Best Income Generating Assets To Build Wealth

best income producing assets
Best income producing assets

There are many ways to build long-term wealth without an actual job. Having enough income producing assets working in your favor can make it possible to “live rich” without ever having to clock in for an employer again.

Many successful entrepreneurs utilize income generating assets to ensure multiple, steady streams of revenue. By maintaining a diverse portfolio of income producing assets, investors can ensure they are generating consistent money over time.



You can classify investors into two basic types.

  1. There are those who want appreciation – that is, they invest for growth.
  2. And there are those who ask of their assets “show me the money – now.”

We call the latter type income investors. Income investing involves building a portfolio using dividend-paying stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets designed to generate cash on a recurring basis.

With income investing, once you buy the asset, there isn’t a whole lot more to do. This is buy-and-hold passive investing at its best.

Related Post: 18 Practical Steps on How to Build Wealth in Real Estate Fast

The best thing about income generating assets is that they aren’t exclusive to experienced investors.

When it comes to income producing assets, more is always better! In fact, having multiple income sources is the best way to feel secure when you’re relying on alternative income sources to leave your 9 to 5.

Best income producing assets. Income generating assets examples
Income generating assets examples

With the right research and planning, anyone can get started investing today.

Whether you are fresh out of college or are approaching retirement, there are opportunities to build wealth with income generating assets and achieve financial freedom.

There are multiple types of investment income assets, and ways to invest for income. Here’s a rundown of the most common. Keep reading for our list of assets that generate income, and learn how to get started today.



What Are Income Producing Assets?

But what are income generating assets, anyways? While the definition can be somewhat vague, they are assets that generate reliable income or cash flow over time.

Income-producing assets help you earn money while you sleep, and we all know what Warren Buffet had to say about that:

“If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.” – Warren Buffet

If you want to avoid working until you die, you must have some income-producing assets working on your behalf. The definition of an income-producing asset is an investment which generates consistent, recurring revenue, cash flow or income over time.

Related Post:  Best Multiple Streams Of Income Ideas

Investing in an income generating asset involves paying money now to acquire an asset or account with the intent of generating more income in the future.

These assets are attractive because of their ability to generate consistent, stable income over time. While it is rare to find investments that are entirely passive, income-generating assets often require medium- to low levels of involvement.

As a result, the time frame and potential returns will vary depending on the type of investment chosen.

Robert Farrington, founder of The College Investor, suggests that “The most common types of income-generating assets are cash-flowing real estate and investment-grade bonds.



Bonds are a great choice if you’re seeking income-generating assets with a paper portfolio.

Investment-grade bonds are “easy.” You simply buy the bond (or bond fund) at any brokerage firm, and you’ll receive dividends or interest on the bond.

Depending on the bonds or fund, this could be paid out monthly, quarterly, or annually”.

Related post: How To Develop Multiple Income Streams

Nathan, the Marketing Director at DiggityMarketing.com, acknowledges that income producing assets can take many forms.

  • Property,
  • Fixed deposits,
  • Dividend-paying stocks,
  • Mutual funds with monthly income,
  • Savings accounts with high interest.

Are some examples of income Producing assets,” according to Nathan.

It is important to differentiate income generating assets from non-productive assets. A non-productive asset refers to investments that hold value without generating any further income.

For example, while a car may be worth a lot of money, it is not classified as an income producing asset. Even if this asset appreciates in value because it is not creating cash flow, it is not considered an income-generating asset.



Assets That Generate Income

There are several types of income generating assets ranging from:

  • Stocks,
  • Real estate,
  • Savings accounts,
  • Certificates of deposit to private equity.

Each of these will have its own pros and cons, which are important to keep in mind as you consider which will be best for your portfolio.

As you review our income producing assets list. Try and consider:

  • Potential returns,
  • The cost of entry,
  • Level of involvement, and
  • Feasibility of each investment opportunity.

Finding the right combination of assets to achieve your financial goals will be entirely up to you.

