Bad debt refers to loans or outstanding balances owed that are no longer deemed recoverable and must be written off. Incurring bad debt is part of the cost of doing business with customers, as there is always some default risk associated with extending credit.
Debt could also be considered "bad" when it negatively impacts credit scores -- when you carry a lot of debt or when you're using much of the credit available to you (a high debt to credit ratio). Credit cards, particularly cards with a high interest rate, are a typical example.
Not all debts are equal. Good debt has the potential to increase your wealth, while bad debt costs you money with high interest on purchases for depreciating assets. Determining whether a debt is good debt or bad debt depends on your unique financial situation, including how much they can afford to lose.
Simply put, a bad debt is a type of expense that occurs after repayment by a customer (when credit has been extended) is no longer considered to be collectable. In other words, bad debt is an irrecoverable receivable.
Bad Debt Example
A retailer receives 30 days to pay Company ABC after receiving the laptops. Company ABC records the amount due as “accounts receivable” on the balance sheet and records the revenue. However, as the 30 day due date passes, Company ABC realises the retailer is not going to make the payment.
United States. The United States boasts both the world's biggest national debt in terms of dollar amount and its largest economy, which resolves to a debt-to GDP ratio of approximately 128.13%.
Car loans: Cars tend to lose value over time so they're not a lifetime investment, but an auto loan can be good debt if it provides reliable transportation under terms you can afford, with enough funds left over each month to pay your other bills and to maintain and run the car.
Businesses and individuals can write off bad debts on their taxes. If the bad debt is later repaid, however, they will have to report the amount they deducted as income.
Some examples include: Business Loans: Debt taken to expand a business by purchasing equipment, real estate, hiring more staff, etc. The expanded operations generate additional income that can cover the loan payments. Mortgages: Borrowed money used to purchase real estate that will generate rental income.
Having bad debt can hinder your ability to buy a car or even a house. Having debt issues can cause you not to be able to achieve these and other life goals. If you have early debt problems, these can have disastrous consequences in your later years.
"Good" debt is defined as money owed for things that can help build wealth or increase income over time, such as student loans, mortgages or a business loan. "Bad" debt refers to things like credit cards or other consumer debt that do little to improve your financial outcome.
The truth is, we hate debt around here because of all the problems it causes. Debt robs your present and steals from your future. Debt keeps you stuck in a cycle that makes it impossible to build wealth. And debt can weigh you down so much you can't see a way out.
Research from financial services company Northwestern Mutual found that excluding mortgages, the average personal debt per individual sat at $21,800 in 2023, significantly lower than the $29,800 recorded in 2019.
1. Lack of sufficient income to do so. A lot of people are making less money than they were just a few years ago. They were making more money when they incurred their debt, but now the lower income level has them in a trap where they have barely enough money to pay living expenses, let alone pay off debt.
Rich people use debt to multiply returns on their capital through low interest loans and expanding their control of assets. With a big enough credit line their capital and assets are just securing loans to be used in investing and business.
They stay away from debt.
One of the biggest myths out there is that average millionaires see debt as a tool. Not true. If they want something they can't afford, they save and pay cash for it later. Car payments, student loans, same-as-cash financing plans—these just aren't part of their vocabulary.
Generally, to deduct a bad debt, you must have previously included the amount in your income or loaned out your cash. If you're a cash method taxpayer (most individuals are), you generally can't take a bad debt deduction for unpaid salaries, wages, rents, fees, interests, dividends, and similar items of taxable income.
3 Not only do banks get a deduction, but they are still allowed to pursue the debts and generate revenue from them. Another common option is for banks to sell off bad debts to third-party collection agencies.
The lender may recover the receivable as a partial payment or as equity. Bad debt recovery can also come by selling off the borrower's collateral. For example, a borrower takes a car loan but fails to pay it back in time. In such a situation, the lender can repossess the car, sell it off and recover the loan.
If you're looking for a few tips on managing a high car payment, you're not alone. The average monthly car payment is now a record $733, according to Edmunds. And even if your monthly auto loan payments are around $500 per month, that still may be uncomfortably high.
If you have debt such as payday loans or high-interest credit cards, paying these off first will save you money and help you refocus on other financial goals. But if you don't yet have an emergency fund, prioritize saving a little bit either before or alongside debt payoff.
The bottom line
In most cases, it is better to put extra debt repayment money towards your credit cards instead of your car loan. Credit cards are more volatile than car loans and usually charge more interest; plus, you'll probably get a bigger credit score boost when you pay down your credit card balances.
1) Switzerland. It is no surprise to see Switzerland on this list. Switzerland is a country that, in practically all economic and social metrics, is an example to follow. With a population of almost 9 million people, Switzerland has no natural resources of its own, no access to the sea, and virtually no public debt.