DEFERMENT PERIOD

A time during which a borrower does not have to pay interest or repay the principal on a loan. Deferment is common with student loans, and may be granted while the student is still in school or just after graduation when the student has few resources to repay the loan.

Deferment may also be granted at the lender's discretion during other periods of financial hardship to provide temporary relief from debt payments and an alternative to default. For example, European options have a deferment period for the life of the option - they can be called only on expiry. Most municipal bonds are callable and have a deferment period of 10 years.