Debt Securities

Debt securities

IOUs created through loan-type transactions-commercial paper, bank CDs, bills, bonds, and other instruments.

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Debt Securities

Any debt issued by a government or corporation that may be traded. That is, the original buyer of the debt security effectively lends the issuer money in exchange for the security, which gives the holder the right to receive interest payments and, at maturity, the principal. The holder may, at his/her/its discretion, sell the security to someone else, who then gains the right to receive interest and principal from the issuer. In general, debt securities are less risky than stocks; their riskiness relative to each other is determined by the creditworthiness of the issuer.