This page is for informational purposes only
DEFINITION OF TERMS AND WHAT IS CONSIDERED AN ASSET
Cash, Savings, and Checking means the cash-out value of all such accounts.
For example, if you were to withdraw all funds, how much would you have?
Net Worth means current value minus debt. If net worth is negative, enter 0.
For example, if you were to sell the asset (rental property, etc) and pay off any debt associated with the asset
(outstanding loan balance, etc), how much would you have left over?
Investment Value means the current balance or market value of these investments as of today.
Investment Debt means only those debts that are related to the investments.
Investments include real estate (do not include the home you live in), trust funds, Uniform Gifts to Minors
(UGMA) and Uniform Transfers to Minors (UTMA) accounts, money market funds, mutual funds, certificates
of deposit, stocks, stock options, bonds, other securities, installment and land sale contracts (including
mortgages held), commodities, etc.
Investments also include qualified educational benefits or education savings accounts (e.g., Coverdell
savings accounts, 529 college savings plans and the refund value of 529 prepaid tuition plans). For a student
who does not report parental information, the accounts owned by the student (and/or the student’s spouse)
are reported as student investments. For a student who must report parental information, the accounts are
reported as parental investments, including all accounts owned by the student and all accounts owned by
the parents for any member of the household.
Investments do not include the home you live in, the value of life insurance, retirement plans
(401[k] plans, pension funds, annuities, non-education IRAs, Keogh plans, etc.) or cash, savings and checking
accounts already reported in the previous question. Investments also do not include UGMA and UTMA
accounts for which you are the custodian, but not the owner.
Business and/or investment farm value includes the market value of land, buildings, machinery, equipment,
inventory, etc. Business and/or investment farm debt means only those debts for which the business or
investment farm was used as collateral.
Business value does not include the value of a small business if your family owns and controls more than 50
percent of the business and the business has 100 or fewer full -time or full-time equivalent employees. For
small business value, your family includes (1) persons directly related to you, such as a parent, sister or
cousin, or (2) persons who are or were related to you by marriage, such as a spouse, stepparent or sister-in-
law.
Investment farm value does not include the value of a family farm that you (your spouse and/or your
parents) live on and operate.