Secured Creditors and Unsecured Creditors: What's the Difference? (2024)

There are secured creditors and unsecured creditors. But what is the difference between secured creditors and unsecured creditors?

Secured Creditors

Secured Creditors are creditors that hold a lien on its debtor’s property, whether that property is real property or personal property. The lien gives the secured creditor an interest in its debtor’s property that provides for the property to be sold to satisfy the debt in cases of default. The secured creditor’s lien can be voluntary, like with a bank or other asset-based lender, or involuntary, like a tax lien.

Unsecured Creditors

Unsecured Creditors, like credit card issuers, suppliers, and some cash advance companies (although this is changing), do not hold a lien on its debtor’s property to assure payment of the debt if there is a default.

The secured creditor holds priority on debt collection from the property on which it holds a lien. The unsecured creditor gets no such protection; its best method of repayment from its debtor is voluntary repayment. Otherwise, short of bankruptcy proceedings, the unsecured creditor must sue and win a judgment to get repaid on a defaulted debt.

Preferred Creditors

There are also Preferred Creditors, typically employees of the debtor company in bankruptcy, who are entitled to wages, commissions, and other items. The unsecured creditor ranks after secured and preferred creditors in bankruptcy situations.

There you have it, the difference between secured creditors and unsecured creditors. If you are a secured creditor in need of assistance to file your liens, please call us at 800.406.1577.

Additional Resources

  • Secured Creditors and Unsecured Creditors: What's the Difference? (1)
  • Secured Creditors and Unsecured Creditors: What's the Difference? (2)
Secured Creditors and Unsecured Creditors: What's the Difference? (2024)

FAQs

Secured Creditors and Unsecured Creditors: What's the Difference? ›

A secured creditor has a charge over a particular asset or a set of changing assets. Unsecured creditors don't hold a charge and receive money should there be some available once the above creditors have been paid.

Is it better to be a secured creditor or an unsecured creditor? ›

The secured creditor holds priority on debt collection from the property on which it holds a lien. The unsecured creditor gets no such protection; its best method of repayment from its debtor is voluntary repayment.

What is an example of a secured creditor? ›

Some common examples of secured creditors include: Banks (these are the main source of secured creditors) holding fixed charges on business assets, including property. Lenders that hold a charge over any assets held by a company, such as machinery, workplace equipment and the company inventory.

How do you know if you are a secured creditor? ›

A secured creditor is any creditor or lender associated with an issuance of a credit product that is backed by collateral. Secured credit products are backed by collateral. In the case of a secured loan, collateral refers to assets that are pledged as security for the repayment of that loan.

What is an unsecured creditor? ›

An unsecured creditor is someone who is owed money by a person or a company, but does not have the right to repossess or sell any of their assets if they default on the payments.

How do unsecured creditors get paid? ›

General unsecured creditors get paid on a pro rata basis. They'll all receive the same percentage of the balance owed. However, as long as you act in good faith, you may selectively pay nonpriority claims, in effect favoring some creditors over others. For instance, criminal fines are nondischargeable.

Can unsecured debt put lien on a house? ›

An abstract of judgment is a summary of a judgment that states how much is owed for the debt, including attorneys fees and interest. The abstract of judgment is necessary in order for an unsecured creditor to record a lien against real property in California.

How are secured creditors paid? ›

Secured creditors are paid first as they are usually those who have security over some or all of the company assets. The secured creditor will take back the property they've secured, or will be entitled to the proceeds from the liquidation of that specific property.

How can unsecured creditors protect themselves? ›

Second, consider serving as a member on an unsecured creditors' committee. This way, you can ensure your interests are represented. Third, review paperwork to determine the debtor's proposed response to your claim and the court's response. Fourth, don't decide to sell to investors prematurely.

How does one become a secured creditor? ›

In order to become a secured party, one must (i) prepare a document which grants a security interest (which is the agreement between the parties) and (ii) also perfect on that security interest (which is the notice to the world of the security interest). Without both steps occurring, the lender will be unsecured.

How do I get rid of secured debt? ›

Chapter 7 bankruptcy wipes out this personal liability if it's the type of debt you can discharge in bankruptcy. The lender's "lien" right to recover property. The second part of a secured debt is the creditor's legal claim—known as a "lien" or "security interest"—on the property serving as collateral.

Who has priority over unsecured creditors? ›

Because they have no collateral that can be liquidated to satisfy the debt, unsecured claims have lower payment priority than secured claims and are only paid to the extent that funds are available.

Do secured creditors get paid first? ›

Secured creditors are first in line, as their claims over assets are often secured by collateral and a contract. Some assets may have multiple liens placed upon them; in these cases, the first lien has priority over the second lien.

Can unsecured debt be garnished? ›

Unsecured creditors in most parts of the country can garnish 25% of the debtor's net earnings. Net earnings are gross earnings less all mandatory deductions.

What is another name for unsecured creditors? ›

Also known as general creditor and general unsecured creditor. A creditor holding an unsecured claim, or having no liens against a debtor's property.

Do you have to pay back unsecured debt? ›

An unsecured loan is a loan that is not secured by other funds or property and typically relies heavily on your credit score for approval. In most instances, the only thing backing the loan is your pledge to pay it back. A secured loan is a loan that is backed by assets or property, which guarantees repayment.

Is secured or unsecured debt better? ›

Key takeaways

Secured debt is backed by collateral, whereas unsecured debt doesn't require you to put any assets on the line to get approved. Because lenders take on more risk, unsecured debts tend to have higher interest rates and stricter eligibility requirements than secured debt.

What are the disadvantages of unsecured creditors? ›

Because an unsecured personal loan has no collateral backing it, you may encounter higher interest rates, fees and other things they could limit how far is the loan could go. In addition, the lack of collateral could make it hard for those with lower credit scores to get approval.

What is the risk of an unsecured creditor? ›

Unsecured debt like credit cards or medical bills do not have any connection to property, and the creditors risk losing all their returns if the debtor becomes insolvent.

Would generally a creditor rather be a secured creditor than an unsecured one? ›

From the lender's point of view, secured debt can be better because it is less risky. From the borrower's point of view, secured debt carries the risk that they'll have to forfeit their collateral if they can't repay. On the plus side, however, it is more likely to come with a lower interest rate than unsecured debt.

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