What Are Financial Assets? - Nationwide (2024)

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What Are Financial Assets? - Nationwide (1)

Whether you’re trying to figure out what you have on hand for a personal "rainy day" fund or to calculate your net worth, you’ll want to count your assets.

What's an asset?

An asset is anything you own that adds financial value, as opposed to a liability, which is money you owe.

Examples of personal assets include:

  • Your home
  • Other property, such as a rental house or commercial property
  • Checking/savings account
  • Classic cars
  • Financial accounts
  • Gold/jewelry/coins
  • Collectibles/art
  • Life insurance policies

How to calculate your net worth with assets

If you’re calculating your net worth, you should tally your assets first. Include any money you have in the bank as well as the value of your investments. Include your property value and the worth of your car if you were to sell it, along with any monthly payments you might receive from a pension or retirement plan.

Then subtract your liabilities, which are debts you owe. That includes the remaining mortgage on your house and the balances on credit cards or student and car loans.

The amount left is your net worth.

A business can have assets, too, that might include loans made, stock, cash on hand and cash in the bank, as well as accounts receivable. The business’s other assets might include real estate, office property, vehicles, inventory and even books of business (the client base).

Financial assets

Many people rely on stocks, bonds and mutual funds for savings and investments. Financial assets are considered liquid, as people can typically sell them easily. But they can also lose value over time, such as during a decline in a company’s share price.

Some consider real estate a type of financial asset, but it’s also considered a physical asset. Physical assets are tangible objects, such as property, art or valuable heirlooms, that require upkeep to maintain or increase in value. But like stocks and other financial products, they can also lose value according to the demands in their markets.

Real estate can provide a nice nest egg and current or future income, but the real estate owner must also pay property taxes and sometimes management fees, maintenance costs and a mortgage. You may owe taxes on gains each year and when you sell. Also, if a rental property sits empty, it doesn’t generate income.

Types of asset accounts

Asset accounts are held by a bank or investment company. They allow you to deposit and withdraw, depending on the asset’s rules. Here are some of the types of asset accounts:

  • Brokerage account:These accounts typically hold stocks, bonds and mutual funds. A brokerage account lets the owner buy and trade these commodities. Full-service brokerage companies have financial professional to help clients make investment plans, too. Discount brokerage firms offer the buy/sell option but are a do-it-yourself philosophy not offering personalized service or advice.
  • Savings/checking/money market accounts: These asset accounts allow the owner to have money stored in a safe place, such as a bank. Some of these accounts can be accessed at brick-and-mortar locations, and some are only online. They may offer interest on the money deposited, and it may be guaranteed up to a certain amount by the FDIC.
  • Certificates of deposit: A certificate of deposit (CD) is an instrument that gives the owner an amount of interest on the money invested for a specific time span. A CD is an asset held in a bank or other financial institution.
  • Retirement account: Retirement accounts include 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, IRAs and pension plans, to name a few. These are important asset accounts to grow, and they’re held in a financial institution. There may be penalties for removing funds from these accounts before a certain time.
  • College savings accounts: A college account can be as simple as a savings account earmarked for the student’s education. It can also involve tax-advantaged funds like a 529 plan or a Coverdell account (also known as Education Savings Account). Some students have Uniform Gift to Minor Accounts (UGMA), which can also be used for college and are considered an asset.

Increasing your assets can help ensure that you have a secure financial future. It can also give you a cushion if your family faces a crisis or needs money for an unexpected expense.

This material is not a recommendation to buy, sell, hold, or rollover any asset, adopt an investment strategy, retain a specific investment manager or use a particular account type. It does not take into account the specific investment objectives, tax and financial condition or particular needs of any specific person. Investors should work with their financial professional to discuss their specific situation.

Life and annuity products are issued by Nationwide Life Insurance Company or Nationwide Life and Annuity Company, Columbus, Ohio. The general distributor for variable products is Nationwide Investment Services Corporation, member FINRA. The Nationwide Retirement Institute is a division of NISC. Nationwide Funds distributed by Nationwide Fund Distributors, LLC, Member FINRA, Columbus, OH. Nationwide Life Insurance Company, Nationwide Life and Annuity Company, Nationwide Investment Services Corporation, and Nationwide Fund Distributors are separate but affiliated companies.

The Nationwide Group Retirement Series includes unregistered group fixed and variable annuities issued by Nationwide Life Insurance Company. It also includes trust programs and trust services offered by Nationwide Trust Company, a division of Nationwide Bank®.

Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle, The Nationwide Retirement Institute, Nationwide is on your side and Nationwide Funds Group are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

What Are Financial Assets? - Nationwide (2024)

FAQs

What Are Financial Assets? - Nationwide? ›

An asset is anything you own that adds financial value, as opposed to a liability, which is money you owe. Examples of personal assets include: Your home. Other property, such as a rental house or commercial property. Checking/savings account.

What are 5 examples of financial assets? ›

Cash, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and bank deposits are all are examples of financial assets. Unlike land, property, commodities, or other tangible physical assets, financial assets do not necessarily have inherent physical worth or even a physical form.

What are considered financial assets? ›

Deposits, stocks, bonds, notes, currencies, and other instruments that possess value and give rise to claims, liabilities, or equity investment. Financial assets include bank loans, direct investments, and official private holdings of debt and equity securities and other instruments.