Related Post: How To Create Passive Income With No Money

But by doing your research you can help ensure you are prepared to make smart investment decisions. Here are some of the most common income generating assets to be aware of:

  • Stocks
  • Royalties
  • Websites
  • Farmland
  • Annuities
  • Savings Accounts
  • Real Estate Assets
  • Building A Business
  • Peer-to-Peer Lending
  • Private Equity Investing
  • Certificates Of Deposits
  • Money Market Accounts




Examples Of Income Producing Assets


1. Websites – Digital Income Producing Assets

A digital real-estate income generating asset, and one with a relatively low cost to entry, is websites.

Funny enough, you are currently occupying space on my own piece of digital real estate – this website. Investors can purchase domains related to a popular topic or upcoming trend and eventually sell the websites to interested buyers.

An alternative strategy is to take time building up the website through content creation. Once the website has increased traffic, investors can use paid ads and sponsorships to earn income through affiliate marketing.

This can generate consistent revenue over time, as long as you maintain the site.

assets that generate passive income. Best Income Producing Assets To Produce Wealth.
Assets that generate passive income

2. Dividend Stocks – Top Income Producing Assets

Stocks refer to investments in business equity and allow investors to generate income through several means, not the least of which are dividends.

More importantly, dividends are rewarded over time and do not require much capital to benefit from. Dividend stocks are one of the easiest income generating assets to get into because you can start with small sums of money.

What separates dividend stocks from other types is the fact that they pay out dividends, or recurring income, to their investors. Dividend stocks are also issued by the most profitable companies, so they are seen as less risky.

A wide range of stocks from various sectors, along with ETFs and mutual funds, can all offer dividends, making it possible to craft a dividend stock portfolio that suits your needs and goals.

Related Post: Best Ways To Invest Money – Safest Investments

Among the best income-producing assets is large-cap dividend investing.

Commonly known as the “Dividend Aristocrats,” these blue-chip companies in the S&P 500 are known for consistent increases in dividend payouts.

Dividend stocks derive from companies that are well past their growth state, meaning they exhibit much more stability than younger, growing companies.

While dividend investing can be a reliable income-producing asset, several tech companies, including the internet and biotech, commonly do not pay dividends.



Instead, most of their retained earnings are reinvested back into their company to maintain further growth. Income producing stocks.

What They Are:

Dividend-paying stocks are issued by companies that make cash payments per share, generally quarterly, based on how well the company is doing. The two main types of dividend stocks are called common and preferred.

How They Work:

Common stock dividends are set by the company’s board of directors each quarter. You won’t know the amount or even if there will be a dividend until the board decides.

Preferred stock dividends are more regular: pre-determined, fixed payments over a specified period of time. Also, preferred stockholders receive their dividends before common stock shareholders get theirs.

Although common stock dividends are riskier, you stand to gain more. Preferred stock dividends are less risky, but generally lower.

What To Know:

The most consistent, good dividend-payers tend to be from blue-chip stocks – that is, those of large, well-established corporations. How to tell if a dividend is a good one?

Look not just at the dollar amount, but at the dividend yield: that is, the company’s annual dividend divided by its stock price and multiplied by 100. (It’s often indicated on a stock’s online listing.)

Aim for stocks that pay a 2% to 6% dividend yield.

That ratio indicates a decent payout relative to a company’s earnings and market valuation and helps you avoid companies that may be borrowing excessively to inflate their dividends.



3. Farmland – Assets That Generate Passive Income

Farmland is among the best income producing assets for several reasons. Unlike many investment types, farmland does not experience the same level of volatility.

Farmland has a low correlation with the stock market because it provides a necessary resource: food. For this reason, the demand for farmland has been relatively consistent throughout history.

Investors interested in benefiting from this asset can take one of two approaches.

First, you can purchase land directly and lease it to a farming company. This strategy will require research to ensure the land is in the right place and have a consistent renter.

Another approach is by investing in an REIT or crowdsourcing platform that focuses on farming and farmland.

Keep in mind that you will want to research these companies before investing, as there may be fees associated that could undermine your income potential.

income generating assets for beginners
Income generating assets for beginners

4. Bonds – Income Producing Assets Under 10k

What They Are:

Bonds are loans to the government or a company. Your income from bonds comes in the form of fixed-interest payments.

