bearer bonds
Anonymous ownership certificates
Bearer bonds are debt securities owned by whoever physically holds them—possession alone proves ownership, with no registered owner on record.
The issuer pays interest and principal to whoever presents the bond, making them essentially anonymous and easily transferable.
Once common, bearer bonds have been largely phased out in most countries because they facilitated tax evasion and money laundering.
They appear frequently in heist films and thrillers as untraceable wealth: The ransom was paid in bearer bonds.
Tradeable financial assets
- couponCertificate for reduced price
- yieldProduce or relinquish
- portfolioCollected works or assets
- capitalWealth used for investment
assets · dividends · debt · treasury · equities · interest · maturity · principal
Impossible to follow back
- unregisteredNot formally recorded
- anonymousOf unknown origin
- secrecyPractice of hiding information
- privacyFreedom from observation
offshore · concealment · tax evasion · money laundering · illicit · smuggling · suitcase · undisclosed
Unlawful taking of property
- lossBeing without something
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- fire damageDestruction from flames
- destructionAct of completely ruining
safekeeping · vault · safe deposit box · physical security · forgery · counterfeiting · verification · authentication
Gradually withdrawn from use
- discontinuedNo longer available
- physical possessionTangible item owned
- anachronisticWrongly placed in time
- antiquatedOld and outdated
historical · superseded · collectibles · numismatics · bygone · defunct · grandfather clause
securities
Tradeable financial assets
capital · assets · dividends · debt · treasury · equities · interest · maturity · principal · redemption
untraceable
Impossible to follow back
- unregisteredNot formally recorded
- anonymousOf unknown origin
- secrecyPractice of hiding information
privacy · offshore · concealment · tax evasion · money laundering · illicit · smuggling · suitcase · undisclosed · hidden wealth
theft
Unlawful taking of property
- lossBeing without something
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- fire damageDestruction from flames
destruction · safekeeping · vault · safe deposit box · physical security · forgery · counterfeiting · verification · authentication
phased out
Gradually withdrawn from use
- discontinuedNo longer available
- physical possessionTangible item owned
- anachronisticWrongly placed in time
antiquated · historical · superseded · collectibles · numismatics · bygone · defunct · grandfather clause