practitioners by using the current yield of a Treasury of the same duration.

The overall level of indebtedness by a government is typically shown as a ratio of [[Debt-to-GDP ratio|debt-to-GDP]]. This ratio helps to assess the speed of changes in government indebtedness and the size of the debt due.

The United Nations [[Sustainable Development Goal 17]], an integral part of the [[Sustainable Development Goals|2030 Agenda]] has a target to address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Goal 17 {{!}} Department of Economic and Social Affairs|url=https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal17|access-date=2020-09-26|website=sdgs.un.org|archive-date=2 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102145921/https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal17|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Municipalities ===
Municipal bonds (or muni bonds) are typical debt obligations, for which the conditions are defined unilaterally by the issuing municipality (local government), but it is a slower process to accumulate the necessary amount. Usually, debt or bond financing will not be used to finance current operating expenditures, the purposes of these amounts are local developments, capital investments, constructions, own contribution to other credits or grants.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Vértesy|first=László|date=2020|title=Debt Management Strategies of Local Governments in the EU|url=http://real.mtak.hu/117799/|journal=Pro Publico Bono – Magyar Közigazgatás|volume=8|pages=146–169|doi=10.32575/ppb.2020.1.8|s2cid=229409912|via=REAL-MTAK|doi-access=free|access-date=27 December 2020|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414233802/http://real.mtak.hu/117799/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Assessments of creditworthiness ==

=== Income metrics ===
The [[debt service coverage ratio]] is the ratio of income available to the amount of debt service due (including both interest and principal amortization, if any).  The higher the debt service coverage ratio, the more income is available to pay debt service, and the easier and lower-cost it will be for a borrower to obtain financing.

Different debt markets have somewhat different conventions in terminology and calculations for income-related metrics.  For example, in mortgage lending in the United States, a [[debt-to-income ratio]] typically includes the cost of mortgage payments as well as insurance and property tax, divided by a consumer's monthly income.  A "front-end ratio" of 28% or below, together with a "back-end ratio" (including required payments on non-housing debt as well) of 36% or below is also required to be eligible for a conforming loan.

=== Value metrics ===

The [[loan-to-value ratio]] is the ratio of the total amount of the loan to the total value of the [[collateral (finance)|collateral]] securing the loan.

For example, in mortgage lending in the United States, the loan-to-value concept is most commonly expressed as a "[[down payment]]."  A 20% down payment is equivalent to an 80% loan to value.  With home purchases, value may be assessed using the agreed-upon purchase price, and/or an [[real estate appraisal|appraisal]].

=== Collateral and recourse ===
A debt obligation is considered secured if creditors have recourse to specific [[collateral (finance)|collateral]]. Collateral may include claims on tax receipts (in the case of a government), specific assets (in the case of a company) or a home (in the case of a consumer). Unsecured debt comprises financial obligations for which creditors do not have recourse to the [[asset]]s of the borrower to satisfy their claims.

=== Role of rating agencies ===
{{See also|Criticism of credit scoring systems in the United States}}
[[Credit bureaus]] collect information about the borrowing and repayment history of consumers.  Lenders, such as banks and credit card companies, use [[credit scores]] to evaluate the potential risk posed by lending money to consumers. In the United States, the primary credit bureaus are [[Equifax]], [[Experian]], and [[TransUnion]].

Debts owed by governments and private corporations may be rated by [[Credit rating agency|rating agencies]], such as [[Moody's]], [[Standard & Poor's]], [[Fitch Ratings]], and [[A. M. Best]]. The government or company itself will also be given its own separate rating. These agencies assess the ability of the debtor to honor his obligations and accordingly give him or her a [[credit rating]]. Moody's uses the letters ''Aaa Aa A Baa Ba B Caa Ca C'', where ratings ''Aa-Caa'' are qualified by numbers 1-3. S&P and other rating agencies have slightly different systems using capital letters and +/- qualifiers. Thus a government or corporation with a high rating would have Aaa rating.

