WholioYour net worth is everything you own minus everything you owe. It's the one number that shows whether your finances are moving forward over time, even when individual months feel messy.
What to count
What you own (assets):
- Cash and savings: bank accounts, savings accounts, and term deposits
- Shares and funds: shares, ETFs, and managed funds
- Retirement savings: pensions, retirement funds, and provident funds
- Crypto
- Property: your home, investment property, and land
- Vehicles, and anything else of real value
What you owe (debts):
- Mortgages
- Car, personal, and student loans
- Credit card balances
- Buy now pay later, and money owed to people
A quick example
| Savings | $12,000 |
| Shares | $8,000 |
| Car | $15,000 |
| Car loan | −$9,000 |
| Credit card | −$1,000 |
| Net worth | $25,000 |
Why once a month is enough
Values move every day, especially shares and crypto, and daily changes are mostly noise. A snapshot once a month, on roughly the same day, shows the real trend and only takes a few minutes. Use the balance shown in each account, and a realistic value for things like property and cars.
Saving versus value changes
Net worth can rise because you saved, or because your investments went up. It helps to know which. If most of the growth comes from markets, a bad year can undo it; if it comes from your own saving, your habits are working. For investments, note how much you put in each month so the two can be told apart.
Your cash buffer
A cash buffer is how many months of normal spending your cash could cover. Many people aim for three to six months, so a surprise bill or a gap between jobs doesn't turn into debt.
How Wholio helps
- All in one place. Add accounts, investments, retirement savings, property, vehicles, and debts.
- Any currency. Each item keeps its own currency, and totals are shown in yours with daily exchange rates.
- Quick monthly updates. Update every value on one screen.
- See the trend. Charts for one month, six months, a year, or all time.
- Know where growth came from. Each month's change is split into your own saving and changes in value.
- Cash buffer. See how many months of spending your cash covers.
Common questions
Should I include my home?
Yes, at a realistic value, along with the mortgage. Property is often the biggest part of net worth, so leaving it out gives an incomplete picture.
Do I need exact numbers?
No. Close enough, updated regularly, is more useful than perfect numbers updated once a year.
Is it normal for net worth to go down?
Yes. Market drops, big purchases, and new loans all lower it for a while. The trend over a year matters more than any single month.