‘The’ “The letter “T” in a T-account divides a company’s assets on the left from its liabilities on the right. T-accounts are used by all businesses, though the majority are significantly more complicated. The assets of a bank are the financial instruments that the bank either owns (its reserves) or that other parties owe money to the bank (such as loans made by the bank and U.S. government securities such as Treasury bonds purchased by the bank). The bank’s liabilities are the debts it owes to others. The bank, in particular, owes any deposits made in the bank to the depositors. Total assets minus total liabilities equals the bank’s net worth, or equity. To get the T account balance to zero, net worth is added to the liabilities side. Net worth will be positive in a strong business. A bankrupt company’s net worth will be zero. In either instance, assets will always equal liabilities + net value on a bank’s T-account.
Customers who deposit money into a checking account, a savings account, or a certificate of deposit are considered liabilities by the bank. After all, the bank owes these deposits to its customers and is required to restore the monies when they request a withdrawal. The Safe and Secure Bank, in the scenario presented in Figure 1, has $10 million in deposits.
Figure 1 shows the first category of bank assets: loans. Let’s say a family takes out a 30-year mortgage to buy a home, which implies the borrower will pay back the loan over the next 30 years. Because the borrower has a legal obligation to make payments to the bank over time, this loan is clearly an asset to the bank. But, in practice, how can the value of a 30-year mortgage loan be calculated in the present? Estimating what another party in the market is willing to pay for something—whether a loan or anything else—is one method of determining its worth. Many banks make house loans, charging various handling and processing costs, but then sell the loans to other banks or financial institutions, who collect the payments. The primary loan market is where loans are provided to borrowers, while the secondary loan market is where these loans are acquired and sold by financial institutions.
The perceived riskiness of the loan is a key factor that influences what financial institutions are willing to pay for it when they buy it in the secondary loan market: that is, given the borrower’s characteristics, such as income level and whether the local economy is performing well, what proportion of loans of this type will be repaid? Any financial institution will pay less to acquire a loan if there is a higher risk that it will not be returned. Another important consideration is to compare the initial loan’s interest rate to the current interest rate in the economy. If the borrower was required to pay a low interest rate on the initial loan, but current interest rates are relatively high, a financial institution will pay less to buy the loan. In contrast, if the initial loan has a high interest rate and current interest rates are low, a financial institution will pay more to buy the loan. If the loans of the Safe and Secure Bank were sold to other financial institutions in the secondary market, the total value of the loans would be $5 million.
The second type of bank asset is Treasury securities, which are a frequent way for the federal government to borrow money. Short-term bills, intermediate-term notes, and long-term bonds are all examples of Treasury securities. A bank invests some of the money it receives in deposits in bonds, usually those issued by the United States government. Government bonds are low-risk investments since the government is almost likely to pay the bond back, although at a low interest rate. These bonds are an asset for banks in the same way that loans are: they provide a future source of payments to the bank. The Safe and Secure Bank, in our scenario, has bonds with a total value of $4 million.
The last item under assets is reserves, which are funds held by the bank but not loaned out or invested in bonds, and hence do not result in interest payments. Banks are required by the Federal Reserve to hold a specific amount of depositors’ money on deposit “The term “reserve” refers to funds held by banks in their own vaults or as deposits at the Federal Reserve Bank. A reserve requirement is what it’s called. (You’ll see later in this chapter that the level of these needed reserves is one policy weapon that governments can use to influence bank conduct.) Banks may also want to have a specific amount of reserves on hand that is over and beyond what is required. The Safe and Secure Bank has $2 million in cash on hand.
A bank’s net worth is calculated by subtracting its entire assets from its total liabilities. The net worth of the Safe and Secure Bank in Figure 1 is $1 million, which is equivalent to $11 million in assets minus $10 million in liabilities. The net worth of a financially sound bank will be positive. If a bank has a negative net worth and depositors try to withdraw money, the bank will not be able to pay all of the depositors.
Bonds are either assets or liabilities.
A bond is a debt instrument that firms use to raise money. Bonds can be classified as assets or liabilities depending on who is accounting for them. Bonds are commonly used by businesses to raise funds. Bonds are liabilities that result in obligations in this scenario.
What are a bank’s assets and liabilities?
The bank’s assets are the things it owns. Loans, securities, and reserves are all included. Deposits and bank borrowing from other institutions are examples of liabilities that the bank owes to others.
Is a bond an investment or a cost?
As a result, bonds having a one-year maturity or less, such as US Treasury Bills, are classified as short-term investments and current assets. Most other forms of bonds are non-current assets because they linger on a company’s balance sheet for more than a year.
Why are bonds considered assets?
- They give a steady stream of money. Bonds typically pay interest twice a year.
- Bondholders receive their entire investment back if the bonds are held to maturity, therefore bonds are a good way to save money while investing.
Companies, governments, and municipalities issue bonds to raise funds for a variety of purposes, including:
- Investing in capital projects such as schools, roadways, hospitals, and other infrastructure
Where do bonds appear on a balance sheet?
Bonds payable is a liability account that holds the amount that the issuer owes to bondholders. Because bonds frequently mature in more than one year, this account is usually seen in the long-term liabilities part of the balance sheet. If they are due to mature in less than a year, the line item is moved to the current liabilities part of the balance sheet.
The face value of the bonds, the interest rate to be paid to bond holders, special repayment terms, and any covenants placed on the issuing corporation are all contained in the bond indenture agreement.
What are the assets of banks?
Bank assets are primarily made up of various types of loans and marketable securities, as well as reserves of base money, which can be stored in the form of physical central bank notes and coins or as a credit (deposit) balance with the central bank.
A bank asset is which of the following?
The difference between a bank’s assets and liabilities is known as bank capital, and it represents the bank’s net worth or equity value to investors. Cash, government securities, and interest-earning loans make up the asset element of a bank’s capital (e.g., mortgages, letters of credit, and inter-bank loans). Loan-loss reserves and any debt owed by a bank are included in the liabilities component of its capital. The capital of a bank can be conceived of as the amount by which creditors would be compensated if the bank were to liquidate its assets.
Is a bond receivable considered an asset?
Customers’ receivables are formed when a company extends a line of credit to them, and they are reported as current assets on the balance sheet. Because they can be used as collateral to receive a loan to help pay short-term obligations, they are called a liquid asset. Receivables are a type of working capital that a company has. In order to effectively manage receivables, you must quickly contact any customers who have not paid and, if necessary, discuss a payment plan agreement. This is significant since it offers more capital for operations while also reducing the company’s net debt.