As the bondholder (lender) you receive a fixed amount of interest income on a regular schedule. When the loan term ends, you receive your original investment back.

How They Work:

The rate of interest you receive on a bond depends on the length of its term – the longer, the higher – the creditworthiness of the borrower, and the conditions of the market. There are three main types of bonds:

  • Government bonds, also known as Treasuries, are considered extremely reliable because they are backed by the US government, but the tradeoff is a relatively low interest rate.
  • Municipal bonds are a form of government bonds issued by states, cities, counties, and other government entities. Interest is exempt from federal taxes and often from state and local taxes as well.
  • Corporate bonds are issued by companies (both public and private) and therefore riskier than government bonds. For that reason, they pay a higher interest rate than government bonds. depending on the creditworthiness of the issuer.

What To Know:

Bond prices tend to go up when the stock market goes down, making bonds a good tool to balance risk from equities, as well as an income source.




5. Savings Accounts

Savings accounts are one of the most straightforward assets that generate passive income. Opening a savings account at your local bank will allow you to earn revenue from the interest your own money accrues over time.

Depending on the type of account and interest rate, the potential income will vary. Typically, investors can expect between .01 and .30 percent back on the amount put into the savings account.

While low-interest rates may result in lower returns (compared to other income-generating assets), savings accounts do offer the benefit of liquidity.

Related Post: The Importance of Saving Money To Build Wealth

Investors will often be able to access these funds on short notice. There are also high-yield savings accounts, which differ slightly from traditional savings accounts because of their high interest rates.

However, they are often only found at online banks, which leads to some downside.

Investors may only be able to add money to the account through online transfers, and any support issues will often have to be dealt with online or over the phone rather than in person.

The tradeoff between convenience and higher interest rates is something to consider as entrepreneurs research savings account options.



6. Real Estate – Best Income Producing Assets

Several real estate investing strategies can generate consistent revenue. However, one of the most common is investing in rental properties.

This consists of purchasing a home or multi-unit property and marketing to tenants to earn rental income over time. Rental properties offer the opportunity to generate steady rental income over long periods of time.

By hiring the right property manager, you can ensure your rental property runs smoothly—without a high level of involvement on your behalf.

Related Post: How Real Estate Agent and YouTuber Made Over $100,000

One of the most attractive perks of investing in rental real estate is enabling investors to increase their wealth without significant capital upfront.

Additionally, real estate investing can provide the opportunity to expand your portfolio more rapidly when compared to other investing opportunities. For example, you could purchase a single-family home to begin renting out.

You could then use the income generated from this property to purchase another rental property, thus adding another income-generating asset and expanding your investment portfolio.

There are a few different types of real estate to consider, ranging from a single-family home to an apartment complex. The property type is based on the number of units available, and depending on your investing goals, some may seem more attractive than others.

For example, it is common for first-time investors to opt for duplexes, triplexes, or quads and live in a unit while renting the others.

Related Post: Highly Profitable Real Estate Business Ideas For 2023

However, larger properties (meaning those with more units) typically signal larger amounts of capital required to get started and increased levels of involvement.

If you are intimidated by the prospect of owning properties but still find yourself interested in real estate, REITs can be an attractive income-generating asset.

Real estate investment trusts are similar to investing in stocks, but they are specifically real estate-oriented companies. Real estate investment trusts can specialize in apartment complexes, office buildings, storage units, or parking garages.

Entrepreneurs who choose to invest in REITs will be able to work in the real estate industry without walking through the up-front costs and set up of acquiring properties.

Read guide on REITs to learn more about how to get started.

What Are They:

Although it can and does appreciate, real estate often provides a solid cash flow as well.

The income derives from rents paid by tenants of residential, industrial, or commercial properties, and sometimes from mortgage interest on the properties as well. You don’t have to become a landlord:

REITS and RELPs are common ways to invest in real estate indirectly.

How They Work:

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS) let you buy shares in a publicly traded company, which pays dividends to you much like stocks.

