I've delayed calculating my NW statement

[BTDretire]

 I haven't had a perfectly scheduled time to do NW calculations, but in general, about every 3 months.
The last time I did was 12-31-17. I skipped the March calculation, because I didn't want to know the answer. :-(
 I plan to do a calculation at the end of this month.
 Anyone else just disappointed with the last six months.
 I know, I'm clearly spoiled by the last 7 years. :-)

[DreamFIRE]

I don't actually do net worth calculations, only stash calculations.  While it's disappointing to see what's happened after January 26th, and the S&P is still down over 3% from that high, my stash hit a new record high last week.  So, as long as the market hangs on and returns to previous highs, I won't complain.

[facepalm]

I haven't had a perfectly scheduled time to do NW calculations, but in general, about every 3 months.
The last time I did was 12-31-17. I skipped the March calculation, because I didn't want to know the answer. :-(
 I plan to do a calculation at the end of this month.
 Anyone else just disappointed with the last six months.
 I know, I'm clearly spoiled by the last 7 years. :-)

I do this when I go off my diet--I don't want to step on the scale.

But it's just a number. When I saw my portfolio dip in January, it motivated me to make sure I had everything locked in. The past few months have been better.

[ixtap]

We do every six months. Looking good from last November.

[RWD]

Anyone else just disappointed with the last six months.

Our net worth is up ~$70k over the last six months. Can't complain.

GnuCash always displays our net worth, so I don't go out of my way to calculate it at set intervals.

[terran]

I update for contributions regularly as part of budgeting, but only adjust for gains/losses once per year (on 12/31) since I can't control them anyway. Looking at individual accounts, everything is up by varying amounts. Those I haven't contributed to since the beginning of the year are up most, so I must have caught some peaks in the volatility in the accounts I've been contributing to more regularly. All this to say, you might not be doing as poorly as you fear.

[BTDretire]

I don't actually do net worth calculations, only stash calculations.  While it's disappointing to see what's happened after January 26th, and the S&P is still down over 3% from that high, my stash hit a new record high last week.  So, as long as the market hangs on and returns to previous highs, I won't complain.

 Ya, I used the wrong word.
 I don't include anything except investments, cash and I do include
the inventory for our business, but not the business. The inventory
runs between $6k and $30k. I basically invest savings into inventory
and get it back when it's sold.

[2Birds1Stone]

Anyone else just disappointed with the last six months.
 I know, I'm clearly spoiled by the last 7 years. :-)

No......S&P is up 4.81% over the past 6 months, which is +10% annualized.....maybe you should stick to safer investments? What if we have a -40% over 6 months?

[BTDretire]

Anyone else just disappointed with the last six months.
 I know, I'm clearly spoiled by the last 7 years. :-)

No......S&P is up 4.81% over the past 6 months, which is +10% annualized.....maybe you should stick to safer investments? What if we have a -40% over 6 months?

 Did I say 6 months? :-) You're right over 6 months my VTSAX is up 5.46%.
Over 4 months, 1 week, it's down 2%.
 I like your way better! :-)

[daschtick]

For the last 4 years, I have been regularly calculating my monthly spending and net worth on a monthly basis on the same day that I pay my monthly bills.  Because I have been diligent with this, the data has proven to be extremely useful in helping me to understand my finances in both spending and investment growth.

In my spreadsheet, I also have 2 graphs: 

The first of which plots the last 4 years worth of spending, along with a 12 month moving average of this spending.  This data has given me a very clear understand of how much money I will need on a monthly basis to maintain my current lifestyle  And since my finances are quite simple, it is actually an easy exercise.  In fact, I am not even very granular, as I have less than a dozen categories.  I am not so much worried about where I spend it, but it is vital that I know exactly how much I spend.  On this same graph, I also plot a line representing 4% of my total savings, (not including my paid off home, pensions, or Social Security) so that once this line rises above my 12 month moving average (mma) for monthly spend, it is very clear that I am completely FI.  I have had several months where my individual monthly spend has been less than this 4% value, but I am still about $1000 apart from my 12 mma for monthly spend.  Personally, I feel that this data is very important, and that everyone who chooses to act as their own financial planner is doing themselves a disservice if they are not plotting this - Knowledge is power!

The second plot is of my monthly new worth change, again, calculated at the same time as my monthly spending.  I do not consider this graph to be nearly as important, however, I personally find it extremely interesting.  I have seen my net worth change by as much as +$70k or -$90k in a 30 day period.  But since I am very comfortable with the volatility of the market (including the 2007 crisis, and the dot.com bubble), I never panic or stray from regular investing.  That said, I also calculate a 12 mma of the monthly change in my net worth.  The key takeaway here is that line has continued to hover between +$10k and +$20k each month, even with wild swings in the market!

The important thing here is to continue to collect regular data today, as it will serve you well  in the future.

