Know Your Net Worth (2024)

As you prepare to invest, you'll need to assess your net worth. It's not hard: add up what you own and subtract what you owe. Creating a net worth statement, and updating it each year, will help you monitor your financial progress and meet financial goals. It will also enable you to calculate how much you have (or don't have) to invest.

The first step in this process is to determine the total amount of your assets. Assets are your possessions that have value—for example, money in bank accounts, stocks and bonds, personal property, your home orother real estate. Once you've calculated your assets, determine the total amount of your liabilities. Liabilities are financial obligations, or debts. Examples include credit card balances, personal or auto loans and mortgages.

Once you've calculated the total amount of your assets and liabilities, subtract the total amount of liabilities from the total amount of assets. Ideally, you'll want to have a greater amount in assets than liabilities. If your assets are more than your liabilities, you have a "positive" net worth. If your liabilities are greater than your assets, you have a "negative" net worth. If you have a negative net worth, it's probably not the right time to start investing. You should re-evaluate your finances and determine how you can decrease liabilities—for example, by reducing your credit card debt. If you have a positive net worth and cash flow, you're probably ready to start an investment plan.

Here's a simple net worth worksheet that can help you get started. It’s a good practice to calculate your net worth on a yearly basis.

Net Worth Sample Worksheet

Assets

Savings Account$ ______________
Checking Account$ ______________
Investments$ ______________
Life Insurance Policy$ ______________
Pension Equity$ ______________
Profit Sharing Equity$ ______________
Employer Savings Plan$ ______________
Retirement Fund$ ______________
Personal Property$ ______________
Real Estate (Including Home)$ ______________
Other$ ______________

Total Assets

$ ______________

Liabilities

Credit Card Bills$ ______________
Unpaid Medical and Dental Bills$ ______________
Mortgage Balance$ ______________
Home Equity Loans$ ______________
Personal Loans$ ______________
Car Loans$ ______________
Unpaid Taxes$ ______________
Other$ ______________

Total Liabilities

$ ______________

Net Worth = Total Assets – Total Liabilities

Total Assets

$ ______________

Minus Total Liabilities

$ ______________

Your Net Worth

$ ______________
Know Your Net Worth (2024)

FAQs

Know Your Net Worth? ›

Start with what you own: cash, retirement accounts, investment accounts, cars, real estate and anything else that you could sell for cash. Then subtract what you owe: credit card debt, student loans, mortgages, auto loans and anything else you owe money on. Then boom—you've got your net worth.

How do I find out my net worth? ›

How Do I Calculate My Net Worth? Subtract your total liabilities from your total assets. Your total assets will include your investments, savings, cash deposits, and any equity that you have in a home, car, or other similar assets. Total liabilities would include any debt, such as student loans and credit card debt.

What is your net worth by age? ›

Average net worth by age
Age by decadeAverage net worthMedian net worth
40s$713,796$126,881
50s$1,310,775$292,085
60s$1,634,724$454,489
70s$1,588,886$378,018
4 more rows

Is a 401k part of your net worth? ›

Yes. The value of your 401(k) account is a part of your net worth and should be included in your net worth. Like anything else of financial value, the vested balance of your 401(k) account — or any retirement account, for that matter — is considered an asset.

What net worth is considered rich? ›

For example, individuals with $1 million in liquid assets are generally classified as having a high net worth. To be considered very high net worth, one might need assets ranging from $5 million to $10 million, while an ultra-high net worth status could require $30 million or more.

What should your net worth be by 30? ›

The net worth you should be aiming for in your 30s is between $25,000 and $100,000, according to Crissi Cole, founder and CEO of Penny Finance.

Does your house count as net worth? ›

Your Primary Residence

Your house is probably your most valuable asset, and may simultaneously be your biggest liability. The more equity you have in your home, the more it will increase your net worth. Keep in mind that when you determine your net worth, you must subtract your liabilities—including your mortgage.

What income is upper middle class? ›

The upper middle class is often defined as the top 15% to 20% of earners. According to the Social Security Administration's 2022 wage data, the average upper-middle-class income was roughly between $80,000 and $100,000.

What percentage of retirees have $3 million dollars? ›

Specifically, those with over $1 million in retirement accounts are in the top 3% of retirees. The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) estimates that 3.2% of retirees have over $1 million, and a mere 0.1% have $5 million or more, based on data from the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances.

What is a good net worth to retire? ›

By age 40, you should have accumulated three times your current income for retirement. By retirement age, it should be 10 to 12 times your income at that time to be reasonably confident that you'll have enough funds. Seamless transition — roughly 80% of your pre-retirement income.

Can you retire with 300k? ›

Let's walk through the scenario. With $300,000 planned for your use as a retiree, a retirement age of 50, and an anticipated life expectancy of 85 years, you need that money to last you 35 years. This should mean that your yearly income is around $8,571, and your monthly payment is around $714.

What is the average nest egg in retirement? ›

The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940, according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances. The median retirement savings for all families is $87,000.

What is the ideal net worth? ›

(According to Stanley and Danko, an ideal net worth equals your age multiplied by your pretax income, divided by 10.)

What is a rich person's salary? ›

Wealthy Salary
Annual SalaryMonthly Pay
Top Earners$120,000$10,000
75th Percentile$78,000$6,500
Average$67,113$5,592
25th Percentile$36,000$3,000

What net worth is upper class? ›

The upper class has an average net worth of $793,120 to $2.65 million, while the lower class has $16,900. The middle class ranges from $58,550 to $300,800. You can grow your net worth by saving and investing consistently, investing in the stock market, and being careful about taking on debt.

What net worth is considered poor? ›

Poverty Class (Bottom 20%): The median net worth is $6,030. This group typically includes younger individuals with significant student debt or low-wage jobs.

What is a good net worth? ›

Determining what your net worth should be at any age can be a bit tricky, and it depends on your income. Say you're 30 years old and your income is $50,000 per year. Your net worth should be $150,000, according to this formula. A $25,000 salary at age 30 would mean an ideal net worth of $75,000.

What is the formula for calculating net worth? ›

Net worth is the net value of the value of an individual's assets minus the value of an individual's liabilities. Net worth = Assets - Liabilities. Negative net worth is represented when assets are less than liabilities. Assets are items owned that have value, while liabilities are obligations owed.

What is the average net worth of a United States citizen? ›

Net worth is the difference between the values of your assets and liabilities. The average American net worth is $1,063,700, as of 2022. Net worth averages increase with age from $183,500 for those 35 and under to $1,794,600 for those 65 to 74. Net worth, however, tends to drop for those 75 and older.

How do I determine the net worth of my home? ›

4 Steps to Know How Much Your Home Is Worth
  1. Learn the facts about your house and local market. ...
  2. Enter your address into a free online home value estimator. ...
  3. Compare your home's value to others in your neighborhood. ...
  4. Work with a real estate agent to find the most accurate price.

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