Question

When real property is used as collateral for a bond, it is termed a/an ________. debenture senior bond indenture mortgaged security?

Answer 1

A debenture is a type of debt instrument that is not secured by physical assets or collateral. Debentures are backed only by the general creditworthiness and reputation of the issuer. Both corporations and governments frequently issue this type of bond to secure capital. Like other types of bonds, debentures are documented in an indenture. Debentures have no collateral. Bond buyers generally purchase debentures based on the belief that the bond issuer is unlikely to default on the repayment. An example of a government debenture would be any government-issued Treasury bond (T-bond) or Treasury bill (T-bill). T-bonds and T-bills are generally considered risk free because governments, at worst, can print off more money or raise taxes to pay these types of debts. Debentures are the most common form of long-term loans that can be taken out by a corporation. These loans are normally repayable on a fixed date and pay a fixed rate of interest. A company normally makes these interest payments prior to paying out dividends to its shareholders, similar to most debt instruments. In relation to other types of loans and debt instruments, debentures are advantageous in that they carry a lower interest rate and have a repayment date that is far in the future.