creditor
noun
, -ˌtȯr\
Definition of creditor
Examples of creditor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a rare bit of good news, the bankruptcy judge sided with the utility in a separate ruling Friday that rejected requests from two groups of creditors who wanted to propose their own ways to restructure the company. — Mark Chediak, Bloomberg.com, "PG&E Faces Fresh Pain as Old Fire Claims Return to Haunt It," 19 Aug. 2019 Under the agreement, bankruptcy trustee Randy Osherow gets some money to administer the estate and determine whether there are any other assets to pursue for the benefit of creditors, the judge added. — Patrick Danner, ExpressNews.com, "MGM acquires bankrupt football league’s gaming technology," 19 Aug. 2019 In a rare bit of good news for PG&E, the bankruptcy judge sided with the utility in a separate ruling Friday that rejected requests from two groups of creditors who wanted to propose their own ways to restructure the company. — Los Angeles Times, "PG&E stock plunges as $18 billion in Tubbs fire claims return to haunt it," 19 Aug. 2019 In a separate ruling Friday, Montali sided with the utility and rejected requests from two groups of creditors who wanted to propose their own ways to restructure the company. — Bloomberg News, The Mercury News, "PG&E craters on risk of up to $18 billion in California wildfire lawsuits," 19 Aug. 2019 The first meeting of creditors is scheduled for July 30 at 10am ET at the Grant Thornton offices in Toronto. — Taylor Mims, Billboard, "Organizers for Canceled Canadian Music Festival Roxodus File for Bankruptcy," 19 July 2019 Some of Baoshang’s creditors will likely have to take haircuts. — Jacky Wong, WSJ, "Why the World’s Biggest Property Company Is Bailing Out a Bank," 21 June 2019 Four of the creditors who were collectively owed more than $200,000 also filed a petition in federal bankruptcy court in Seattle last October, seeking to force Global Baristas into bankruptcy. — James Queally, The Seattle Times, "Lawyer Michael Avenatti, accused of fraud and attempts to extort Nike, is arrested," 25 Mar. 2019 Next would be any other creditor to whom Epstein owed money, such as a bank or mortgage company. — Washington Post, "Epstein may have gamed the system from beyond the grave," 25 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'creditor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for creditor
creditor
nounFinancial Definition of creditor
How It Works
There are generally two types of creditors: personal and real. Personal creditors are people who loan money to friends or family. Real creditors are financial entities who require borrowers to sign legal contracts that grant the creditor some sort of collateral -- e.g. car, house, jewelry -- if the borrower fails to repay the loan.
Let's look at a scenario with a real creditor, XYZ Bank, to whom you go to for a loan. If you are approved and they lend you money, XYZ Bank becomes your creditor.
Individuals and companies can have several creditors at any given time, for many different types of debt. Additional examples of creditors who extend credit lines of money or services include: utility companies, health clubs, phone companies and credit card issuers.
Not all creditors are considered equal. Some creditors are considered superior to others (senior), while others are subordinate.
For example, if Company XYZ issues bonds, the bondholders become creditors senior to Company XYZ's shareholders. And should Company XYZ then go bankrupt, the senior bondholders are entitled to repayment before the shareholders are.
Why It Matters
If a borrower does not repay the credit, creditors have the legal right to:
1Sue to obtain access to accounts or other assets if the borrower has not paid.
2Place liens on the borrower's assets. This means the borrower cannot sell the assets without paying the creditor first.
The distinction between senior debt and subordinated debt is crucial for creditors and investors. Senior debt is considered less risky than subordinated debt because it is first in line to be repaid once means for repayment have become available. That means that the interest rate paid on senior debt is lower than that paid on unsecured debt.
Source: Investing Answers
secured creditor
nounFinancial Definition of secured creditor
What It Is
Secured creditor is a lender that provides collateralized debt.
How It Works
Mortgage lenders are the most common example of secured creditors: They lend you money and keep the house as collateral.
Here's another example: You would like to borrow $100,000 to start a business. Even if you have an excellent credit rating, a bank may be reluctant to lend you the money because it may be left with nothing if you default on the loan. Thus, although banks may attempt the lengthy and expensive process of suing you in that circumstance, the bank may require $100,000 of collateral in order to lend you the money. This collateral might consist of financial instruments, houses, cash, or even objects such as art, jewelry, or other items. You might also pledge your business receivables. When you pledge these assets, you are making the lender a secured creditor.
If you do in fact default on the loan, the loan agreement gives the lender the right to seize and sell the collateral in order to recover any outstanding balance.
Why It Matters
Secured creditors often provide lower interest rates than unsecured creditors because they have collateral on their side. They bear less risk as a result. However, the type and amount of security required for a given loan is often a matter of negotiation between the lender and borrower. For instance, a lender might require a borrower to collateralize any assets purchased during the loan period. In some cases, collateral for one obligation can also be collateral for other obligations (this is called cross-collateralization). This often occurs in real estate transactions, where a house collateralizes more than one mortgage.
Source: Investing Answers
unsecured creditor
nounFinancial Definition of unsecured creditor
What It Is
An unsecured creditor is a lender or any entity to which a company or individual owes money for services provided. That creditor, however, does not have any collateral from the borrower.
How It Works
If you borrow money from XYZ Bank, XYZ Bank becomes your creditor. Utility companies, health clubs, phone companies, and credit card issuers can all be creditors if you have contracts with them or if they have performed services for which you have not yet paid.
If the creditor has claim to some of your assets -- say, a deposit you made, a lien on your house, the title to your car -- that creditor is a secured creditor. If the creditor has no ability to claim some of your assets when you don’t pay (this is often the case with credit cards), the creditor is unsecured. If you have borrowed money from a bank, the bank may ask you for collateral as a way of securing the loan.
Why It Matters
An unsecured creditor takes on more risk than a secured creditor because it does not have the ability to seize an asset right away if a borrower fails to repay the debt. Creditors may of course sue to obtain access to accounts or other assets if the borrower has not paid, but that is more expensive than requiring collateral up front.
Regardless, this lack of security increases the creditor’s risk, which in turn increases the interest rates on unsecured loans.
Source: Investing Answers
creditor
noun
English Language Learners Definition of creditor
See the full definition for creditor in the English Language Learners Dictionary
creditor
noun
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Kids Definition of creditor
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creditor
noun
\
Legal Definition of creditor
— called also unsecured creditor