A financial claim on a real asset (such as a physical or tangible asset). Once documented, the claim gives its holder specific rights on real assets. For example, financial assets may include shares of stock, bonds, etc. Examples of real assets include real estate, equipment, inventory, land, gold, etc.

Claims on financial assets themselves are known as derivatives (second-degree financial assets). Examples include an option on a stock (stock option), an option on a bond (bond option), and so on.