Do You Know What a Financial Asset Is?
In the mid-1990s, and man named Robert Kiyosaki wrote a book called Rich dad, poor dad. This book was one of the first books that said your house was not a financial asset. Many people at the time argued that your house is an asset. Different people define a financial asset with a different definition. We are going to go over the various definitions that different people use.
If you live life according to Robert Kiyosaki’s principles, then a financial asset is something that gives you money each month, quarter, or year. If you were to quit working today, your financial asset would continue to bring in money whether you did anything or not. That is what he defines a financial asset as. Robert also defines a financial asset as something you can sell and turn into money, but his first principle of an asset is something that gives you money each month whether you work or not.
Other people define an asset as something you can sell them turn into money. Different examples of these types of would include money in your bank accounts, stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Your 401(k) and any other retirement money that you have set aside are also considered assets.
Bankers allow you to count personal possessions as assets, such as your boat, car, and jewelry that you have. When you are applying for a loan, if you have more financial assets in the form of a boat or car that is paid for, the banker will look favorably on this. Of course your banker will consider any mutual funds, 401(k) retirement accounts, cash in the bank, and stocks as an asset to.
We all have different definitions of what an asset is financially and I urge you to look into yourself and see what your definition is. If you are considering your car a financial asset, consider this question. How much did you pay for your car and how much can you sell your car for? If you cannot sell your car for the amount that you paid for it or more, I suggest that it is a financial liability. Losing money on a position should not be defined as an asset, no matter what the situation. Sit down with the pan and paper and write down what you think an asset is. Write down what you currently possess that is a financial asset. Can you sell it today if you had to? If so, would you be able to get more for it than you paid? Understanding the difference between as asset and liability can mean the difference between becoming rich and staying poor.
