Month after month, many individuals look at their bank and credit card statements and are surprised that they spent more than they thought they did. To avoid this problem, one simple method of accounting for income and expenditures is to have personal financial statements. Just like the ones used by corporations, financial statements provide you with an indication of your financial condition and can help with budget planning. There are two types of personal financial statements:
Let's explore these in more detail.
A personal cash flow statement measures your cash inflows and outflows in order to show you your net cash flow for a specific period of time. Cash inflows generally include the following:
Cash inflow can also include money received from the sale of assets like houses or cars. Essentially, your cash inflow consists of anything that brings in money. Cash outflow represents all expenses, regardless of size. Cash outflows include the following types of costs:
The purpose of determining your cash inflows and outflows is to find your net cash flow. Your net cash flow is simply the result of subtracting your outflow from your inflow. A positive net cash flow means that you earned more than you spent and that you have some money left over from that period. On the other hand, a negative net cash flow shows that you spent more money than you brought in. A balance sheet is the second type of personal financial statement. A personal balance sheet provides an overall snapshot of your wealth at a specific period in time. It is a summary of your assets (what you own), your liabilities (what you owe), and your net worth (assets minus liabilities). Assets can be classified into three distinct categories:
Liabilities are merely what you owe. Liabilities include current bills, payments still owed on some assets like cars and houses, credit card balances, and other loans.
The "debt avalanche" and the "debt snowball" are two popular methods for paying off liabilities, such as credit card debt. Your net worth is the difference between what you own and what you owe. This figure is your measure of wealth because it represents what you own after everything you owe has been paid off. If you have a negative net worth, this means that you owe more than you own. Two ways to increase your net worth are to increase your assets or decrease your liabilities. You can increase assets by increasing your cash or increasing the value of any asset you own. One note of caution: Make sure you don't increase your liabilities along with your assets. For example, your assets will increase if you buy a house, but if you take out a mortgage on that house your liabilities will also increase. Increasing your net worth through an asset increase will only work if the increase in assets is greater than the increase in liabilities. The same goes for trying to decrease liabilities. A decrease in what you owe has to be greater than a reduction in assets. Personal financial statements give you the tools to monitor your spending and increase your net worth. The thing about personal financial statements is that they are not just two separate pieces of information, but they actually work together. Your net cash flow from the cash flow statement can actually help you in your quest to increase your net worth. If you have a positive net cash flow in a given period, you can apply that money to acquiring assets or paying off liabilities. Applying your net cash flow toward your net worth is a great way to increase assets without increasing liabilities or decrease liabilities without increasing assets. If you currently have a negative cash flow or you want to increase positive net cash flow, the only way to do it is to assess your spending habits and adjust them as necessary. By using personal financial statements to become more aware of your spending habits and net worth, you'll be well on your way to greater financial security.
The term personal financial statement refers to a document or spreadsheet that outlines an individual's financial position at a given point in time. The statement typically includes general information about the individual, such as name and address, along with a breakdown of total assets and liabilities. The statement can help individuals track their financial goals and wealth, and can be used when they apply for credit.
Financial statements can be prepared for either companies or individuals. An individual’s financial statement is referred to as a personal financial statement and is a simpler version of corporate statements. Both are tools that can show the financial health of the subject. A personal financial statement shows the individual's net worth—their assets minus their liabilities—which reflects what that person has in cash if they sell all their assets and pay off all their debts. If their liabilities are greater than their assets, the financial statement indicates a negative net worth. If the individual has more assets than liabilities, they end up with a positive net worth. Keeping an updated personal financial statement allows an individual to track how their financial health improves or deteriorates over time. These can be invaluable tools when consumers want to change their financial sitution or apply for credit such as a loan or a mortgage. Knowing where they stand financially allows consumers to avoid unnecessary inquiries on their credit reports and the hassles of declined credit applications. The statement allows also credit officers to easily gain perspective into the applicant's financial situation in order to make an informed credit decision. In many cases, the individual or couple may be asked to provide a personal guarantee for part of the loan or they may be required to put up collateral to secure the loan. A personal financial statement is broken down into assets and liabilities. Assets include the value of securities and funds held in checking or savings accounts, retirement account balances, trading accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include any debts the individual may have including personal loans, credit cards, student loans, unpaid taxes, and mortgages. Debts that are jointly owned are also included. Married couples may create joint personal financial statements by combining their assets and liabilities. Income and expenses are also included if the statement is used to attain credit or to show someone's overall financial position. This can be tracked on a separate sheet or an addendum, called the income statement. This includes all forms of income and expenses—typically expressed in the form of monthly or yearly amounts. The following items are not included in a personal financial statement:
Business liabilities are only included in a personal financial statement if an individual provides the creditor with a personal guarantee. Keep in mind. Your credit report and credit history are big considerations when it comes to getting new credit and every lender has different requirements for issuing credit. So, even if you have a positive net worth—more assets than liabilities—you may still be refused a loan or credit card if you haven't paid your previous debts on time or have too many inquiries on file. Let's assume that River wants to track their net worth as they move toward retirement. They have been paying off debts, saving money, investing, and is getting closer to owning their home. Each year, they update the statement to see the progress they have made. Here's how they would break it down. They would list all their assets—$20,000 for a car, $200,000 for their house, $300,000 in investments, and $50,000 in cash and equivalents. They also owns some highly collectible stamps and art valued at $20,000 that they can list. Their total assets are, therefore, $590,000. As for liabilities, River owes $5,000 on the car and $50,000 for their house. Although River makes all of their purchases with a credit card, they pay the balance off each month and never carries a balance. River cosigned a loan for their daughter and there is $10,000 remaining on that. Even though it is not River's loan, they are still responsible, so it is included in the statement. River's liabilities are $65,000. When we subtract their liabilities from their assets, River's net worth is $525,000. Although they use it mainly to track their financial health, River can use this information—and the statement as a whole—if they want to apply for any other credit. |
The current financial position of an individual or family is best presented with the use of a:
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