How to Create a Personal Financial Statement: A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating a personal financial statement is a crucial step in managing your personal finances. It is a document that outlines your assets, liabilities, and overall financial position at a specific point in time. Lenders, investors, and even the Small Business Administration (SBA) typically require personal financial statements when applying for a loan or seeking funding for a business.
This article will guide you through creating a personal financial statement. We will also provide helpful tips and tools to ensure that you can accurately assess your individual’s financial situation and outline your financial goals and objectives.
What is a Personal Financial Statement and Why It’s Important?
A personal financial statement is vital for assessing an individual’s financial position. It provides an overview of an individual's assets, liabilities, and net worth at a given point of time. Understanding one’s financial position is crucial for making informed decisions about financial planning, budgeting, and investment decisions.
Creating a personal financial statement can also be helpful when applying for loans or credit. Lenders often require applicants to provide personal financial information as part of the application process. The statement provides lenders with a comprehensive view of the applicant’s financial situation, including their assets, liabilities, and net worth. Lenders use this information to assess the applicant’s ability to repay the loan or credit.
In addition to applying for loans or credit, a personal financial statement can be helpful for setting financial goals. By understanding one’s financial position, individuals can identify areas where they need to make changes to improve their financial situation. For example, if an individual has a negative net worth, they may need to reduce their expenses or increase their income to improve their financial position.
Step 1: Gather General Information
Before creating your personal financial statement, gathering all the necessary information is essential. This includes your income, expenses, assets, liabilities, and investments. Start by making a list of all your assets and liabilities, which will be used to calculate your net worth.
Assets typically include cash, bank accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, personal property (such as jewelry and collectibles), and any other significant value you own. Liabilities, on the other hand, include mortgages, loans, credit card balances, and any other debts you owe.
It is important to note that jointly owned assets and liabilities should be included in your personal financial statement. This means that if you own a property or asset with someone else, it should be listed on your statement.
Step 2: Assess Your Values
Once you have gathered all of the necessary information, it is time to assess your values. This means determining the current value of each asset and liability listed on your financial statement. For example, if you own a home, you will need to determine its current market value.
When assessing the value of assets such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, use the current market value. For real estate, you can use online resources such as Zillow or Redfin to get an estimate of your property’s value. For personal property such as jewelry or artwork, you can use a professional appraiser to determine their value.
Step 3: Calculate Your Net Worth
After assessing your values, it is time to calculate your net worth. This is done by subtracting your total liabilities from your total assets. If your assets are more significant than your liabilities, then you have a positive net worth. However, if your liabilities are greater than your assets, then you have a negative net worth.
A negative net worth is not necessarily bad as long as you understand your financial situation and plan to improve it. It is important to be honest and accurate when calculating your net worth, as lenders and investors will look at this information when making decisions about financing.
Step 4: Create a Balance Sheet
Once you have calculated your net worth, it is time to create a balance sheet. A balance sheet is a financial statement that outlines your assets and liabilities, as well as your net worth. This document is typically used by lenders and investors to assess your financial position.
A balance sheet should include the following information:
Total Assets: This is the sum of all of your assets, including cash, investments, and personal property.
Total Liabilities: This is the sum of all of your liabilities, including mortgages, loans, and credit card balances.
Net Worth: This is the difference between your total assets and total liabilities.
Step 5: Use Personal Financial Statements Templates
Creating a personal financial statement can be a daunting task, especially if you are unfamiliar with financial terminology and concepts. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help make the process easier.
One such resource is a personal financial statement template. These templates provide a preformatted document that you can fill out with your own financial information. This can save you time and ensure that your personal financial statement is accurate and comprehensive. Here are some Personal Financial Statement templates:
It is important to note that many personal financial statement templates require Microsoft Office to use. If you do not have Microsoft Office, you can purchase a key from a reliable retailer such as RoyalCDKeys at an affordable price. This will allow you to use the templates and other Microsoft Office applications, such as Word and Excel, to manage your personal finances effectively.
Personal Financial Statement Template
It lists your assets, liabilities, and net worth, just add your information correctly, and it’s done.
Personal Financial Statement
This spreadsheet allows you to create and update an all-in-one personal financial statement that includes Personal Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement, Details Worksheet and Info Sheet.
Basic Personal Financial Statement Template
A straightforward personal financial statement with basic information.
Step 6: Create an Income Statement
In addition to a balance sheet, it is also helpful to create an income statement. An income statement outlines your income and expenses over a given period of time, typically a month or a year. This document is useful for understanding your cash flow and identifying areas where you can reduce expenses or increase income.
An income statement should include the following information:
Total Income: Include your salary, rental income, and any other sources of income.
Total expenses: Includes your rent or mortgage payment, utilities, food, transportation, and any other costs you have.
Net Income: This is the difference between your total income and expenses.
Step 7: Include Details on Investments
If you have investments, such as stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, it is important to include details in your financial statement. This includes the name of the investment, the number of shares or units you own, and the current market value.
It is also helpful to include information on any dividends or interest you receive from your investments. This information can be included in your income statement.
Step 8: Include Details on Property and Mortgages
If you own property, such as a home or rental property, it is important to include details on these in your personal financial statement. This includes the current market value of the property, as well as any mortgages or loans you have on the property.
It is also important to include details on any rental income you receive from the property, as well as any expenses related to maintaining the property.
Step 9: Include Details on Personal Property and Other Assets
In addition to property and investments, including details on any personal property you own, such as jewelry, artwork, or collectibles, is important. This includes the current market value of the property.
It is also helpful to include details on any other assets you have, such as a car or boat. This information can be included in your balance sheet.
Step 10: Secure and File Your Personal Financial Statement
Once you have created your personal financial statement, it is important to keep it secure and up-to-date. This document contains sensitive information about your finances, so it is important to keep it in a secure location.
You should also update your personal financial statement regularly, especially if these are significant changes to your financial situation. This will ensure that you always have an accurate picture of your financial position.
Conclusion
Creating a personal financial statement is an essential tool for managing your personal finances. It allows you to assess your individual’s financial position, outline your financial goals and objectives, and provide lenders and investors with the information they need to make informed decisions.
By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a comprehensive and accurate personal financial statement. You can also use tools such as a personal financial statement template or spreadsheet to make the process easier.
Remember to update your personal financial statement regularly and keep it secure to ensure that you always have an accurate picture of your finances. With this information, you can make informed decisions about your financial future and work towards achieving your financial goals.