Net worth is the single clearest measure of your overall financial health: everything you own minus everything you owe. This calculator adds up your assets and subtracts your liabilities to give you a snapshot you can track over time.
What counts as assets and liabilities
Assets include cash and bank accounts, retirement and investment accounts, the market value of your home and vehicles, and other valuables. Liabilities include your mortgage, student loans, auto loans, credit card balances, and any other debt. Net worth is simply total assets minus total liabilities.
Why the trend matters more than the number
A single net worth figure is less important than its direction over time. Rising net worth means you are building wealth — paying down debt, saving, and letting investments grow. A flat or falling trend is an early signal to adjust spending or debt habits before problems compound.
A worked example
Someone with a $300,000 home, $80,000 in retirement accounts, $15,000 in savings, and a $20,000 car owns $415,000 in assets. Subtract a $220,000 mortgage, $18,000 auto loan, and $6,000 in credit card debt — $244,000 in liabilities — and net worth is $171,000. A negative result, common early in adulthood, simply means debt currently exceeds assets.
Growing your net worth
- Track it once or twice a year so you can see progress without obsessing over short-term market swings.
- Paying down high-interest debt increases net worth just as reliably as saving does.
- Contribute consistently to retirement accounts — compound growth is the biggest long-term driver.
- Be realistic about asset values, using current market prices for your home and vehicles rather than what you paid.