An example
A home worth 250,000, savings of 12,000, pensions of 45,000, investments of 8,000 and a car worth 6,000 come to 321,000.00. A 180,000 mortgage, a 4,000 car loan and 1,500 on cards come to 185,500.00. Net worth: 135,500.00, with debts at 57.8% of assets.
Net worth = what you own − what you owe Debts as a share = what you owe ÷ what you own × 100
What to include
- Own: the home at what it would sell for, savings and current accounts, pensions, investments, a car at its resale value, anything else you could sell for real money.
- Owe: what’s left on the mortgage, loans, credit cards, overdrafts, money owed to family, tax due.
Value things at what they would fetch today, not what you paid. Most belongings are worth far less second-hand.
Why it’s worth tracking
One figure means little; the trend means a lot. Updating it every few months shows whether you are building wealth, and what is moving it: paying down debt and saving both raise it.
How to read the result
- Net worth: everything you own less everything you owe.
- Debts as a share of what you own: a quick measure of how stretched you are.
- The list stays on this device, so you can update it every few months and watch the trend.
Common mistakes
- Valuing things at what you paid rather than what they’d sell for.
- Leaving out debts you don’t think about, such as a car loan or an overdraft.
- Counting the same thing twice, such as a home and a fund for it.
How to use it
- Edit the starting list: rename, change the values, remove what doesn’t apply and add your own.
- Read your net worth and how much of what you own is owed.
- Come back later: the list is kept in this browser.
Questions
Should I include my pension?
Yes, usually at its current value. Some people track net worth with and without pensions, since they can’t be spent until later.
Is a negative net worth bad?
It means you owe more than you own today, which is common early on, for example with student loans. What matters is that it rises over time.
Where is my list kept?
In this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere.
More calculators
Elsewhere on Yuzool
- Budget for the month-to-month side
See all 39 calculators. Everything runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.