what is liquidation 
liquidation in finance and economics is the process of bringing a business to an end and distributing its assets to claimants it is an event that usually occurs when a company is insolvent meaning it cannot pay its obligations when they are due as company operations end the remaining assets are used to pay creditors and shareholders based on the priority of their claims general partners are subject to liquidation the term liquidation may also be used to refer to the selling of poor performing goods at a price lower than the cost to the business or at a price lower than the business desires investopedia paige mclaughlin