A change in ratings can strongly affect a company, since its cost of [[refinancing]] depends on its [[creditworthiness]]. Bonds below Baa/BBB (Moody's/S&P) are considered [[High-yield debt|junk]] or high-risk bonds. Their high risk of default (approximately 1.6 percent for Ba) is compensated by higher interest payments. Bad Debt is a loan that can not (partially or fully) be repaid by the debtor. The debtor is said to [[Default (finance)|default]] on their debt. These types of debt are frequently repackaged and sold below face value. Buying junk bonds is seen as a risky but potentially profitable investment.

== Debt markets ==

=== Market interest rates ===
{{Main|Bond valuation}}

=== Loans versus bonds ===
[[Bond (finance)|Bonds]] are debt [[security (finance)|securities]], tradeable on a [[bond market]]. A country's regulatory structure determines what qualifies as a security. For example, in North America, each security is uniquely identified by a [[CUSIP]] for trading and settlement purposes. In contrast, [[loan]]s are not securities and do not have [[CUSIP]]s (or the equivalent). Loans may be sold or acquired in certain circumstances, as when a bank [[syndicated loan|syndicates]] a loan.

Loans can be turned into securities through the [[securitization]] process. In a securitization, a company sells a pool of assets to a securitization trust, and the securitization trust finances its purchase of the assets by selling [[Debt securities|securities]] to the market. For example, a trust may own a pool of home [[mortgage]]s, and be financed by [[residential mortgage-backed security|residential mortgage-backed securities]].  In this case, the asset-backed trust is a debt issuer of [[residential mortgage-backed security|residential mortgage-backed securities]].

=== Role of central banks ===
[[Central bank]]s, such as the U.S. [[Federal Reserve System]], play a key role in the debt markets. Debt is normally denominated in a particular [[currency]], and so changes in the valuation of that currency can change the effective size of the debt. This can happen due to [[inflation]] or [[deflation]], so it can happen even though the borrower and the lender are using the same [[currency]].

== Criticisms ==
{{POV section|date=September 2018}}

{{see also|World debt#Consequences of high debt}} 
Some argue against debt as an instrument and institution, on a personal, family, social, corporate and governmental level. Some [[Islamic banking]] forbids lending with interest even today. In hard times, the cost of servicing debt can grow beyond the debtor's ability to pay, due to either external events (income loss) or internal difficulties (poor management of resources).

Debt with an associated interest rate will increase through time if it is not repaid faster than it grows through interest. This effect may be termed [[usury]], while the term "usury" in other contexts refers only to an excessive rate of interest, in excess of a reasonable profit for the [[risk]] accepted.

In international legal thought, [[odious debt]] is debt that is incurred by a regime for purposes that do not serve the interest of the state. Such debts are thus considered by this doctrine to be personal debts of the regime that incurred them and not debts of the state.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

Excessive debt accumulation{{clarify|date=September 2018}} has been blamed for exacerbating economic problems.{{By whom|date=September 2018}} For example, before the [[Great Depression]], the [[debt-to-GDP ratio]] was very high.{{Citation needed|date=September 2018}} This excess of debt, equivalent to excessive expectations on future returns, accompanied asset bubbles on the stock markets. When expectations corrected, deflation and a [[credit crunch]] followed. [[Deflation]] effectively made debt more expensive and, as Fisher explained, this reinforced deflation again, because, in order to reduce their debt level, economic agents reduced their [[Consumption (economics)|consumption]] and investment. The reduction in demand reduced business activity and caused further unemployment. In a more direct sense, more [[bankruptcy|bankruptcies]] also occurred due both to increased debt cost caused by deflation and the reduced demand.

