I want to understand the difference between the real and financial assets.
By definition, real assets are structures, equipment, inventories of goods, and land. Financial assets are bank accounts, corporate stocks, or bonds.
Here are five examples I want to understand: patent, lease obligations, customer goodwill, a college education, a 5$ bill.
I think a 5$ bill is for sure real asset. A college education is also look like more a real asset if I consider it from my own (student) perspective.
A lease obligation is for sure a financial asset.
I am not sure about the customer goodwill and a patent. Maybe I can consider a patent just like a lease obligation, I can rent it for somebody? I never heard about a customer goodwill before, but google says that it is intangible, but many companies include it in their calculations.
