What term describes certificates of debt?

The term that describes certificates of debt is bonds. Bonds are financial instruments that represent a loan made by an investor to a borrower, typically a corporation or government. When an entity issues a bond, it agrees to pay back the borrowed amount, known as the principal, at a specified future date (the maturity date), along with periodic interest payments.

In the context of investments, bonds are classified as fixed-income securities because they provide returns in the form of regular interest payments, which are often fixed over the life of the bond. This characteristic makes them attractive to investors seeking steady income. In contrast, assets refer to resources owned by a business, equity signifies ownership interest in a firm, and owner's equity represents the residual claims of the owners after liabilities are settled. Thus, bonds distinctly fall into the category of debt instruments, clearly defining them as certificates of debt.