What are assets and liabilities. Passive is. What is a passive

Assets and liabilities are concepts that appear very often in people's economic lives. As you know, they are the most important categories of accounting. Meanwhile, understanding the practical essence of these terms can be useful in everyday life. It is important for any business entity to have a clear understanding of what assets and liabilities are, how to correctly classify them, and why a balance is always maintained between them. This knowledge will help you manage your own finances wisely and use personal funds with the greatest efficiency.

Important nuance! In the modern information space, one can find two interpretations that define the essence of assets and liabilities. The first – accounting – characterizes these concepts from the point of view of the balance sheet. The second – investment – ​​appeared in business slang at the suggestion of Robert Kiyosaki, whom many know as a successful investor and popular business consultant.

Of course, both approaches to determining assets and liabilities deserve special attention. It is necessary to consider them as simply and clearly as possible - with examples that are close to most people engaged in business activities or related to investing, financial management, and accounting.

The concept of assets and liabilities: the investment approach of Robert Kiyosaki

According to Robert Kiyosaki, a world-famous business coach, the assets of a business entity should be considered financial investments that consistently generate passive income. An investment consultant includes liabilities and other encumbrances of a business entity that force it to regularly incur certain expenses. Of course, although such definitions explain the essence of these categories in an accessible, popular form, they require specific examples from practice.

Assets - investment approach

Thus, assets should be understood as any investments that meet at least one of two criteria:

1. Allow the investor to receive systematic passive income.
2. They gradually increase their own value over time.

Practice shows that the most preferred assets for most citizens are the following investments:

1. Deposits opened in reliable banks on favorable terms. Such deposits bring the investor a stable interest income.
2. Reliable bonds- debt securities . The source of earnings is coupon income, regularly accrued to the investor over a certain period of time. Such payments are often made every six months, or alternatively quarterly or annually.
3. Dividend shares– equity securities. Profit from such investments is generated in two main directions. The first is an increase in market value, the stock price, which certifies that the investor has a certain share (part) in the capital of the issuing company. The second is annual dividends paid to the investor in accordance with his share (part) in the share capital.
4. Immovable objects. Such investments are rightly considered the most reliable options for generating income in the long term. First, the value of these assets tends to increase over time. Secondly, rental income from premises can provide the investor with a good platform for financial well-being.
5. Investments in various trust management instruments(Mutual funds and other assets). Everything is simple here: funds are transferred under an agreement to professional managers who use them to generate income (usually investing in equity and debt securities). The profit received is subsequently distributed between investors and trustees.
6. Compensable receivables, that is, funds loaned to third parties for a certain fee, which is the income of the lender.
7. Investments directly related to the acquisition of valuable assets in anticipation of a future increase in their market value. These can include precious metals in various forms, art and collectibles.

Liabilities - investment approach

Accordingly, the following positions can be classified as liabilities:

1. Targeted housing loans – mortgage loans.
2. Consumer loans issued by a citizen for the purchase of any material goods, entertainment, tourist trips.
3. Any property that does not generate income for the owner.
4. Any accounts payable (money borrowed).

Asset or liability - a clear example

For example, a citizen has an amount equal to 3 (three) million rubles. The thing is that he can use these funds in different ways.

• Alternatively, there is a possibility purchase living space - apartment, in good condition and located in a good, convenient area. Liquid real estate that is in stable demand can always be sold at a favorable price. In addition, such housing can be easily rented out for temporary use for a good fee, which will provide the owner (landlord) with passive income.

Having made this acquisition, the investor rents out the real estate. Monthly rent – ​​20,000 rubles. In a year you get 240,000 rubles - passive income. If this amount is reduced by the amount of utility costs and other current costs, you will get approximately 180,000 rubles - net income from the provision of your own housing for rent. It should also be taken into account that the cost of purchased living space is likely to gradually increase due to inflation processes and other factors. An increase in the rental amount in the future cannot be ruled out. Thus, the purchased apartment became an income-generating asset.

• Another scenario is to spend 3 (three) million rubles for the purchase of a new executive car in a prestigious showroom. After leaving the car dealership, the vehicle immediately loses 15-20% of its original value. In addition, it is necessary to estimate the annual costs of the car owner for fuel, service, parking, insurance, consumables and other cost items, the total amount of which for the year can reach at least 350,000 rubles.

