Debt incurred without leading to the creation of any specific asset from which the cost of debt service can be met. This applies to personal debts incurred to finance consumption, business debts incurred to finance operating losses, and government debt incurred to finance wars or unemployment benefit. This is contrasted with personal debt incurred to finance training which increases earning power, debt incurred by firms to finance profitable investment projects, and government debt incurred to finance education or improvements to infrastructure, which may give no direct return but do increase the economy’s tax base.