What Are Assets? Definition and Examples | MetLife (2024)

Types of assets and examples

When it comes to assets, the most common types are tangible and intangible, and liquid and illiquid (aka, fixed) assets.

Tangible vs. intangible assets

Simply put, tangible assets can be physically touched.

Tangible asset examples:

  • Cash
  • Jewelry
  • Real estate
  • Vehicles and machinery
  • Furniture

Intangible assets, on the other hand, refer to things that are not physical.

Intangible asset examples:

  • Intellectual property
  • Patents and copyrights
  • Licenses
  • Royalties
  • Research
  • Social media accounts
  • Computer software and apps

Intangible assets typically are more applicable to businesses, but they can also be owned by individuals. By knowing and identifying what your intangible assets are, you can better estimate your future value or worth.

Liquid assets vs. illiquid (fixed) assets

Liquid assets are any that can easily be converted into cash in a short amount of time. These assets are sometimes simply referred to as cash, or cash equivalents.

Liquid asset examples:

  • Cash and bank accounts (checking and savings)
  • Money market funds
  • Mutual funds
  • Stocks and bonds
  • Treasury bills and notes
  • Certificates of deposit (CD)

Illiquid or fixed assets, meanwhile, are those that can’t be quickly converted into cash. They may be used to generate future income.

Illiquid (fixed) asset examples:

  • Real estate and land
  • Retirement accounts
  • Tools
  • Vehicles
  • Furniture
  • Jewelry
  • Art collection

Assets vs. liabilities

Liabilities are any debts you owe. These can be to individuals, businesses, or even organizations, like the government (think taxes). Other examples of personal liabilities could include credit card balances, loans, and mortgages.

When it comes to gains and losses, it may be a good idea to keep track of your assets and liabilities on a personal balance sheet. A personal balance sheet provides a snapshot of how you’re doing financially.

Understanding the relationship between assets and liabilities is a vital part of building wealth and having financial security.

Assets: The bottom line

Assets refer to anything owned by an individual or organization that has monetary value. They can be broken up into a number of asset types, all of which contribute to an organization’s or individual’s overall value.

What Are Assets? Definition and Examples | MetLife (2024)

FAQs

What Are Assets? Definition and Examples | MetLife? ›

An asset is anything you own that holds monetary value. That means things like your house, your car, and your checking account funds are considered assets.

What are assets and examples? ›

An asset is typically any useful thing or something that holds value. Most people have personal assets, like cash, savings accounts, bonds, life insurance policies, jewelry, and collectibles. A person's skills and abilities can also be an asset.

What is the best answer to define an asset? ›

An asset is a resource that is expected to provide a future benefit to its owner. In the case of businesses, assets are reported on the company's balance sheet. An asset may generate cash flow, reduce expenses, or improve sales, and it may be either tangible (like a piece of machinery) or intangible (like a copyright).

What is an asset short answer? ›

An asset is anything that has current or future economic value to a business. Essentially, for businesses, assets include everything controlled and owned by the company that's currently valuable or could provide monetary benefit in the future. Examples include patents, machinery, and investments.

What is an asset for dummies? ›

Assets are the items your company owns that can provide future economic benefit. Liabilities are what you owe other parties. In short, assets put money in your pocket, and liabilities take money out!

Is cell phone an asset? ›

Mobile phones used by businesses over a long period of time to bring in revenue become a part of office equipment. Office equipment is treated as a fixed asset.

Is cash considered 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, savings, and money market accounts, physical cash, and Treasury bills.

Do credit cards count as assets? ›

Assets are things you own that have value. Assets can include things like property, cash, investments, jewelry, art and collectibles. Liabilities are things that are owed, like debts. Liabilities can include things like student loans, auto loans, mortgages and credit card debt.

Is a checking account an asset? ›

Assets are things you own that have value. Your money in a savings or checking account is an asset. A car, home, business inventory, and land are also assets.

Is a car loan an asset? ›

The vehicle is an asset with a cash value if you need to sell it. However, the car loan is a liability, and the loan should be deducted from the car's value.

What is assets in one word? ›

asset noun (GOOD QUALITY)

a useful or valuable quality, skill, or person: He'll be a great asset to the team.

What best describes an asset? ›

The correct answer is option a. Assets are resources owned or controlled by a company that has expected future benefits.

What are a woman's assets? ›

Assets include both tangible and intangible economic, social, or productive resources, which can constrain or enable women and girls' empowerment. Our model locates financial and productive assets, knowledge and skills, social capital, and time, within the sphere of assets.

What is an asset in layman's terms? ›

Assets are things you own that you can sell for money. In accounting, an asset is any resource that a business owns or controls. It's anything that could be sold for money. The study of a balance sheet and assets and liabilities helps us to ascertain the equity value.

What are some examples of assets? ›

Examples of assets include:
  • Cash and cash equivalents.
  • Accounts Receivable.
  • Inventory.
  • Investments.
  • PPE (Property, Plant, and Equipment)
  • Vehicles.
  • Furniture.
  • Patents (intangible asset)

What is asset in real life? ›

Real assets include precious metals, commodities, real estate, land, equipment, and natural resources. They are appropriate for inclusion in most diversified portfolios because of their relatively low correlation with financial assets, such as stocks and bonds.

What are the 5 major assets? ›

The five most common asset classes are equities, fixed-income securities, cash, marketable commodities and real estate.

What qualifies as assets? ›

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 is your strongest personal asset? ›

We've heard it before, “Attitude is everything.” It's true. Your attitude is your greatest asset and can make up for gaps in your expertise, skills, and knowledge while growing in those areas. Make sure that you're intentional in keeping your attitude strong and contagious in a good way.

How to make a list of personal assets? ›

A Guide to Creating Your Personal Property Inventory List
  1. Develop a list of categories for your belongings. ...
  2. Record an estimated value with each item. ...
  3. Gather receipts or appraisals to show proof of purchase and value. ...
  4. Take photos (or videos) of your items and save them to a cloud or external hard drive.

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