The dividends can vary in both amount and frequency. REITs invest in a variety of projects and are considered ongoing, long-term investments.

A real estate limited partnership (RELP) lets you pool your money with other investors to buy or develop real estate properties in a private (i.e., not publicly traded) investment.

Formed to operate for over a period of years, a RELP offers excellent dividend payments annually, though the big money comes via distributions when the projects are complete and sold towards the end.

As with a REIT, a RELP pays fluctuating dividends based on the type of real estate investments it makes.

What To Know:

Dividends in both cases are not fixed but can vary, depending on the profit/rent income received by the REIT or RELP. You stand to gain more with a RELP over a specific, shorter period of time than with a REIT.

However, because they don’t trade on public exchanges, RELPs can be harder to unload; REITs are much more liquid.



7. Money Market Funds – Income Producing Assets Mutual Funds

What they are: Money market funds (MMFs) are a special type of fixed income mutual funds that invest in short-maturity, low-risk debt securities that pay dividends like most other income-producing investments.

How they work: MMFs are low-volatility investments that may be taxable or tax-exempt, depending on the types of securities held.

MMFs operate on the net asset value (NAV) standard, meaning they attempt to maintain a share value of $1. Any excess is distributed as dividends.

What to know: Investors like the NAV standard because it forces fund managers to make regular dividend payments to investors, which provides that steady cash flow income investors prize.

assets that produce passive income
Assets that produce passive income

8. Certificates Of Deposit

Certificates of Deposits (CDs) are considered time deposits and can be thought of similarly to savings accounts. Investors invest a set amount of money and earn income through interest accrued over time.

The main difference between CDs and savings accounts is that CDs will require set amounts of time before investors can access the funds without penalty.

Due to the required time frame, CDs will often have higher interest rates when compared to savings accounts. For example, investors may be able to find a five to seven-year CD with interest rates up to 2.5 percent.

While the timeframe may be longer than expected, one of the great things about investing in CDs is that there are not income minimums to invest.

This makes CDS one of the more accessible types of assets to invest in.

What Are They:

Banks also sell income-producing products that many investors include in their portfolios because of their relatively low risk.

One of the most common is certificates of deposit (CDs).

How They Work:

Certificates of deposit (CDs) are a type of savings account that come with terms ranging from six months to five years. The longer the amount of time you must keep your money in the CD, the higher the interest rate.

What To Know:

If you want income (interest) from your CDs, most banks will let you take it out as it is earned at its fixed rate. Your principal, however, is usually locked in for the duration of the CD.



9. Money Market Accounts

A money market account can be thought of as something in between a traditional checking account and a high-interest savings account. Account holders can utilize the account with a debit card, while at the same time earning higher than average interest on their funds.

Money market accounts can be opened with banks or credit unions. Money market accounts have variable interest rates, accruing more or less based on market fluctuations.

Often these funds are extremely liquid, and account holders can opt to close their account at any time.

What Are They:

Money market accounts, sometimes called money market savings accounts, are another common bank product.

They pay higher interest than regular savings accounts, but have more restrictions and often require a higher initial balance to get the best interest rate.

How They Work:

You can make withdrawals (including interest) from your money market account up to six times a month.

What To Know:

Money market accounts (and CDs too) are not considered major income investments, but rather savings vehicles. Still, they do earn some return, and of course, are highly liquid: Access is as close as the nearest bank branch. And both are FDIC-insured.



10. Annuities – Cash Income Producing Assets

Annuities are essentially a lump sum investment paid to an insurance company. That is paid back to the investor over a period of time with a return on investment.

This strategy is popular with retirees as the funds can only be withdrawn after the age of 59.5.

What Are They:

Annuities are contracts sold by insurance companies that make regular payments to you for a set period or for life.

You invest an initial sum, then the money is repaid to you in periodic installments, a process known as annuitization. The payments typically consist of both principal and interest.

How They Work:

The three main types of annuities are:

  • Fixed, which pay a set interest rate
  • Variable, whose interest rate fluctuates, depending on the investments (usually mutual funds) you choose
  • Indexed, which provide a return based on an index, such as the S&P 500.

