Increasing your net worth can have numerous benefits; it’s more than just bragging rights. For instance, lifting your net worth can help you retire years earlier. It also leads to financial security, which lets you worry less about money and enjoy the things that are important in life.
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And while increasing your net worth might seem challenging, it doesn’t have to be. True, it will most likely take years rather than weeks, but putting the right systems in place isn’t overly difficult. Following some or all of these steps will allow you to increase your net worth and ultimately meet your financial goals.
Key takeaways
- Your net worth equals all of your assets (i.e. cash and investments) minus your liabilities (debts).
- You can significantly boost your net worth by maximizing contributions to retirement accounts and leveraging employer matches.
- Strategically tackle high-interest debt, especially credit card debt, by paying more than the minimum.
- Utilize budgeting tools to streamline your spending and identify ways to save money. Pay attention to key areas like housing, transportation and food.
1. Boost your retirement contributions
Increasing retirement contributions is an excellent way to grow your net worth. However, people don’t often take full advantage of this strategy. In fact, 56 percent of Americans in the workforce say they’re behind where they should be in retirement savings, with 37% saying they feel significantly behind, according to a recent Bankrate retirement savings survey.
The 401(k) contribution limit for 2024 is $23,000. Additionally, individuals who are 50 years old or older are allowed to contribute an extra $7,500. If you have reduced your expenses as mentioned in the next step, you already have one way to boost your retirement contributions.
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Contributing more to a retirement account can have a number of benefits. These accounts are often tax-deferred and many come with employer matching. At the very least, you should increase your contributions up to the limit of your employer’s match, if you aren’t already. This is an easy way to double your money. But thanks to the favorable tax treatment of retirement accounts, it’s usually a good idea to maximize your contribution to them before investing in other ways, such as with a taxable brokerage account.
Finally, the sooner you can start building your nest egg, the better. About 21 percent of U.S. adults say their biggest financial regret is not starting to save for retirement early enough, according to Bankrate’s financial regrets survey. To maximize the power of compound interest, give yourself as much time as possible to save, even if you have to start small in the beginning.
2. Trim your expenses
Reducing your expenses isn’t fun, but it can be a very effective way to increase your net worth. One way to reduce your expenses is to use budgeting software or an app. Focusing on the “big three” of housing, transportation and food can be a highly effective way to save money. Reducing your housing costs isn’t always an option, particularly if you have a family that is part of the equation.
However, reducing your transportation and food costs can be more realistic. For instance, buying food in bulk and eating out less often can save you hundreds of dollars a month.
3. Pay off high-interest debt
High-interest debt can severely limit your ability to increase your net worth. Unfortunately, credit card debt is a common part of many people’s financial lives. In fact, 46 percent of credit card holders currently carry debt from month to month, according to Bankrate’s credit card debt survey.Paying these balances down isn’t easy, but it’s a must if you want to increase your net worth.
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If you have significant debt with interest rates higher than 10 percent annually, you don’t necessarily have to pay it off all at once. However, with credit cards, for example, paying just the minimum will ensure you stay in debt for years to come and pay thousands of dollars in interest.
First, focus on paying whatever you can above the minimum payment. Doing so will reduce the interest you owe, which can lead to a domino effect. You can also use a method like the debt snowball or debt avalanche to pay off your debt.
4. Save for emergencies
Having an emergency fund can help you grow your net worth, albeit somewhat indirectly. For instance, you might build up $5,000 in an emergency fund over a few years, but it’s not that $5,000 increase to your net worth that makes the difference.
The biggest benefit is being able to avoid that high-interest debt mentioned earlier. You never know when you will have to replace your refrigerator or make an unexpected visit to the emergency room. In fact, 43 percent of credit cardholders with credit card debt say that an unexpected or emergency expense is the main reason they have that debt, according to Bankrate’s credit card debt survey.
Without an emergency fund, you could be forced to put these expenses on credit cards or take out personal loans. That can lead to a vicious cycle of never-ending interest payments, putting a significant drag on your net worth. Having an emergency fund helps you avoid that cycle, which will help you increase your net worth.
Still, building a financial safety net isn’t always easy. Over 80 percent of Americans did not increase their emergency savings in 2023, according to a recent Bankrate emergency savings survey. To boost your financial cushion, consider setting up automatic deposits to your savings account so you practice the habit of “paying yourself first.” You can always start small, then increase your contributions over time.
Use Bankrate’s simple savings calculator to estimate the growth of your investments over time.
5. Renegotiate/consolidate loans
Renegotiating or consolidating your loans can save you a lot of money in the long run. You may have gotten stuck with a higher interest rate when you first took out the loan, perhaps because you had bad credit or no credit. But if you have been consistently making your payments on time and/or your credit score has improved, you might be able to refinance your loans for a lower rate.
Keep in mind that this isn’t always the best way to go. For instance, one way to refinance federal student loans is with a private lender. However, that could lead to giving up certain consumer protections or access to income-driven repayment plans, so refinancing may not be your best option in that case. Whether refinancing is right for you depends on your unique set of circumstances.
6. Keep your cars for as long as possible
If you are like most Americans, you probably live in an area where driving is a daily necessity. Hence, owning a car is a must. But cars are a depreciating asset; you’ve probably heard that cars lose 10 percent of their value the moment you drive off the dealer’s lot. That could be an exaggeration, but it’s true that they tend to lose more than 10 percent of their value in their first month, according to data from Carfax.
In other words, if you buy new cars every few years, you are constantly at the mercy of rapid depreciation. Keeping cars longer helps you fight that cycle. Of course, all cars only have so much useful life. At a certain point, they become more expensive to maintain than the money you save by avoiding excessive depreciation.
It can be difficult to know exactly when that point is, but if you are making costly repairs like replacing the transmission, it might be time to consider a new vehicle.
7. Increase your salary
Increasing your salary is easier said than done, especially if the job market where you live isn’t the strongest. However, if you want to increase your net worth, there is only so much optimizing you can do with your finances. If you have already done everything else mentioned on this list, for example, increasing your earnings might be the best way to grow your net worth.
But you don’t necessarily have to pick up a side hustle or even change jobs to increase your salary. The first thing you can do is ask for a promotion at your current job. You’d be in good company, too. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of employed Americans received a pay increase at some point since October 2022, according to Bankrate’s pay raise survey.
There are many ways to build a case for yourself when asking for a raise. You can cite specific wins you’ve had at your job over the past year. You can also research salary ranges for your job in the region where you live. Lastly, you can learn a new skill or earn industry certifications to further boost your value.
Bottom line
Increasing your net worth can seem challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. If you follow the steps mentioned here, you may find that saving money becomes easier than you expected. And when you calculate your net worth, that number could be far higher than you ever thought possible.
