To plan anything well, you need a clear starting point and a way to measure your progress. With personal financial planning, the best way to start may be to figure your “personal net worth.” This is simply the value of your assets — everything you own — minus your liabilities — everything you owe. The result is a scorecard of the overall state of your financial life.
Start your asset list with your major financial resources — the current balance of your retirement plan account and the market value of your house. Next, list the market value of any other investments, bank account balances, and the cash value of any insurance policies. Then, estimate the value of your vehicles, appliances, and other possessions.
Your mortgage balance should head your list of liabilities, followed by any amounts you owe on auto or home equity loans and credit cards, and any taxes you’ll have to pay. Your net worth is the difference between the total amount of your assets and the total amount of your liabilities.
Check Your Progress
By periodically determining your net worth, you can measure the progress you’re making toward your long-term goals, including saving enough for a comfortable retirement. You’ll track the growth of your retirement savings each time you calculate your net worth. And measuring your progress gives you an opportunity to make adjustments if you think your retirement money is growing too slowly.
Measuring Your Net Worth
Calculating your net worth can also show you how large a margin for financial error you have. When you list your assets and liabilities, divide them into two categories — current and long term — to determine the amount of cash you could make available in a hurry if necessary. For example, a bank savings account is a current asset that can be easily converted to cash. But selling an asset like your house usually requires a lot of time. A mortgage is a large, long-term liability, yet the short-term cash impact of each mortgage payment may be relatively low.
Net-Worth Calculation Checklist
Here is a checklist that you can use to estimate just how much you might be worth and what items may be included in your estate.
- Your primary residence, a vacation home, or investment real estate
- Securities, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or exchange-traded funds
- Precious metals and cryptocurrencies
- Checking and saving bank accounts as well as certificates of deposit
- Interest and dividends you are owed and have not been paid
- Employer retirement plan accounts and individual retirement accounts
- Closely held business interests
- Life insurance policies you own
- The value of certain annuities you may own
- Tangible personal property, such as autos, boats, antiques, artwork, or other collections with a high appraised value
- Any debts owed to you, and certain trust assets
Examine Your Spending and Saving Patterns
A net worth calculation can also help you analyze your spending and saving patterns. You create a scorecard of where your income is going and can see where to make changes if you want to increase your net worth by saving more for short- and long-term needs.