If the owner, for example, after 3 (three) years wants to sell this car, he will be able to get a maximum of 1.5 million rubles for it. It turns out that the possession of such property led to the loss of 50% of its value over a three-year period of normal operation. In addition, during the same period, the owner of the car spent approximately 1 (one) million rubles on its use, based on the data given above (350,000 rubles per year). Three years of operation of the vehicle will cost its owner about 2.5 million rubles. A car has become a typical liability for its owner, which does not bring income to the investor, but leads to regular expenses and gradually loses its value.

How to manage your own assets and liabilities

Although liabilities do not generate income for their owner, it is not possible to completely eliminate them from everyday life. As a rule, liabilities are necessary factors for the existence of any person. We are talking about food, clothing, medicine, a roof over one’s head, technical devices, accessories and other areas of expenses that a person cannot do without. The only way to competently optimize the costs associated with maintaining and securing liabilities is to adequately link them with assets. It is desirable that the income from assets be greater than the costs of liabilities.

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1. Make an accurate calculation of the actual amount of liabilities, assessing current needs and real monthly costs.
2. After analyzing the items of personal expenses, determine which areas should be excluded and which should be limited or reduced. Alternatively, you can avoid excessive expenses associated with paying for entertainment or purchasing expensive items.
3. Determine the structure of existing assets. Make sure they all generate adequate income. Calculate the monthly amount of cash receipts.
4. Compare the total income from existing assets with the total costs of existing liabilities. Identify the difference, estimate its size, and draw appropriate conclusions.
5. Always strive to exceed the income generated by assets, the costs associated with securing and maintaining liabilities.

An accounting approach to the interpretation of the concepts of assets and liabilities

From an accounting point of view, the assets of a business entity and its liabilities are components of a balance sheet containing the following information:

• Property owned by a business entity.
• Who owns this company?
• Sources of financing for property owned by the organization.
• Financial results of the enterprise (profit, loss).

Assets are displayed on the left side of the balance sheet and contain information about the property at the disposal of a business entity.

The organization's assets are divided into the following main groups:

1. Current assets, which, as the name suggests, are directly used in economic activities. These include the organization's financial resources, its inventories, as well as accounts receivable and other similar assets.
2. Fixed assets, which do not take part in the turnover of an economic entity, but play an important role in ensuring it. Non-current assets are considered to be real estate for industrial or other purposes, equipment, tools, vehicles, technical devices, long-term investments, and intangible assets of various types.

Enterprise assets is a set of property rights that are the property of an organization in the form of financial claims to individuals or legal entities, fixed assets or existing inventories. In a more simplified interpretation, this will be the name given to the investments made or the set of requirements.

This term is used to refer to any property or property owned by a business.

Description of the company's assets in simple words

In other words, it is property. Those. everything that an enterprise has in stock, which can be felt with the touch of a hand: cash savings, securities, buildings, premises, cars, instruments, machines, goods, finished products and other tangible and intangible assets.

It should be noted that assets can be tangible or intangible.

• In the first case, we are talking about a reserve of funds, as well as other financial instruments, which can be made deposits in cash equivalent, cash on hand, shares (securities), an insurance policy and, directly, monetary assets that can be presented in any currency.
• Regarding intangible assets, these include primarily non-monetary assets that do not have a physical form. This category includes the company's intellectual property (logo, registered trademark, invention patents) and even the company's general business reputation.

According to the degree of direct participation of assets in a particular production cycle, they can be divided into current and.

• The first applies to the tendency according to which assets diverge completely within one cycle. At the same time, they are able to ensure all operational activities of the company.
• Non-current assets, in turn, are sold gradually. This happens over several separate production cycles. The cycle of non-current assets ends when their full value is transferred to manufactured products.

The assets of an enterprise can also be classified according to the source of formation, as well as the level of liquidity. The process of forming net assets is carried out exclusively at the expense of equity capital, while gross assets are also carried out with the help of borrowed funds. The available capital also takes a direct part in the formative process.

As for grouping by liquidity level, in this case assets can be illiquid, low-liquid, medium-liquid and highly liquid.