[SachaFiscal]

I do my mine at the end of each month. I’ve been quite disappointed the past several months but it looks like things may be recovering now. When things are down I don’t tell my partner, I only tell him when my investments are up. He usually only checks his investments once a year which is good because he is more likely to get spooked from a major drop and try to make changes instead of sticking to his asset allocation plan.

[Bird In Hand]

I see ours a few times a week via Yodlee.  I decided not to look for a few weeks starting around the end of January.  :o

[PhilB]

Clearly different methods work for different people!  I can quite understand how some people would get freaked out by the movements and don't dare look.  I went the complete opposite way and have been plotting my investments on a graph weekly for several years.  This has allowed me to get accustomed to the ups and downs as I've watched the balance dive down below forecast then climb back up again several times which has left me much less scared abut it all.

[MaaS]

I definitely log in to Personal Capital less often when the market dips. Despite having long-term confidence in the outcome, it's still a bit depressing to work your ass off for a month and see NW decrease.

[Sibley]

Add a simple number to your calculations: # of shares held. The $ value may be all over the place, but the # of shares held is much more within your control.

[dude]

I do them monthly, and they've been going nowhere but up since I started doing them about 4 years ago.  Sure, once in a while it drops from one month to another, but overall, the trend has been up, up, up (primarily because mortgage principle is coming down, and wife and I are socking away around $60k annually).

[daschtick]

I do them monthly, and they've been going nowhere but up since I started doing them about 4 years ago.  Sure, once in a while it drops from one month to another, but overall, the trend has been up, up, up (primarily because mortgage principle is coming down, and wife and I are socking away around $60k annually).

The trend is the key!  My 12 month moving average is always positive, often significantly.  Don't let a few undesirable data points throw off your tracking, possibly derailing your motivation.  Focus on the big picture!

[FireHiker]

I calculate monthly; like a previous poster noted, it helps to desensitize you to fluctuations. I have absolutely avoided the scale when I haven't been eating well though, so I certainly understand the concept!

[merlin7676]

I do mine monthly using a spreadsheet and graph. Always disappointed to see a dip in the graph instead of steady upward ticks.
But I keep mine expanded out so my brain can see that even when it goes down, it's still overall up.

[SansSkill]

I record monthly statements of all individual accounts: checking account, savings accounts and investment accounts.

I'm doing a weird calculation though, I don't count equity or physical assets but I do count debt as liability, I also don't count student loans.
I don't count equity/physical assets as they don't generate cash but debt does cost cash.
I don't count student loans because my max mothly payment is capped based on income in a rather generous fashion, so I only take it into account for monthly cash flow purposes.

[fuzzy math]

For the last 4 years, I have been regularly calculating my monthly spending and net worth on a monthly basis on the same day that I pay my monthly bills.  Because I have been diligent with this, the data has proven to be extremely useful in helping me to understand my finances in both spending and investment growth.

In my spreadsheet, I also have 2 graphs: 

The first of which plots the last 4 years worth of spending, along with a 12 month moving average of this spending.  This data has given me a very clear understand of how much money I will need on a monthly basis to maintain my current lifestyle  And since my finances are quite simple, it is actually an easy exercise.  In fact, I am not even very granular, as I have less than a dozen categories.  I am not so much worried about where I spend it, but it is vital that I know exactly how much I spend.  On this same graph, I also plot a line representing 4% of my total savings, (not including my paid off home, pensions, or Social Security) so that once this line rises above my 12 month moving average (mma) for monthly spend, it is very clear that I am completely FI.  I have had several months where my individual monthly spend has been less than this 4% value, but I am still about $1000 apart from my 12 mma for monthly spend.  Personally, I feel that this data is very important, and that everyone who chooses to act as their own financial planner is doing themselves a disservice if they are not plotting this - Knowledge is power!

The second plot is of my monthly new worth change, again, calculated at the same time as my monthly spending.  I do not consider this graph to be nearly as important, however, I personally find it extremely interesting.  I have seen my net worth change by as much as +$70k or -$90k in a 30 day period.  But since I am very comfortable with the volatility of the market (including the 2007 crisis, and the dot.com bubble), I never panic or stray from regular investing.  That said, I also calculate a 12 mma of the monthly change in my net worth.  The key takeaway here is that line has continued to hover between +$10k and +$20k each month, even with wild swings in the market!

The important thing here is to continue to collect regular data today, as it will serve you well  in the future.

This sounds beautiful. I bet lots of people could stop working years earlier if they utilized that comparison. I finally am tracking my asset worth (Not net worth) in a meaningful way, and in a few years when my spending and asset returns get closer I can see a lot of value in tracking this. Thanks!

[Bateaux]

On the Race from 2M to 3M thread we often state our weekly losses and gains in Tesla equilivents.  Down 35K is a basic Model 3, down.50K a nice Model 3, 75K is a Model S 75d, 100k a Model S 100d and when the shit hits the fan a Model X 100d. 

[2Birds1Stone]

I hope to one day join you, but only on the gains part '_-