What is Net Worth?
You may have heard people talk about net worth, but what is net worth? And do you know your net worth?
When people talk about their net worth, they are usually talking about how much money they have, but it’s not as simple as how much money you have in the bank. It is a calculation based on
Net worth is an important measure of your financial situation and one that is easily recognizable.
Just like knowing your credit score, knowing your net worth can help you determine the steps you need to take to improve your financial situation.
We often hear wealthy people talk about their net worth, but it’s important that everyone understands what the concept is, whether net worth is positive or negative. is fairly easy to find.
Today, I’m going to walk you through the simple steps you need to take to calculate and track your net worth. Remember, it’s another way to gauge your financial health and progress.
Many times someone told me that they didn’t know how much debt they had, how much money they had saved, or the value of their assets.
You don’t always need to know the exact number, but it’s usually wise to have a general idea.
Understanding what net worth means and how it affects you is important.
If you have never calculated your net worth, it may be negative or lower than expected. Knowing that is one of the first steps to improving your financial situation!
Content related to net worth:
What is Net Worth?
Your personal net worth is your assets (possessions) minus your liabilities.
It is what you own minus what you owe.
Why Do You Need to Know Your Net Worth?
Being aware of your net worth and overall financial situation has many benefits.
Knowing your net worth can help you manage your money better. This is because knowing what your net worth is and how to calculate your net worth will help you pay more attention to your spending and other financial decisions. It may inspire you to find ways to achieve it. Whether it’s a faster debt repayment plan, finding a side hustle or spending less.
Knowing your net worth is also important. Because it has a lot to do with debt. Some people only think about what their assets are and base it on how well they are doing. But your debt is a big factor!
Someone may have a car worth $30,000 and a house worth $300,000, but if they have $250,000 worth of debt (auto, mortgage, student loans, credit card debt, etc.), their net worth would be $80,000. This is a very simple example of net worth.
even though it might be look Debt affects your actual net worth, just like someone has a high net worth.
Another benefit of knowing what your net worth is and your overall financial situation is that you can prevent financial cheating.
Financial infidelity occurs when you’re in a relationship with someone who keeps financial secrets, such as expensive addictions or hidden debt. If you know your net worth, you are more likely to spot a case of financial infidelity before it gets out of hand.
Another great benefit is that knowing your net worth can help you reach your financial goals. This is because net worth can be used as a measure of financial health. For example, if you’re tracking your net worth, you can take a closer look at the details and spot areas for improvement.
All in all, knowing your net worth is a good thing. Because it gives you a complete picture of your financial situation and helps you work towards realistic financial goals. Whether your net worth is negative, positive, or not as high as you’d like , the point is to learn how you stand with your money.
See, you might think you’re doing well financially, but you may not be seeing the big picture. I know people who think they’re doing well only to find their net worth is negative because they haven’t accounted for their debt or other reasons.
Others may not calculate their net worth because they are afraid to face debt. It can be hard to get angry, but knowing where you stand can help you predict your financial future. A great first step to improve.
How do you calculate net worth?
There are two steps in calculating net worth, each of which is explained below.
Step 1: Sum all assets. These are possessions such as:
- The market value of your primary residence and any other property you own. If you bought your home a long time ago, your original purchase price may be too old. Use Zillow to determine the current market value of your home (although Zillow may not always provide the most accurate quote), such as comparing similar homes nearby can do.
- The value of your car, RV or other automobile. You can use the Kelley Blue Book to determine this amount.
- Amount invested in retirement accounts, real estate, company stocks, bonds, etc. Your 401(k) counts here too.
- Amounts in checking and savings accounts, cash, certificates of deposit, etc.
- The value of your jewelry and other collectibles.
- The cash value of life insurance is considered an asset.
- Any other personal items you have should be added here together.
Step 2: Subtract all liabilities (also called liabilities) from the total value of assets. Liabilities are:
- mortgage
- auto loan
- credit card balance
- student loan debt
- medical debt
- personal loan
- Other financial obligations
Subtracting liabilities from assets gives net worth.
The formula for net worth is:
Total Assets minus Total Liabilities = Net Worth
If you have $100,000 in assets and $100,000 in liabilities, your net worth is $0.
