Net worth is a simple calculation — assets minus liabilities — but the value is tracking it consistently over time, since a single snapshot tells you far less than the trend.

The Calculation and Benchmarks

Net worth = total assets (cash, investments, retirement accounts, home equity) − total liabilities (mortgage, loans, credit card debt). Compare your number against the Fidelity benchmark (1x salary by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50) — though remember the 2026 median tells a more modest story (a median 35-44-year-old has roughly $45,000 in retirement accounts specifically, well below the $225,000 target on a $75,000 salary), so being behind the aspirational benchmark is common, not a personal failing.

Track net worth quarterly or annually, not monthly — short-term market swings can make a monthly check feel discouraging or falsely encouraging, obscuring the meaningful trend. A consistent, less-frequent check shows the actual trajectory your habits are producing.

Someone Just Starting to Track: Don't be discouraged by a low or negative starting number (common with student loan debt) — the value is in the trend from this point forward, not the starting snapshot.

Someone With Net Worth Concentrated in Home Equity: Illiquid net worth (equity you can't easily access) is but track it separately from liquid net worth (cash, investments) for a more accurate picture of actual financial flexibility.

Calculate and Track Your Net Worth

  1. List all assets and their current values.
  2. List all liabilities and their current balances.
  3. Subtract to get your net worth, and set a recurring quarterly or annual check-in.

See how much savings should you have for the fuller benchmark context.