subprime
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsubprimesub·prime /sʌbˈpraɪm/ adjective [only before noun] a subprime loan is an amount of money that is lent to someone who may not be able to pay it back, usually at a higher than normal rate of interest Subprime mortgages (=loans to buy a home) are granted to individuals who would not qualify for a conventional mortgage.