What is 'Financial Distress' Financial distress is a condition where a company cannot meet, or has difficulty paying off, its financial obligations to its creditors, typically due to high fixed costs, illiquid assets or revenues sensitive to economic downturns. A company under financial distress can incur costs related to the situation, such as more expensive financing, opportunity costs of projects and less productive employees. Employees of a distressed firm usually have lower morale and higher stress caused by the increased chance of bankruptcy, which would force them out of their jobs.