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Assets

    Assets Editor's Picks

    • About Protecting Assets

      Individuals and families often seek out asset protection to reduce their expenses from taxes, aggressive debtors, lawsuit damage-seekers, divorce and more. In some cases, the attempts at asset protection can actually have the reverse effect, as concealing assets from creditors and criminal investigators is in many cases considered a... more »

    • About Liquid Assets

      Consumers utilize liquid assets daily. It is an asset that can be converted into cash, that is used for debt relief or purchases. If you've ever heard the term "liquid assets" and had no clue what it referred to, read on to find out more about it. Check out this article to find out more about liquid assets and the benefits... more »

    • What Type of Assets Can You Contribute to an IRA?

      IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) are an excellent tool to use in planning for your retirement. IRA earnings accumulate tax-deferred (or tax-free in Roth IRAs), providing you don't withdraw the funds until retirement age. Knowing what kind of assets you can hold in your IRA can help you fine-tune your financial plan. more »

    • How to Calculate Return on Assets

      Return on assets is a measure of a company's profitability. In investing, the return on assets ratio provides a snapshot of how much profit a company is able to keep from every dollar it makes in sales. It's important because it helps show whether a company is using its money wisely. Here's how to calculate it. more »

    • How to Protect Your Assets From the IRS

      Just because the IRS has levied penalties against you on your unpaid taxes—doesn't mean that you have to pay them. In this article I will offer advice on how to proceed. more »

    Assets Quick Guides

    • Create a Will

      Planning ahead is always a good idea. Be secure in the knowledge that you are leaving your loved...

    • Setting the Record Straight with a Prenuptial Agreement

      There are many reasons to get a prenuptial agreement. Some do it to protect assets or children...

    • Family Law

      Whether you're looking for information on prenuptial agreements, divorce law or child support,...

    • Bankruptcy 101

      Whether you're searching for consumer or commercial bankruptcy information, we've got you...

    Assets Articles

    • How to Let Go of Assets

      It is never too early to plan how to disburse your estate upon your death. Tax laws can create huge burdens on your estate leaving nothing for... more »

    • How to Pass on Assets Without a Will

      If you're on a fixed budget, or have a very small amount of assets, the cost of a will may be too high. Most states already have a will in place... more »

    • About Unclaimed Assets

      Money is deemed unclaimed if contact is lost with its owner. Often, this happens when the owner dies, her name changes through divorce or... more »

    • How to Allocate Assets

      Asset allocation is the process of diversifying an investor's money between different asset classes including stocks, bonds and cash investments.... more »

    • How to Protect Your Assets With a Prenup

      A prenuptial agreement is a contract signed by two people before marriage to ensure that all assets and liabilities are distributed fairly in case... more »

    Wikipedia

    Asset

    In business and accounting, assets are economic resources owned by business or company. Anything tangible or intangible that one possesses, usually considered as applicable to the payment of ones debts is considered an asset. Simplistically stated, assets are things of value that can be readily converted into cash (although cash itself is also considered an asset). The balance sheet of a firm records the monetary"CPA">J.G.Siegel, N.Dauber & J.K.Shim, "The Vest Pocket CPA", Wiley, 2005.There are different methods of assessing the monetary value of the assets recorded on the Balance Sheet. In some cases, the Historical Cost is used; such that the value of the asset when it was bought in the past is used as the monetary value. In other instances, the present fair market value of the asset is used to determine the value shown on the balance sheet. value of the assets owned by the firm. It is money and other valuables belonging to an individual or business.
    Two major asset classes are tangible assets and intangible assets. Tangible assets contain various subclasses, including current assets and fixed assets."FinanceDict">J. Downes, J.E. Goodman, "Dictionary of Finance & Investment Terms", Barons Financial Guides, 2003 Current assets include inventory, while fixed assets include such items as buildings and equipment."CPA_Finance">J. Downes, J.E. Goodman, "Dictionary of Finance & Investment Terms", Barons Financial Guides, 2003; and J.G.Siegel, N.Dauber & J.K.Shim, "The Vest Pocket CPA", Wiley, 2005. Intangible assets are nonphysical resources and rights that have a value to the firm because they give the firm some kind of advantage in the market place. Examples of intangible assets are goodwill, copyrights, trademarks, patents and computer programs,"CPA_Finance" /> and financial assets, including such items as accounts receivable, bonds and stocks.
    Asset characteristics
    Assets have three essential characteristics:
    * The probable present benefit invol read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset

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