{{anchor|Mental health}}At the household level, debts can also have detrimental effects — particularly when households make spending decisions assuming income will increase, or remain stable, in years to come. When households take on credit based on this assumption, life events can easily change indebtedness into over-indebtedness. Such life events include unexpected unemployment, relationship break-up, leaving the parental home, [[business failure]], illness, or home repairs. Over-indebtedness has severe social consequences, such as financial hardship, poor physical and mental health,<ref>{{cite journal | title=The relationship between debt and mental health: a systematic review. | author=Fitch | journal=Mental Health Review Journal | year=2011 | volume=16 | issue=4 | pages=153–166 | doi=10.1108/13619321111202313|display-authors=etal}}</ref> family stress, stigma, difficulty obtaining employment, exclusion from basic financial services ([[European Commission]], 2009), work accidents and industrial disease, a strain on social relations (Carpentier and Van den Bosch, 2008), absenteeism at work and lack of organisational commitment (Kim ''et al.'', 2003), feeling of insecurity, and relational tensions.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://eurofound.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ef_files/pubdocs/2010/70/en/2/EF1070EN.pdf | title=Managing household debts: Social service provision in the EU. Working paper. Dublin: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions | publisher=European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions | date=2010 | access-date=20 February 2015 | author=Dubois, Hans | author2=Anderson, Robert | archive-date=27 November 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171127003702/https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ef_files/pubdocs/2010/70/en/2/EF1070EN.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref>

== History ==
{{Main|History of money}}
{{see also|Interest#History}}
According to historian [[Paul Johnson (writer)|Paul Johnson]], the lending of "food money" was commonplace in [[Middle East]]ern civilizations as early as 5000 BC.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

Religions like Judaism and Christianity for example, demand that debt be forgiven on a regular basis, in order to prevent systemic inequities between groups in society, or anyone becoming a specialist in holding debt and coercing repayment. An example is the Biblical [[Jubilee (Biblical)|Jubilee year]], described in the [[Book of Leviticus]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Hudson|first=Michael|date=2018 |title=...and Forgive Them Their Debts: Lending, Foreclosure and Redemption From Bronze Age Finance to the Jubilee Year|url=https://archive.org/details/andforgivethemth00mich|url-access= registration|publisher=Islet|isbn=978-3981826029|author-link=Michael Hudson (economist)}}</ref> Similarly, in [[Deuteronomy]] chapter 15 and verse 1 states that debts be forgiven after seven years.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jubilee USA: Debt Cancellation: A Biblical Norm|url=https://www.jubileeusa.org/faith/faith-and-worship-resources/debt-cancellation-a-biblical-norm.html|access-date=2020-09-22|website=www.jubileeusa.org|archive-date=3 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003014907/https://www.jubileeusa.org/faith/faith-and-worship-resources/debt-cancellation-a-biblical-norm.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This is because biblically debt is seen as the responsibility of both the creditor and the debtor. Traditional Christian teaching holds that a lifestyle of debt should not be normative; the [[Emmanuel Association]], a [[Methodist]] denomination in the [[conservative holiness movement]], for example, teaches: "We are to refrain from entering into debt when we have no reasonable plan to pay. We are to be careful to meet all financial engagements promptly when due, if at all possible, remembering that we are to 'Provide things honest in the sight of all men' and to 'owe no man any thing, but to love one another' (Romans 12:17; 13:8)."<ref name="Emmanuel2002">{{cite book |title=Guidebook of the Emmanuel Association of Churches |date=2002 |publisher=[[Emmanuel Association]] |location=[[Logansport, Indiana|Logansport]] |pages=13–14|language=English}}</ref>

==Further reading==
* World Bank, 2019. [https://www.worldbank.org/en/research/publication/waves-of-debt ''Global Waves of Debt: Causes and Consequences'']. Edited by M. Ayhan Kose, Peter Nagle, Franziska Ohnsorge, and Naotaka Sugawara.

== See also ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Portal|Economics}}
* [[Debt theory of money]]
* [[Debt deflation]]
* [[World debt]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Debt}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Debt| ]]
[[Category:Credit]]
[[Category:Personal financial problems]]
[[Category:Financial law]]