What are the 4 types of financial assets? ›

financial asset

a contractual claim to something of value; modern economies have four main types of financial assets: bank deposits, stocks, bonds, and loans.

What is an example list of financial assets? ›

Types of Financial Assets
  • Cash, as well as its equivalents. ...
  • Equity Stock. ...
  • Preference Shares. ...
  • Debentures. ...
  • Accounts Receivable. ...
  • Mutual Funds. ...
  • Derivatives. ...
  • Insurance Contracts.
Jan 18, 2023

Is a car a financial asset? ›

In accounting terms, your car is a depreciating asset. This means your vehicle may have value right now and you could sell it. However, while you own the car, that value usually goes down over time.

What assets are not financial assets? ›

A nonfinancial asset is an asset that derives its value from its physical traits. Examples include real estate and vehicles. It also includes all intellectual property, such as patents and trademarks.

Is a house a financial asset? ›

An asset is anything you own that adds financial value, as opposed to a liability, which is money you owe. Examples of personal assets include: Your home. Other property, such as a rental house or commercial property.

What are the three basic types of financial assets? ›

Money, stocks and bonds are the main types of financial assets. Each is something you can own, and each has some amount of financial value.

What is the most common type of financial asset? ›

The most common type of financial assets are retirement investments and demand deposit accounts. Simply put, a financial asset consists of ownership rights or contractual rights to an underlying asset like a company, real estate, or commodity.

Which financial assets are the safest? ›

Some of the most common types of safe assets historically include real estate property, cash, Treasury bills, money market funds, and U.S. Treasuries mutual funds. The safest assets are known as risk-free assets, such as sovereign debt instruments issued by governments of developed countries.

Which financial assets carries the most risk? ›

Equities are generally considered the riskiest class of assets. Dividends aside, they offer no guarantees, and investors' money is subject to the successes and failures of private businesses in a fiercely competitive marketplace.

Is jewelry an asset? ›

Tangible assets: These are physical objects, or the assets you can touch. Examples include your home, business property, car, boat, art and jewelry.

Is life insurance a financial asset? ›

The death benefit of a life insurance policy is not considered an asset, but some policies have a cash value, which is considered an asset. Only permanent life insurance policies, like whole life, can grow cash value.

Is cash an asset? ›

Personal assets are things of present or future value owned by an individual or household. Common examples of personal assets include: Cash and cash equivalents, certificates of deposit, checking, and savings accounts, money market accounts, physical cash, Treasury bills.

Is a checking account an asset? ›

Bottom Line. Since an asset is cash or something that can be converted to cash, a checking account is considered an asset as long as it has a positive value. If your checking account is overdrawn, you owe your bank or credit union money, which makes it a liability.

What kind of asset is a house? ›

2. Physical Assets. Physical assets include anything tangible that you own that's valuable – anything that can be touched. Physical assets that can be sold for funds to be used to qualify for a mortgage include – but are not limited to – properties, homes, cars, boats, RVs, jewelry and artwork.

Is a credit card bill an asset or liabilities? ›

In contrast, credit card debts are liabilities. Each credit card transaction creates a new loan from the credit card issuer. Eventually the loan needs to be repaid with a financial asset—money.

What are 6 best assets? ›

Being able to adapt when an extra hand is needed or when a transition happens is a great soft skill.
  • Teamwork. Working with others, especially being able to respect others' different opinions, is an important component of teamwork. ...
  • Empathy. ...
  • Patience. ...
  • Time Management Skills. ...
  • Interpersonal Skills.

What are your 3 greatest assets? ›

Your 3 greatest assets are not what you sell, it's not your customers, it's not your territory. Your three greatest assets are your time, your mind, and your network. Each day your objective is to protect your time, grow your mind, and nurture your network.

What are the top 5 assets? ›

The 9 Best Income Producing Assets to Grow Your Wealth
  1. Stocks/Equities. If I had to pick one asset class to rule them all, stocks would definitely be it. ...
  2. Bonds. ...
  3. Investment/Vacation Properties. ...
  4. Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) ...
  5. Farmland. ...
  6. Small Businesses/Franchise/Angel Investing. ...
  7. CDs/Money Market Funds. ...
  8. Royalties.
Mar 9, 2023

Are houses an asset? ›

Given the financial definitions of asset and liability, a home still falls into the asset category. Therefore, it's always important to think of your home and your mortgage as two separate entities (an asset and a liability, respectively).

Is security deposit a financial asset? ›

Since the security deposit is refundable (and the tenant intends to comply with the specified conditions) the tenant that paid the security deposit will report the amount as an asset.

What is not considered an asset? ›

Business assets include money in the bank, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable and other sums that are owed to the company. Hence, a building that has been taken on rent by the business for its use would not be regarded as an assets because company have no ownership of that building.

Why owning a house is not an asset? ›

Unfortunately, your primary residence is not really an asset. That's because you are living there and will be unable to realize any appreciation gains. The answer may change if you have a plan to sell your house within a set period of time.

What dollar amount is considered an asset? ›

What is an asset? An asset is a purchase that a business makes to support operations that typically costs more than $2,500. Depending on the business, they may set different caps on how much something must cost before it becomes an asset in the accounting system.

Is clothing considered an asset? ›

An asset is a possession that can be evaluated and assessed a dollar value, a financial value. Assets come in all kinds of forms. Your car, your home, your education, and your clothes are assets.

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