What is Funded Debt?

Funded debt is money acquired through the sale of long-term securities. The most common type of funded debt is bonds. The concept is usually applied to debt instruments that do not mature within the next 12 months. The funded debt term is derived from the interest payments being made to obtain the use of funds - in effect, the debt is being funded through the payment of interest.

Advantages of Funded Debt

There are several advantages to funded debt, which are as follows:

Safe financing. Funded debt is a relatively safe form of debt financing, since the borrower can lock in an interest rate for a prolonged period of time.
Tax-deductible interest. The interest on funded debt is tax-deductible for the borrower, which reduces its net cost.
Avoids sale of stock. The use of some level of funded debt can keep a business from having to sell shares to pay for its growth, which generates a greater return for its existing shareholders.
Hedges against inflation. When a business expects inflation to rise, locking in long-term, low-interest debt can be quite advantageous. When inflation eventually increases, the real cost of the entity’s debt repayments declines.