Your finances on one line
Income tells you what comes in each month. Net worth tells you where all of it has ended up. It is the value of everything you own, minus everything you owe, and it is the single number that best shows if you are moving forward over the years.
This net worth calculator keeps it simple: a handful of lines for what you own and what you owe, and the answer straight away. Nothing is saved or sent, so you can be honest with the numbers. Copy the result or the link if you want to compare next year.
How to work it out
- Fill in what you own: cash and bank balances, investments at today's value, property and vehicles at what they would sell for, and other valuable items.
- Fill in what you owe: anything still owed on property or vehicles, bills and tax that are due, and any other amounts you owe.
- Leave any line that does not apply empty.
- Read your net worth, the totals on each side, and how much of what you own is matched by what you owe.
The net worth formula
net worth = everything you own − everything you owe
share owed = total owed ÷ total owned × 100Use what things would sell for today, not what you paid. A car bought for 30,000 three years ago is worth what a buyer would give for it now. Property is the same: a recent sale of a similar home nearby is a better guide than the price on your paperwork.
Worked example
Alex owns a home worth 280,000, a car worth 15,000, 12,000 in the bank, 35,000 in investments and 3,000 of other valuables. Alex still owes 190,000 on the home, 8,000 on the car and 4,500 elsewhere.
- Total owned: 12,000 + 35,000 + 280,000 + 15,000 + 3,000 = $345,000.00
- Total owed: 190,000 + 8,000 + 4,500 = $202,500.00
- Net worth: 345,000 − 202,500 = $142,500.00
Alex's net worth is $142,500.00. What Alex owes is 58.7% of what Alex owns, so most of the home still belongs, in money terms, to whoever is owed for it. As those amounts come down and the investments grow, the net worth climbs.
What to count, and what to leave out
| Count it | Leave it out |
|---|---|
| Bank balances and cash | Money you expect but have not received |
| Investments at today's value | What an investment might be worth one day |
| Property at what it would sell for | What you paid for it years ago |
| Vehicles at resale value | The price of a new one |
| Every amount you owe | Regular bills that are not yet due |
Your income is not part of net worth. Someone with a big salary and big amounts owed can have a lower net worth than someone on a modest wage who owes nothing.
Mistakes that skew the number
- Valuing things at what you paid. Most belongings lose value quickly; only count what you could sell them for.
- Forgetting small amounts owed. A few small balances add up. Check your statements for anything outstanding.
- Counting the same thing twice. If your property is in, do not add its contents as well unless they are worth something separate.
- Checking too often. Net worth moves with markets and property prices. Once or twice a year is enough to see the trend.
- Leaving your business out. If you run one, its value is part of yours. The profit margin calculator is a good place to check how healthy it is.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my net worth?
Add up the value of everything you own: bank balances, investments, property, vehicles and valuables. Add up everything you owe. Take the second total from the first. If you own 345,000 and owe 202,500, your net worth is 142,500. Fill in the boxes above and the calculator does the sums.
Can net worth be negative?
Yes. If you owe more than you own, your net worth is below zero. That is common early on, for example just after buying a car or a home, or when starting out with study costs. What matters most is the direction: a negative number that gets smaller each year is real progress.
Should I include my home in my net worth?
Yes, at what it would sell for today, with anything still owed on it on the other side. Some people also work out a second figure without their home, because you cannot easily spend the value of the house you live in. Both are useful; just be consistent from one year to the next.
How often should I check my net worth?
Once or twice a year is plenty. Prices of investments and property move up and down from month to month, which can make short-term changes look bigger than they are. Pick the same date each year, copy the link to keep your numbers, and compare the trend over several years.
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