7 ‘bad assets’ that could cause you to retire poor in America — how many do you own?

Preparing for retirement is a lot like running a marathon — it takes a lot of sacrifice and time to be "ready" for race day.

Most marathoners train for months, if not years. But as they'll tell you, the last few weeks before race day are the ones that matter the most. Getting the right balance of rest and nutrition is crucial in this time to ensure they run the best race possible.

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Workers, on the other hand, have been preparing for retirement for decades. (Talk about a marathon.) Hopefully, by the time you decide to retire, you're sitting on a hefty, well-diversified portfolio of assets.

But if you're not careful, you could be holding onto a few items that look like "assets" but are actually hidden liabilities. Here are seven of the biggest money drains older Americans tend to trap themselves into before retirement.

If you're relatively older and financially secure, splurging on your "dream car" could be the ultimate temptation. Why not buy the toys you've always wanted? You might even reassure yourself that if you ever need the money (or space), you can always resell them to someone else who's just as passionate about motors as you.