What kind of risk is associated primarily with debentures?

The correct answer is credit risk, which refers to the possibility that the issuer of the debenture may default on its obligations to repay the principal or make interest payments. Debentures are a type of debt instrument that is not secured by physical assets or collateral, making them more vulnerable to the issuer's financial condition. If the issuer encounters financial difficulties, it may struggle to meet its debt obligations, leading to the risk that investors could lose some or all of their investment.

While other risks such as market risk, interest rate risk, and inflation risk do exist with debentures, they are not as closely associated with the fundamental characteristics of debentures as credit risk is. Market risk relates to fluctuations in the price of the debenture in the market due to overall economic factors, interest rate risk involves the impact of rising or falling interest rates on the value of the debenture, and inflation risk is the danger that inflation will undermine the purchasing power of the interest payments received. However, these risks are secondary when specifically considering the nature of debentures, which is primarily linked to the issuer's creditworthiness.