This is necessary in order to obtain high profits. Assets with a high level of liquidity will be considered funds that, at a specific period of time, are in the current accounts of the organization or in the cash register of the enterprise.

The assets and liabilities of an individual organization, through interaction with each other, can have a direct impact on the overall financial condition of the enterprise and determine the level of its solvency. This leads to a conclusion about the competitiveness of the company and its ability to maintain its position in the market for a specific period of time.

Today we will understand what assets and liabilities are and how they affect our lives. We will also discuss how to achieve financial well-being using their balance sheet.

The term assets and liabilities comes from the balance sheet. They indicate in a simple form the economic activities of the company. The term assets refers to economic derivatives that bring profit to the company. This could be sales profit, capital goods and derivatives, property, accounts receivable, balance sheet materials, etc. Liabilities refer to funds that generate losses. These include the financial obligations of the enterprise to employees, payment of utility bills, loans, fines, etc.

In simple words: assets are what makes a profit, and liabilities are what incurs losses.
For any successful enterprise, it is important to maintain a balance in which assets are equal to or exceed liabilities. If it is the other way around, the enterprise will become unprofitable and face bankruptcy.

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Applying Financial Balance to Your Life

In order to develop their own well-being, it is important for any person to follow simple rules of financial balance. Namely, to ensure that his income - count assets - does not exceed expenses - liabilities. And also be able to correctly adjust your own budget.

In everyday life, assets usually mean what brings us income:

• Basic salary
• Part time job
• Funds received from investment
• Deposit accounts
• Renting out housing
• Sale of goods of own production

The liabilities will look like this:

• Funds necessary for life needs - purchase of food, personal hygiene items, medicines, medical care, clothing
• Payment of utility services
• Payment of taxes and fees
• Fulfillment of financial obligations - credit, mortgage, loans, etc.
• Entertainment expenses - cinema, cafe, gifts
• Transport content

Example 1: We have multiple sources of income and standard expenses

In this example, we see the correct maintenance of the financial balance. When we earn more than we spend. And in the end we get a plus of 4,500 rubles. Despite the fact that we always leave funds in the balance sheet for unforeseen expenses and do not spend them if there is no need, but save them. In this way, slowly but surely we are becoming richer. At the same time, our standard of living is quite high - we can afford to allocate funds to buy good clothes, entertainment and proper nutrition.

Example 2: Now let’s look at a standard example, typical for most ordinary people. When we lack several sources of income and we are forced to limit ourselves.

We see that we are forced to save on food, entertainment, and clothing. And we don't save anything for unexpected expenses. This way we manage to keep the balance equal to 0. What does this mean? And the fact is that if we cannot bring it into plus, then our financial condition will never change for the better. Therefore, we need to increase revenues and optimize costs. The simplest option is to reduce the number of liabilities. Although it would seem that there is nothing left to cut. What can we remove from this list? This is something we can do without. Namely, without entertainment and car maintenance.

Let's start with entertainment, here the choice is undoubtedly yours - to live in the current conditions and at the same time allow yourself to occasionally indulge, or to temporarily endure and improve your financial situation in the future, I think the choice is obvious. Now let's look at the second shortened passive. Look, we have a car that serves us primarily as a means of transportation. Let us assume expenses of 5,000 rubles just for refueling it. But during the year we also need scheduled maintenance, insurance, spare parts, consumables, etc. The amount accumulated is not small. But in a large city, sometimes you can’t get by without a car. But it is possible to use public transport. An average family of 3 people can buy unlimited travel passes and, in cases of emergency, use a taxi. This way you can reduce costs by at least 2 times. And then our balance will take on a completely different look.

Having reduced only two points, we came out positive. And we have 4,500 rubles, which we can begin to convert into assets. And if we also found additional sources of profit, our financial situation would improve much faster. If we find a part-time job that will bring in at least 5,000 rubles a month, then we will be able to save 9,500. Which at the end of the year will amount to more than 100,000 rubles. This money can already be invested in your small business or put into a deposit account with compound interest and over the next five years turned into 1 million rubles. In general, there are a huge variety, you just need to study each of them competently.

