Corporate America's debt load is nearing $10 trillion, a record 47% of the overall economy - and experts around the world are sounding the alarm

• US corporate debt has swelled to nearly $10 trillion, according to data recently cited by the Washington Post.
• That comes out to roughly 47% of the overall economy, which is a record, WaPo found.
• Experts from the International Monetary Fund to trillion-dollar asset manager BlackRock are warning of the risk posed by ballooning investment-grade debt.
• Following the 2008 financial crisis, companies have issued record-levels of bonds to investors amid historically low interest rates.
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US corporations are sitting on nearly $10 trillion in debt. That's equivalent to roughly 47% of the overall economy, which is a record, according to date first cited by the Washington Post.

Since the financial crisis in 2008, corporations have splurged on debt amid historically cheap borrowing costs. In recent months, experts have warning that ballooning corporate debt could worsen a future economic downturn.

Here's what experts from the International Monetary Fund to trillion-dollar asset manager BlackRock are saying about rising corporate debt.

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