Net worth is simple in theory: everything you own minus everything you owe. In practice, most people only track the accounts they think about every day — the current account, maybe a savings account — and leave out the parts of their balance sheet that actually move the needle.
Here are the four account types that give you a complete and honest picture.
1. Bank accounts
This is where most people start, and it is the right place to start. Your current account and savings accounts are the liquid foundation of your financial life.
What to track:
- Primary current account (where income arrives)
- Emergency fund savings account
- Any secondary savings accounts
How often balances change: Monthly or more. These are live accounts — transactions happen constantly — but for net worth purposes, a single end-of-month snapshot is enough.
Why it matters: Your bank accounts represent your operational liquidity. If everything else collapsed, this is what you would live on. Knowing the exact balance also reveals lifestyle creep — if your income grew 15% but your savings account did not, something changed.
2. Investments
This category covers everything you own that is meant to grow over time and is not immediately liquid.
What to track:
- Brokerage accounts (stocks, ETFs, funds)
- Pension and retirement accounts (401k, ISA, Riester, etc.)
- Crypto wallets (if material to your net worth)
- Fractional ownership platforms
How often balances change: Daily in theory, but monthly snapshots are sufficient for net worth tracking. You are not day-trading your net worth picture.
Why it matters: For most people building wealth, investments are where the compounding happens. Seeing this number grow — or weather a down market — is one of the most motivating parts of monthly tracking. It also reveals whether you are actually invested or whether "I should invest more" has stayed a thought instead of becoming an action.
3. Other assets
These are the things you own that have value but are not bank accounts or traded investments.
What to track:
- Real estate equity (current market value minus remaining mortgage, if you own property)
- A car (use current resale value, not purchase price)
- Business equity (if you are a founder or co-owner)
- Valuable collectibles you could actually sell
What not to include: Future inheritance, items you would never sell, or assets you cannot reasonably value.
How often balances change: Rarely. Update real estate when you get a new appraisal or when comparable sales suggest a meaningful shift. Update a car annually. The point is not precision — it is presence. An owned property has value and should appear in your net worth.
Why it matters: Many people dramatically underestimate their net worth because they omit property equity. If you bought a flat for €200,000 with a €160,000 mortgage, and it is now worth €280,000 with €130,000 remaining on the mortgage — that is €150,000 of real net worth sitting outside your bank and investment accounts.
4. Debt
Debt is the part most people would rather not look at. Track it anyway. Accurate net worth requires honest accounting of liabilities.
What to track:
- Mortgage balance (remaining principal, not monthly payment)
- Car loan
- Student loans
- Credit card balances (if you carry them month to month)
- Personal loans
What you can omit: A credit card you pay in full every month is not net worth debt — it is a payment mechanism. Only include balances you actually carry and pay interest on.
How often balances change: Monthly for mortgages and active loans (the principal decreases with each payment). Update credit card balances if you carry them.
Why it matters: Debt can obscure real progress. If your investments grew by €5,000 but you also took on €8,000 of new debt, your net worth went down — even though the investment account looks bigger. Tracking debt alongside assets gives you the honest number.
The full picture
Here is what a complete monthly snapshot looks like:
| Category | Account | Balance | |---|---|---| | Bank | ING Current | €3,200 | | Bank | ING Savings | €18,500 | | Investment | Trade Republic | €41,000 | | Investment | Workplace pension | €28,000 | | Other asset | Flat equity | €95,000 | | Debt | Mortgage remaining | −€142,000 | | Net worth | | €43,700 |
Without the flat equity and the mortgage, this person might think their net worth is €62,700 (just bank + investments). With them, it is €43,700 — a very different number.
The goal is not to make the number bigger or smaller. The goal is to make it true.
Fizzy organises accounts into exactly these four categories — bank, investment, other asset, and debt — and calculates your total automatically every time you save a monthly entry. Start your first entry →