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Net Worth Tracking
The basic definition
Net worth is what you own minus what you owe. Assets minus liabilities. It's the single clearest number for "am I making progress over time".
How Cisti calculates it
| Asset | Counted? |
|---|---|
| Bank and savings accounts | Yes |
| Investment portfolios | Yes |
| Pension funds | Yes |
| Property equity (value minus mortgage) | Yes |
| Cash and other miscellaneous | Yes, via accounts |
Credit card balances and outstanding mortgages get subtracted automatically.
The timeline
The dashboard and Retirement pages plot net worth over time, one data point per month. The trend is what matters. A bad month from a market dip is not a problem. A flat year is.
How it grows
Three things move the number up.
- Spending less than you earn.
- Paying down debt (mortgage, credit cards).
- Investment and property values rising.
Two of those are under your control. The third is the market doing its thing.
Tips
Update account balances monthly so the snapshot is honest. Don't panic at short-term dips. Look at the year-on-year line. If it's higher than it was twelve months ago, you're winning.