An asset-based security (ABS) is similar to a mortgage-backed security (MBS). Both are securities that, like bonds, pay a fixed rate of interest derived from an underlying pool of income-generating assets—usually debts or loans. The main difference is that an MBS, as its name implies, consists of a package of mortgages (real estate loans). In contrast, an ABS is usually backed by other sorts of financing—student loans, auto loans, or credit card debt. Some financial sources do use ABS as a generic term, encompassing any sort of securitized investment based on underlying asset pools—in which case, an MBS is a kind of ABS. Others consider ABSs and MBSs to be separate investment vehicles.