An IOU (abbreviated from the phrase "I owe you") is usually an informal document acknowledging debt. An IOU differs from a promissory note in that an IOU is not a negotiable instrument and does not specify repayment terms such as the time of repayment. IOUs usually specify the debtor, the amount owed, and sometimes the creditor. IOUs may be signed or carry distinguishing marks or designs to ensure authenticity. In some cases, IOUs may be redeemable for a specific product or service rather than a quantity of currency, constituting a form of scrip.
Also referred to as "IOUs" by the U.S. state of California, the term "Registered Warrants", which specify a future payment date, is meant to differentiate these IOUs from regular, or “normal” payroll warrants which permit the holder to exchange their warrant for cash immediately. For both types of warrants, redeeming them may be delayed until funds are available. Because of this uncertainty, warrants are not negotiable instruments. Registered Warrants were issued in July 2009 due to a temporary inability of the state of California to redeem its warrants. Warrants are issued as payment to state employees, private businesses, local governments, taxpayers receiving tax refunds, and owners of unclaimed money.
An IOU is an acknowledgment of debt.
IOU may also refer to:
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A debt generally refers to something owed by one party, the borrower or debtor, to a second party, the lender or creditor. The lender or creditor can be a bank, credit card company, payday loan provider, or an individual. One country can also lend money to another country. Debt is generally subject to contractual terms regarding the amount and timing of repayments of principal and interest. The term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value. For example, in Western cultures, a person who has been helped by a second person is sometimes said to owe a "debt of gratitude" to the second person.
Interest is the fee charged by the creditor to the debtor. Interest is generally calculated as a percentage of the principal sum per year, which percentage is known as an interest rate, and is generally paid periodically at intervals, such as monthly or semi-annually.
Many conventions on how interest is calculated exist – see day count convention for some – while a standard convention is the annual percentage rate (APR), widely used and required by regulation in the United States and United Kingdom, though there are different forms of APR.
Debt is an American game show hosted by Wink Martindale which aired on Lifetime from June 3, 1996 to August 14, 1998. The show featured contestants who were trying to earn money to get out of debt.
The game was conceived by Sarah Jane West. Its host was Wink Martindale, and Kurt Engstrom was featured as an assistant playing the role of a security guard. Julie Claire was the show's announcer.
Three contestants are introduced with the amount of debt they have (usually between $6,000 and $10,000) and the reasons why. After introductions, the debt of the three contestants was averaged to level the playing field. The scores were shown in negative amounts to reflect the debt of each contestant.
In the first round, contestants faced a gameboard with five categories, each with five questions in negative dollar values ranging from −$50 to −$250, in increments of $50. The first selection went to the contestant who had the lowest debt before averaging the scores. On a contestant's turn, he or she chose a category and value, after which a "Who am I?"-type question was revealed (e.g., "I'm the name of the fictitious, mustachioed 'ranking officer' who hawks the Quaker Oats cereal Peanut Butter Crunch."). Contestants buzzed-in to answer and were required to phrase their response as "You are..." to receive credit (although the contraction "You're" also was accepted). The correct answer to the example is "You are Cap'n Crunch." A correct answer deducted the question's value from the contestant's debt. A wrong answer or failing to respond within the time frame added the value, increasing the contestant's debt.
A debt is that which one party owes to a second party.
Debt or The Debt may also refer to: