{"id":3194,"date":"2024-07-17T20:24:13","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T20:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lendnation.com\/?post_type=wiki&#038;p=3194"},"modified":"2025-10-30T14:30:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T14:30:28","slug":"depreciation","status":"publish","type":"wiki","link":"https:\/\/www.lendnation.com\/resources\/wiki\/depreciation\/","title":{"rendered":"Depreciation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:95px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer is-style-spacing-70\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-overline\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">LENDNATION WIKI<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-display-large-font-size\" id=\"h-what-is-depreciation\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">What is Depreciation?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Ever bought something shiny and new, only to find out it&#8217;s worth a lot less when you try to sell it? That&#8217;s depreciation in a nutshell. It can apply to everything from cars to computers, and understanding it can make a big difference in how you manage your money, especially when you&#8217;re trying to navigate through tight financial times.<br>Depreciation is how we track the decrease in value of an item over time. It&#8217;s like buying a new car for $20,000 and then finding out it&#8217;s only worth $15,000 a year later. That $5,000 loss in value? That&#8217;s depreciation. It happens because wear and tear, age, or newer models make the item less desirable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-depreciation-definition\">Depreciation Definition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Depreciation: <\/strong>the decrease in an item\u2019s value over time because of wear and tear, age, or newer alternatives. Example: a car worth $20,000 new might be worth $15,000 after one year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-does-depreciation-work\">How Does Depreciation Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Depreciation isn&#8217;t just for big-ticket items like cars or houses; it applies to almost everything you buy. The moment you start using an item, it generally begins to lose some of its value. For businesses, depreciation helps spread out the cost of expensive assets over the years they&#8217;ll use them, which can affect taxes and financial statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-calculate-depreciation\">How to Calculate Depreciation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Calculating depreciation can get tricky since there are different methods, but here&#8217;s a simple way to look at it.<br><strong>Straight-Line Depreciation:<\/strong> This method spreads the cost of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lendnation.com\/resources\/wiki\/asset\/\">asset<\/a> evenly over its useful life. Say you have a piece of equipment that costs $10,000 and will last for 10 years. Using straight-line depreciation, you&#8217;d count a $1,000 loss in value each year ($10,000 cost \/ 10 years).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-depreciation-matters-to-you\">Why Depreciation Matters to You<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding depreciation helps you make smarter choices about buying, selling, and managing your assets. It can influence decisions like:<br>Buying: Choosing items that hold their value longer can save you money.<br>Selling: Knowing when an item&#8217;s value is decreasing can help you decide the best time to sell.<br>Financial Planning: For those running small businesses or side gigs, understanding depreciation can impact your taxes and earnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer is-style-spacing-40\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-group alignfull p-cta p-cta--two-column is-style-theme-dark is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer is-style-spacing-50\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull l-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignfull is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-display-font-size\" id=\"h-open-a-lendnation-account-today-apply-online-or-in-store\" style=\"margin-top:0\">Open a LendNation Account Today &#8211; Apply online or in-store!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lendnation.com\/apply\/\">Apply Now<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-secondary\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lendnation.com\/location\">Find a Store<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-outermost-icon-block items-justified-right\"><div class=\"icon-container has-icon-color has-backgrounds-default-light-color\" style=\"color:#FFFFFF;width:100%;transform:rotate(0deg) scaleX(1) scaleY(1)\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M3.25 12a8.75 8.75 0 1117.5 0 8.75 8.75 0 01-17.5 0zM12 4.75a7.25 7.25 0 100 14.5 7.25 7.25 0 000-14.5zm-1.338 4.877c-.314.22-.412.452-.412.623 0 .171.098.403.412.623.312.218.783.377 1.338.377.825 0 1.605.233 2.198.648.59.414 1.052 1.057 1.052 1.852 0 .795-.461 1.438-1.052 1.852-.41.286-.907.486-1.448.582v.316a.75.75 0 01-1.5 0v-.316a3.64 3.64 0 01-1.448-.582c-.59-.414-1.052-1.057-1.052-1.852a.75.75 0 011.5 0c0 .171.098.403.412.623.312.218.783.377 1.338.377s1.026-.159 1.338-.377c.314-.22.412-.452.412-.623 0-.171-.098-.403-.412-.623-.312-.218-.783-.377-1.338-.377-.825 0-1.605-.233-2.198-.648-.59-.414-1.052-1.057-1.052-1.852 0-.795.461-1.438 1.052-1.852a3.64 3.64 0 011.448-.582V7.5a.75.75 0 011.5 0v.316c.54.096 1.039.296 1.448.582.59.414 1.052 1.057 1.052 1.852a.75.75 0 01-1.5 0c0-.171-.098-.403-.412-.623-.312-.218-.783-.377-1.338-.377s-1.026.159-1.338.377z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:64px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer is-style-spacing-50\"><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-summary\">Summary <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Depreciation is a fact of life in the world of finance, reflecting the reality that most things don&#8217;t stay new and valuable forever. Understanding how depreciation works makes you better equipped to make decisions that protect your financial future. Especially in times when every dollar counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer is-style-spacing-50\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-3194","wiki","type-wiki","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Depreciation Explained | LendNation Wiki<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Understanding depreciation can help you decide when to buy or sell and how to budget. 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