Which of your assets are true investments?

We want to consult a financial planner for advice on how to allocate our investment portfolio, so we're making a list of our assets. Should we include the market value of our vacation home? What about the jewelry my wife just inherited from her grandmother?

There's no concrete rule about what counts as an investment asset, but from a practical standpoint it makes no sense to include property you wouldn't consider selling to generate income. So if you're planning to move into that vacation home once you retire or your wife would never consider parting with her grandmother's jewels, don't include them in your tally.