If you have assets of $10,000 and liabilities of $40,000, your net worth will be -$30,000. Yes, you can have negative net worth.
Having a negative or low net worth is very common when you are young and just starting out.
Remember to start somewhere if you want to know what your net worth is so you can calculate your own net worth.
What is current net worth?
Your liquidity net worth indicates how much cash you have easy access to. Knowing your liquid net worth is important if you need quick access to large amounts of cash.
Current net worth is cash or cash equivalents less current liabilities. These are assets that can be easily converted to cash, such as cash, checking/savings/bank accounts, money from brokerage accounts.
It usually doesn’t include things like real estate (home equity doesn’t count) or retirement savings (401k, IRA, etc.). penalties you may incur.
How often should net worth be calculated?
I think doing a quarterly net worth check is a good starting point. Some decide to see once a year or once a month.
What works for many people is looking at budget and net worth at the same time. This will let you know where you can improve.
Your net worth will give you the big picture, and your budget will tell you where to make changes in your daily life.
That being said, there are fluctuations from month to month. For example, if the stock market goes up or down, it can have a big impact on your net worth if you have a lot of investments. is recommended.
And it doesn’t have to be difficult to check your net worth often, especially if you’re using personal finance tools like: Empowerment, formally known as Personal Capital.




Here’s what Empower looks like: This is not my account. Empower images to protect your privacy.
With Empower, you can aggregate your financial accounts and easily see your financial status. Connect your mortgage, bank account, credit card account, investment account, retirement account and more for free.
Empower allows you to link all your accounts to get a complete picture of your net worth and financial situation.
I use Empower and I know quite a few people who do as well. This is a very popular and useful personal finance tool.
Recommended to check out Empower Net Worth Calculator For a better measure of your financial situation and net worth.
I love Empower and highly recommend it.
What is the average net worth by age?
If you want to know what your net worth is, you may want to know the average net worth by age.
This is not a perfect calculation and there are many factors involved, but below is a very simple comparison of net worth based on age. It’s not perfect, but it shows how it compares to others in the US.
according to federal reserve (This report presents many interesting stats, median net worth by education, housing status, etc.) As of 2019, the average net worth by family is:
- The average net worth under the age of 35 is $76,300.
- The average net worth between the ages of 35 and 44 is $436,200.
- The average net worth between the ages of 45 and 54 is $833,200.
- The average net worth between the ages of 55 and 64 is $1,175,900.
- The average net worth between the ages of 65 and 74 is $1,217,700.
- The average net worth for those over 75 is $977,600.
Now, if you recently calculated your net worth and find yourself in a very different situation than the average person your age, don’t let this discourage you or feel like you should give up. There is a way to do it. And your net worth isn’t the only thing that determines your way of doing things.
Your net worth does not indicate how motivated you are.If you only recently learned what your net worth is, you may not even be aware that you are already making progress.
Remember, by reading this article, you have taken a good step towards improving your net worth!
I’d love to hear what you guys have to say about “average net worth by age” in the comments below.
Who has the highest net worth? What net worth is considered rich?
Here are the highest net worths in the world:
- Bernard Arnault and family
- Elon Musk
- Jeff Bezos
- Larry Ellison
- Warren Buffett
- bill gates
They each have a net worth of billions of dollars!
However, having a net worth between $5 million and $10 million is generally considered high compared to the average person.
How can I improve my net worth?
If your net worth is negative, or you want to improve it, there are two things you can do. Increasing assets and reducing liabilities. Easier said than done, but it all starts with small steps.
There are many things you can do to do this, such as:
and so on!
What is Net Worth? – summary
Whether your net worth is low, average or high, the key to tracking your net worth progress is to analyze how your net worth changes over months and years.
Is your net worth going up? under? Is it as it is? Is your net worth positive or negative?
Tracking your net worth allows you to better analyze what you need to work on. Your net worth is an indicator of your personal financial situation, but low or high net worth does not determine whether you are a good person!
Again, what is net worth? Remember, assets – liabilities = your net worth.
do you know your net worth? why not?