The second, intangible assets, are things you can't touch. Instead, they are legal rights to something. These include rights in tangible assets, such as a partnership interest in real estate. Intangible assets also include rights in a business, such as stocks. Another example is a right to receive money, such as a bond.
Some investors have significant money in real estate or collectibles.
Doing so is beyond the capabilities of most of us, however. Most of us lack sufficient knowledge to assess the future salability of a collectible. Few of us have the time, energy and expertise needed to buy, manage or sell real estate. Thus, intangible investments remain as the potential best way to earn money for the future. Many people consider stocks to be the most risky of these three investments and consider cash the least risky.