The risk depends on the underlying stability of the insurance company and the type of annuity: Fixed is the least risky and variable the most.

What To Know:

Compared to other types of investments, annuities are often criticized for high fees and expenses.

11. Private Equity Investing

Private equity investing refers to the practice of investing in private companies, many of which are in the early stages of development. This can represent an attractive opportunity, particularly if you find yourself in the midst of the next successful startup company.

While private equity investing can offer attractive profits, there are several factors to consider. The most obvious is that it will take research on your part to identify the right companies to invest in.

It is not uncommon for private companies to fail in their first few years, so mind due diligence as you look for businesses to invest in.

There is also a lockup period for private equity investing. This refers to the time frame when investors will not be able to tap into the funds they invested.

Lockup periods can range anywhere from six months to 10 years, depending on the company at hand. As you look into private equity investing, be sure to consider how a lockup period could potentially impact your finances.

12. Cryptocurrency

While crypto savings accounts that once offered excellent yields are mostly going the way of the dinosaur. You can still make money with cryptocurrencies like Cosmos and Ethereum.

As an example, one popular strategy for earning somewhat passive income is called staking. According to Coinbase, crypto-taking involves earning rewards for holding certain cryptocurrencies.

Essentially, staking lets you put your crypto to work on the blockchain without selling it. You can also earn money lending crypto to other investors via a crypto exchange.

Just remember that crypto is highly volatile in nature and that you may not have any protection against losses if the value of your crypto sinks or the platform you use goes out of business.



FAQs on Income Producing Assets


a). What Assets Make The Most Money?

The assets that generate the most income are:

-Bonds: When you invest in a bond, you lend money to a government or corporation in exchange for regular interest payments.

-Rental properties: Investing in rental properties can generate regular income in the form of rental payments from tenants.

-Savings accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs): These types of investments provide a relatively low but steady stream of income in the form of interest payments.

-Dividend-paying stocks: Many companies pay dividends to their shareholders, providing a regular income stream.

-Crypto staking: Crypto staking produces income through the rewards you receive for helping to validate transactions on the crypto network, and through the potential appreciation of the staked cryptocurrency. In addition to the rewards, you may also see appreciation in the cryptocurrency you’ve staked.

Overall, the best assets for generating income will depend on your individual financial goals and risk tolerance.

b). What Are Income Producing Assets?

Income producing assets are investments that generate regular income for the investor.

They are typically considered to be a more conservative investment option than growth-oriented assets, which are designed to increase in value over time but may not generate regular income.

Examples of income producing assets include rental properties, dividend-paying stocks, and bonds.

These assets can provide the investor with a regular stream of income, such as rental payments or dividend payments, that can be used to cover expenses or to reinvest in other income-producing assets.

In general, income-producing assets are a good option for investors who are looking to generate a steady source of income from their investments and are less concerned with potential capital gains.

It’s important to understand the potential risks and rewards of any income-producing asset before investing in it.

c). What Assets Do Rich People Buy?

The specific assets that rich people buy will vary depending on their individual financial goals and risk tolerance. However, some common assets that wealthy individuals may invest in include:

-Luxury Assets: Wealthy individuals may also invest in luxury assets, such as yachts, private jets, and expensive cars, for their personal enjoyment.
-Real Estate: Investing in properties, such as residential or commercial buildings, can generate income and may appreciate in value over time.
-Private Equity and Venture Capital: These types of investments allow wealthy individuals to invest in privately-held companies and potentially earn a higher return on their investment.
-Stocks and Bonds: These are common investments for wealthy individuals, as they can provide a regular stream of income and the potential for capital gains.
-Collectibles and Art: Some wealthy individuals may invest in collectibles, such as rare coins or art, which can appreciate in value over time.

Overall, the best assets for wealthy individuals to invest in will depend on their individual financial goals and risk tolerance.

It’s important to carefully evaluate the potential risks and rewards of any investment before making a decision. The best income generating assets examples.