Individuals and companies pledge real estate, insurance policies, FD certificates, mutual funds, shares, bonds, and other assets in a manner similar to pledging gold in order to borrow money. The lender will make an offer for a loan with some margin available based on the value of the pledged assets. The borrower must make timely payments in order to obtain ownership of the pledged assets at the conclusion of the term. In the event that this is not done, the lender may liquidate the assets to recoup the unpaid debt.