It’s not unusual to figure out your net worth once you’ve joined the workforce. It’s pretty natural to try to discover what your financial situation is and how it will shape up in the future.
You may also be curious to know how you compare against others or whether your average net worth is enough according to your current age. Before we dig in to find out your average net worth by age, let’s first find out what net worth means and how it is calculated.
What Is Net Worth?
Net worth is the result of all your assets minus your liabilities. In simple terms, it’s all you own after deducting all the things you owe. Below are some examples of what your assets and liabilities could be:
Assets
- The money you have saved in your bank account(s)
- Investment stocks including mutual funds, bonds, etc.
- Properties and Vehicles
- Jewelry, artwork, or other valuable items.
Liabilities
- Home Loans and/or mortgages on rental properties
- Student Loans
- Car Loans
- Medical expenses
- Credit card debts
- Taxes
- Utility bills
- Any other personal loans
Once you deduct all your liabilities from your assets, the amount you’ll get is your actual net worth. You’ll have a positive net worth if your assets are greater than your liabilities. And if it’s less, you’ll have a negative one.
Don’t fret or panic if your amount is not what you expected or is in the red zone (which is negative). There’s still time to rectify your financial situation and save enough for retirement.
Average Net Worth By Age
Now that you know how to calculate your net worth, comparing them with others should be easy. Knowing where you stand may motivate you to work more, set specific goals, and control your expenses.
In Atlanta, Georgia, the average annual net worth of an individual’s household income is about $111,013. By the time you are in your 20s, you’d probably have part-time jobs to pay off student loans or manage your own personal expenses. In those days, nobody thinks much about saving. And that’s quite alright. But by the time you hit 30s, you secure a permanent job and realize it’s time to save and budget. Therefore, let’s start by looking at how much your net worth should be in your 30s.
– Average Net Worth By Age 30
Residents in Atlanta between the ages of 25 to 35 earn about $76,852 where the median net worth is approximately $13,750. This is the time to lay the foundation for building up your retirement account if you plan to have a good net worth by the time you reach your retirement age.
With paying off loans, debt, and wedding expenses, your net worth may be lower now, but that’s okay. You still have time to plan a budget for you and your family and stick to it if you want to achieve your net worth goals.
Speaking of weddings, if you are in a position where you or your spouse earn a good amount of money and have properties worth more than a million dollars, it’s probably a good idea to draw up a prenup. Atlanta prenuptial agreements aids both parties in covering issues such as the rights and obligations of both marital and separate properties and how to divide the assets and debts according to the consent of both parties. By doing so, if the time comes when divorce becomes apparent, the entire endeavor can be avoided using this agreement as a reference to what they agreed upon when they tied the knot.
– Average Net Worth By Age 40
By age 40, the goal is to have a net worth saved that’s twice your salary. For instance, earning $60,000, you should have a net worth of $120,000.
It may prove slightly difficult or slow in saving up now that you have new expenses to consider. Children’s essentials, tuition fees, books, stationeries, and regulars such as home rents, utility bills, and credit card debts may seem to drag down your net worth a little at a time.
When you see that happening, you and your spouse can sit down and make a family budget plan to cut back on unnecessary expenses and manage your finances more wisely. While you’re at it, don’t forget to invest on both of your retirement accounts. Keep some money aside for it, even if it is a low amount.
– Average Net Worth By Age 50
Your average networth should roughly be four times your salary. The median wage is approximately $168,000 in Atlanta. This career peak begs the question of whether you are satisfied with your income?
This is when you have the experience and the opportunity to switch to a better position. If your company won’t offer it to you, then it’s time to think about hopping to another company. In times like these, you must think about yourself and your family first.
– Average Net Worth By Age 60
This is where you can overview how much net worth you’ll have by the time you retire. By age 60, your goal should be to have a net worth six times your annual salary. The average net worth between ages 55 to 65 is about $1,176,000 with a median wage of $213,000.
Now that the kids can fend for themselves, it’s time to think about how you can invest more into your retirement plans. Maybe you don’t need a big house anymore and can give it up in exchange for a monthly rent. Or you can sell some valuable items and jewelry that are taking up space and sell them for a good amount of money you can save in your account. Whatever you do, now is when you can cut down a lot of expenses, pay off debts, and watch how your retirement starts to shape up.
– Net Worth By Retirement
By this time, you should have a net worth ten times your annual salary. If you earned $100,000, you should have a net worth of $1,000,000. The average net worth in Atlanta between ages 65 and 75 is about $1,200,000, with a median wage of $230,000.
This is when you invest your money in businesses and start taking health and disability insurance. This way, your net worth won’t be affected. You can also start up trust funds for your children or grandchildren for their future and write up wills on how you want your properties divided.
Takeaways
As you start planning your financial future, it doesn’t matter if your net worth is on the low side. Uncertainties and unnecessary expenses will always be there, but it is upto you to draw the line if you want to live a rich and colorful life by the time you retire. That doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy that summer vacation abroad. So plan ahead and spend wisely.