The most common types of passive spending of money

Now let's make a list of the most common passives in everyday life

• Bad habits. Consumption of alcohol and nicotine not only harms health, but also the family budget. The average smoker spends about 3,000 rubles a month on cigarettes. Drinkers are also in this range. Add to this a visit to places of entertainment - bars, discos and the price of a riotous lifestyle can increase several times.
• Personal transport. Your own car constantly eats up part of your budget. If you have the opportunity to do without a personal car, then this will save you a lot of money. Of course, if you don't make money from it. Remember that about 75% of wealthy Muscovites travel by metro. Because it's not only cheap, but also fast. Time saved = money.
• Unnecessary purchases. If you go to the store without a list of what you need, there is a 90% chance that you will buy something that you will not need later. Therefore, carefully plan each shopping trip.
• Spending on emotions. How often does a person, passing by a beautiful display case, acquire something that he could easily live without all his life? For example, you have a good smartphone, but while passing by the so-called Euroset, you suddenly decided that it would be nice to buy a more powerful, beautiful, modern phone. A useless waste of money.
• Entertainment. Meeting with friends, cafes, restaurants, expensive hobbies - all this eats up a lot of money. Of course, it’s difficult to give up all this, and it’s not worth it. You just need to reduce their volume. After all, you can go to your favorite establishment not every week, but once a month or quarter. This way you will save a significant portion of money and get more emotions.

How to turn liabilities into assets?

In order to get rid of unnecessary expenses, we need to reduce liabilities, or make them become our assets. To do this, we have compiled a small visual table.

Many will say - why is an apartment a liability? It's simple - it doesn't make a profit. Moreover, we pay for its maintenance - housing and communal services, taxes. But we can’t live on the street just because the apartment is unprofitable. That's right, but some people barely make ends meet while living in a good three-room apartment. Or you could exchange it for housing of a smaller area and, adding a little money, buy another one. With which you can have rental income.

Conclusion: Everything that does not generate income, or is completely unprofitable, needs to be reduced. This applies to many aspects of financial life. Only by maintaining a strict cash balance can you count on a comfortable future.

the property of an enterprise that it disposes of to carry out its activities and make a profit. Characteristics and composition assets in accounting - these You will learn the nuances when you read this article.

Accounting of enterprise assets

Assets in accounting are owned real estate, goods, raw materials, products, money and monetary claims to counterparties, other accounting items that are reflected on the left side of the enterprise’s balance sheet. For accounting of the assets of the enterprise and operations carried out with them, data from the following main accounting accounts is used: 01-26, 29, 40, 41, 44, 45, 50-58, 60, 62, 68-73, 75, 76, 97.

Assets are divided into:

• negotiable and non-current;
• tangible and intangible (hereinafter referred to as intangible assets);
• high-, medium-, low-liquid and illiquid.

Current assets are those items that are consumed in the course of business activities (for example, inventories, cash, etc.). And non-current assets do not directly participate in the economic turnover of the enterprise (for example, fixed assets, long-term investments, etc.), but are capable of generating profit for it. A complete list of those objects that are included in current and non-current assets is reflected in paragraph 20 of PBU 4/99:

1. Non-negotiable:

• Intangible assets (business reputation, patents, know-how, licenses, etc.);
• OS (land, buildings/structures, machinery/equipment, unfinished capital investments, etc.);
• investments in assets that generate income (property for rental/leasing);
• Deferred tax assets;
• financial investments (long-term loans issued, investments).

1. Negotiable:

• inventories (raw materials/materials, work in progress costs, deferred costs, goods, finished products);
• VAT on acquisitions;
• debts of debtors (debts, bills receivable, advances issued, debts of founders on deposits in the management company);
• financial investments (short-term loans to companies; company shares purchased from its own shareholders);
• money (cash and non-cash, in domestic and foreign currency).

Assets can be tangible or intangible. Unlike tangible assets, intangible assets include those objects that do not have a tangible form (for example, property rights, business reputation of an enterprise, intellectual property). Despite the fact that intangible assets do not have a form, they can be easily identified (distinguished from other types of property). Moreover, the rights to such assets are confirmed exclusively in documentary form.

Accounting for intangible assets

In accounting, the unit for accounting for intangible assets is an object with an assigned inventory number, and the object is understood as the entire scope of rights that one object gives a company: a patent, certificate and other similar documents (letter of the Ministry of Finance dated October 21, 2014 No. 07-06/53102) .

The rules for the formation in accounting of information about the state and movement of intangible assets are prescribed in PBU 14/2007. In accordance with this provision, intangible assets are accepted for accounting at the original cost formed on the date of their receipt by the enterprise.

Moreover, this cost includes all costs for the acquisition/creation of intangible assets and bringing it to a usable state. Clause 10 of PBU 14/2007 specifies those costs by the amount of which the cost of intangible assets accepted for accounting cannot be increased. If the intangible asset was transferred as a gift, then such an asset is accounted for at the current market (expert) price.

Accounting for other assets

Almost all assets are registered at their actual cost. Features of accounting for assets in foreign currency are contained in PBU 3/2006, intangible assets - in PBU 14/2007, inventories - in PBU 5/01, accounting for financial investments - in PBU 19/02. The procedure and rules for accounting for assets such as fixed assets are prescribed in PBU 6/01.

You can familiarize yourself with the features of accounting for various types of assets in the following articles:

• low-liquidity (overdue debts, securities that are not quoted on the stock market, etc.);
• medium-liquid (fixed assets that are in demand);
• highly liquid (examples - cash or money in a bank account, government securities, etc.).

Results

In accordance with the structure of the balance sheet, assets can be divided into current and non-current - such a division indicates how intensively assets participate in business turnover during the reporting period. The accounting procedure for various types of assets is established in special accounting provisions.

In accounting, assets and liabilities are the first (left) and second (right) parts of the balance sheet, respectively. The words “active” and “passive” have Latin roots: activus (Latin) - active, passivus (Latin) - passive, inactive. The word "" translated from French means "scales" (balance).

What are assets and liabilities in the accounting system?

These are the same financial assets, just reflected in different parts of the balance sheet in accordance with different principles. Therefore, the total amount of all assets and the total amount of all liabilities must always be equal.

The total amount of assets (equal to the amount of liabilities) is called the “balance sheet currency.” This term has no relation to the currencies of other countries and serves to assess the volume of economic activity of a particular enterprise.

What are assets and liabilities?

Depending on the circulation period, assets and liabilities are divided into short-term and long-term. The maturity (repayment) period of short-term loans does not exceed 12 months, starting from the reporting date or according to the duration of the operating cycle. All other assets and liabilities are classified as long-term.

What an asset and a liability are is clearly seen in the example of preparing a balance sheet.

Types of assets

Active accounting accounts display available business funds, and the balances on these accounts show how these funds are distributed, that is, where they are directed.

Thus, the asset (or the left side of the balance sheet) reflects the composition and value of the enterprise at a certain date. This term is also used to refer to the property (total assets) of an organization. According to the balance sheet form in force in the Russian Federation, assets are divided into two sections:

1. Current assets – assets that are used in the process of economic activity:

• material reserves,
• cash,
• accounts receivable,
• short-term financial investments,
• VAT on purchased goods and valuables,
• other assets.

2. Non-current – ​​assets that are withdrawn from economic circulation:

• intangible assets,
• fixed assets,
• long-term financial investments,
• work in progress, etc.

Assets have the following characteristics:

• The organization can obtain economic benefits from the use of assets;
• The transaction or event giving rise to the right to receive the benefit has already occurred;
• The net asset value is understood as a value equal to the difference between the amount of assets and the amount of liabilities.

Types of liabilities

The sources of formation of economic funds are reflected in passive accounts. The balances in these accounts show how and where the funds came from. Otherwise, the totality of sources of funds is called the liabilities of the enterprise.

According to the definition, a liability is an organization existing at a certain date, arising as a result of completed business transactions, the repayment of which should lead to a decrease in the corresponding assets. This may be the payment of funds, the transfer of other assets (provision of services), or the replacement of one type of obligation with another.

Liabilities are divided into:

• Own (authorized and share) capital.
• Borrowed capital.

There are also obligations:

1. Short-term (accounts payable (to employees of the enterprise, lessors, founders, budget), short-term obligations on loans and borrowings (payment terms for which come within a year), reserves for future expenses)
2. Long-term (long-term liabilities for loans and borrowings, deferred tax liabilities).