What Is an Asset Statement?

Asset statements tell the tale of a company's financial soundness. As a business owner, your statement of assets provides insight into your financial standing. Presenting your asset statement in a clear, ordered way can improve your approval rate in borrowing transactions. Equally important, accurate asset report presentation also ensures that you abide by regulatory guidelines.

An asset statement provides insight into your net worth, meaning money you have left over after you pay all your bills. Assets are economic resources that you own. You also count as assets those resources you currently don't own but on which you may have ownership rights at a future date. For example, if you sign a lease agreement that indicates a transfer of ownership after a specified number of years, you may consider the leased asset as a resource. Examples of assets include cash, car, equipment, real estate and machinery.

An asset statement is an important document that you use to prove your solvency in various transactions. This financial report also provides the information necessary to assess your equity capital. Asset statements serve integrally in lending activities and judicial matters, among others. For example, a bank may ask that you submit a statement of assets before approving a loan application. Similarly, a family judge adjudicating a divorce case may ask both spouses to submit their individual asset statements. Federal regulators, such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, require that borrowers present a statement of assets before applying for real estate loans.

A statement of asset features all economic resources that you possess. Accordingly, this report features cash balances in your checking and savings accounts, stocks and bonds that you own, automobiles and real property. Equally important, a statement of assets indicates any in-force life insurance policy you have and pension accounts.

To prepare an asset statement correctly, seek the guidance of an accounting specialist or a personal financial adviser. Unless you possess financial dexterity or have practical experience in preparing accounting reports, it's more advantageous to rely on specialists. These professionals include certified public accountants, certified management accountants, chartered financial analysts and certified financial planners.

An asset statement is just a part of a larger, broader financial report called a balance sheet or statement of financial position. A balance sheet provides a well-rounded, more precise view of a person's net worth, since it indicates assets along with liabilities. Net worth, or equity capital, equals assets minus debts. When reviewing borrowers' financial data, lenders also sift through other financial reports, such as income statements and cash flow summaries.