Default

Default is the failure to repay a debt including interest or principal on a loan or security. A default can occur when a borrower is unable to make timely payments, misses payments, or avoids or stops making payments. Individuals, businesses, and even countries can fall prey to default if they cannot keep up their debt obligations. Default risks are often calculated well in advance by creditors.

A default can occur on secured debt such as a mortgage loan secured by a house or a business loan secured by a company's assets. If an individual borrower fails to make timely mortgage payments, the loan could go into default. Similarly, if a business issues bonds—essentially borrowing from investors—and it's unable to make coupon payments to its bondholders, the business is in default on its bonds. A default has adverse effects on the borrower's credit and ability to borrow in the future.