Managing personal financial assets involves keeping track of various documents that are important for budgeting, financial planning, and record-keeping. Financial assets refer to tradable assets that have economic value and represent ownership or a claim on underlying assets or cash flows. These assets can be categorized into various types, and each type may have corresponding documents that represent ownership, terms, and conditions. We curated a list of common financial assets and their corresponding documents:
Stocks (Equities)
Corresponding Document: Stock Certificate (historically), but in modern times, ownership is usually recorded electronically through a brokerage account.
Additional Documents: Annual Reports, Proxy Statements.
Bonds
Corresponding Document: Bond Certificate (for physical bonds) or electronic record in a brokerage account.
Additional Documents: Bond Indenture (the legal contract outlining the terms), Prospectus, Coupon (for interest payments), and Maturity Date.
Mutual Funds
Corresponding Document: Mutual Fund Statement (issued by the fund manager).
Additional Documents: Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information (SAI), Annual Report.
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)
Corresponding Document: Creation/Redemption Units (for authorized participants), and ETF Shares in a brokerage account.
Additional Documents: Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information (SAI), Annual Report.
Options
Corresponding Document: Options Contract (represents the right to buy or sell an underlying asset).
Additional Documents: Options Disclosure Document (ODD), Margin Agreement (if trading on margin).
Futures Contracts
Corresponding Document: Futures Contract (standardized agreement to buy or sell an asset at a future date).
Additional Documents: Margin Agreement, Clearing Agreement.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
Corresponding Document: REIT Shares in a brokerage account.
Additional Documents: Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information (SAI), Annual Report.
Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
Corresponding Document: Certificate of Deposit (physical or electronic).
Additional Documents: Terms and Conditions.
Cryptocurrencies
Corresponding Document: Digital Wallet (for storing and managing cryptocurrency holdings).
Additional Documents: Private Keys (for security), Transaction History.
With advancements in technology and digitalization, many financial assets are held and traded electronically, reducing the need for physical certificates. Investors often access their holdings and related documents through online platforms such as Count My Dollar, using Asset document management, so you can view corresponding documents alongside personal finance management.
