Next year's salary is not an asset. Your car probably is.
An asset is something you own that has financial value. Your list may include money in bank accounts, investments, retirement savings, property, a vehicle or an interest in a business. Salary matters enormously, but it belongs in your cash-flow view, because it is income received over time rather than value you hold today.
The purpose is not to produce an impressive total. It is to see what exists, who owns it and where the value came from.
Use a recent, reasonable value. A bank balance or investment value may come from a statement. A property or business value may be only an estimate. That is fine if you label it honestly. A precise-looking guess does not become a fact because it has two decimal places.
Watch for the same asset appearing twice. An investment held on a platform is still one investment, not a platform asset plus a fund asset.
Try this now
Create five columns:
1. Asset 2. Owner 3. Approximate value 4. Value date 5. Source or “estimate”
Start with three items. Naledi, for example, might list her bank savings, tax-free savings account and employer retirement fund. She does not need every number before she begins.
If ownership is shared or unclear, write that down instead of deciding from memory.