[foogazi]

Assets are a resource you hold instead of holding cash

It’s things you bought that you can sell to access those $400

not selling those assets and going into debt is a choice

[gnosis89]

False. Assets are a resource with economic value that are expected to provide a benefit. If that benefit is worth more than the current cash value, you actually lose more by selling it. You're free to make stupid choices though, like wrongly defining what assets are.