US Net worth tracker

What net worth is and how to track it

Net worth is total assets minus total liabilities — a snapshot of your financial position at one moment in time.

Net worth = total assets − total liabilities

A negative number is normal in early adulthood (student loans, no investments yet). The trajectory matters more than the absolute number — most paths to wealth involve net worth that's low or negative for years before compounding takes over.

What counts as an asset

• Cash, savings, money-market funds
• Investment accounts (brokerage, retirement, education savings)
• Real estate at current market value (not what you paid)
• Vehicles at depreciated value (Blue Book / Glass's / RedBook)
• Valuable personal property with a documented resale market (jewellery, collectibles, art with provenance)

What to exclude

• Household furniture, kitchenware, clothing
• Consumer electronics older than 2–3 years
• Vehicles valued at "what I paid" (almost always overstated)
• "Sentimental" valuations — assets are worth their market price, not your memory of them

What counts as a liability

• Mortgage balance (current outstanding, not original)
• Student loans, auto loans, personal loans
• Credit card balances
• Lines of credit (currently drawn balance)
• Money owed to family or friends
• Tax owed but not yet paid

Worked example

Assets: Checking $4,500; HYSA emergency fund $15,000; 401(k) $87,000; Roth IRA $22,000; taxable brokerage $11,000; home $385,000; car $14,000 → Total $538,500

Liabilities: Mortgage $290,000; student loans $18,000; credit card $2,400; auto loan $11,500 → Total $321,900

Net worth: $216,600

How often to update

Monthly is the most common cadence — frequent enough to spot trends, infrequent enough that market noise doesn't dominate. Pick a fixed day each month for consistency. Quarterly is fine for casual tracking; annual is the minimum for long-term planning. Daily tracking creates anxiety without insight.

Common mistakes

• Including everything at retail price. Used cars, furniture, and electronics depreciate substantially. Be conservative.
• Counting unrealised options or RSUs at intrinsic value. They're not yours until vested.
• Including pension benefits as a lump sum. Defined-benefit pensions don't have a tradeable "value" — don't capitalise them.
• Forgetting to subtract the mortgage. A house is an asset; the mortgage on it is a liability. Both go on the tally.
• Comparing to other people. Net worth depends on age, geography, profession, family, and luck. Compare to your own past, not to averages.

Common benchmarks (US guidance)

• By age 30: 1× annual gross income invested
• By age 40: 3×
• By age 50: 6×
• By age 60: 8×
• By retirement: 10–12×

These are aggressive targets — many people fall behind without facing a crisis. The trajectory matters more than hitting any specific milestone.

What this calculator doesn't cover

• Future value projections (use the retirement or FIRE calculator)
• Tax-adjusted net worth (assets in tax-deferred accounts face tax on withdrawal)
• Specific asset valuation guidance (use Zillow / Redfin / Rightmove / realestate.com.au for property; KBB / Glass's / RedBook for cars)
• Foreign-currency-denominated assets at current exchange rates
• Estate planning value (insurance proceeds, expected inheritance)