Unsecured Bond

Unsecured Bond

A debt security, issued by a government or large company, that is not secured by an asset or lien, but rather by the all issuer's assets not otherwise secured. That is, an unsecured bond carries no collateral; in case of bankruptcy, the bondholder is considered a general creditor. Thus, the bondholder is paid out of funds that do not have a prior claim on them with a secured debt. Like most bonds, an unsecured bond can be traded. Some unsecured bonds, such Treasury securities, are considered risk-free. See also: Debenture.

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Unsecured bond. When a bond isn't backed by collateral or security of some kind, such as a mortgage, that can be used to repay the bondholders if the bond issuer defaults, the bond is described as unsecured.

However, most unsecured bonds pose limited risk of default, since the companies that issue them are usually financially sound. Unsecured bonds are also known as debentures.