Free tool · Overview
Net worth calculator
Everything you own minus everything you owe, with the common valuation traps flagged.
Runs in your browser · no account required · amounts use any currency unit
Assets
Liabilities
Use realistic sale values, and leave out possessions like furniture and electronics — they inflate the figure without adding anything.
Results
In short
What is this?
Net worth is assets minus liabilities, and it can perfectly reasonably be negative. It is most useful as a trend rather than a level, because the direction reflects your decisions while the absolute number largely reflects your circumstances.
The valuation mistakes
Most net worth figures are wrong in the same direction — optimistic. The fixes are conservatism on assets and completeness on liabilities.
- Property at an aspirational figure rather than a realistic sale price, and ignoring the substantial cost of actually selling.
- Vehicles at purchase price rather than what someone would pay today.
- Possessions counted as assets. Furniture, electronics, and clothing have almost no resale value and inflate the figure without adding anything real.
- Forgotten liabilities — buy-now-pay-later arrangements, tax owed but not yet paid, informal loans from family.
- Receivables at full value when some are not coming back.
- Retirement accounts at full balance, ignoring tax due on withdrawal.
Watch the direction, not the level
The absolute number is largely a function of things you did not choose — when you were born, what you inherited, what housing costs where you live.
The change over time is much more closely connected to your decisions. Someone whose net worth rose modestly from a negative position may be doing considerably better than someone with a large positive figure drifting downward.
How often to calculate it
Quarterly is about right. Monthly mostly shows market noise in property and investment values, which has nothing to do with your behaviour and is frequent enough to be stressful.
What it does not tell you
Nothing about liquidity — substantial net worth locked in property and retirement accounts may still leave you unable to handle a surprise cost. Nothing about cash flow. And nothing about risk concentration.
It is best used alongside other measures rather than as the headline figure.
FAQ
- Should I include my possessions?
- Generally no. Furniture, electronics, and clothing have almost no resale value and inflate the figure without adding anything real. Be conservative on assets and complete on liabilities.
- Is a negative net worth a problem?
- Not by itself. It is entirely normal early in a career, particularly with student debt or a recent mortgage. The direction over time matters far more than the level.
- How often should I calculate it?
- Quarterly. Monthly mostly shows market noise in property and investment values, which reflects nothing about your own decisions and is frequent enough to be stressful.
Keep the numbers in a private ledger
expenie is a solo workspace for expenses, budgets, loans, and recurring you confirm — free forever with tight caps.
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