Total Assets
Everything a company owns or is owed.
Definition
Total assets include all resources controlled by a company—cash, securities, loans, real estate, equipment, goodwill, and receivables. For banks, total assets are dominated by the loan portfolio and investment securities, making it the primary measure of bank size.
Why It Matters
Bank regulation, systemic importance designation, and industry ranking are all based on total assets. Banks with over $250 billion in assets face the most stringent regulatory requirements in the U.S.