When you file for bankruptcy you may have two types of debt, secured and unsecured. Secured debt is debt which you obtained by pledging some tangible property of value as collateral. This could be a cash loan with your home serving as collateral. You could be purchasing a home from a bank, which then holds the lien on your home until you repay your loan. A car on which you are making payments, is another example of a secured loan.
Unsecured debt is any debt that has no collateral backing the loan.
Credit card debt is a prime example. Signature loans are another. Unsecured creditors can usually expect to get little if anything in a bankruptcy. This information is general and should not substitute for the counsel of a licensed attorney.