Asset management is the method that a company uses to track fixed assets like factory equipment, desks and chairs, computers, even buildings. Although the exact details of the task varies widely from company to company, asset management often includes tracking the physical location of assets, managing demand for scarce resources, and accounting tasks such as amortization.

The most common usage of the phrase asset management is in terms of the financial services industry. Here it is used to describe the management of assets invested on behalf of a range of sectors including: collective investment schemes, pension funds and so-called private banking or wealth management (typically for wealthy individuals).

To assist businesses and organizations in asset management, many asset management software have been developed and are now available in the market. In choosing the particular asset management software appropriate for your organization, quite a number of factors need to be considered.

It is also referred to as Investment management, or the professional management of various securities (shares, bonds etc) and other assets (e.g. real estate), to meet specified investment goals for the benefit of the investors. Investors may be institutions (insurance companies, pension funds, corporations etc.) or private investors (both directly via investment contracts and more commonly via collective investment schemes e.g. mutual funds).

The provision of 'investment management services' includes elements of financial analysis, asset selection, stock selection, plan implementation and ongoing monitoring of investments.

The most successful investment firms in the world have probably been those that have been separated physically and psychologically from banks and insurance companies. That is, the best performance and also the most dynamic business strategies (in this field) have generally come from independent investment management firms.