Does net worth include your car?
Yes. Your car counts as an asset at what it would sell for today, and the remaining car loan counts as a liability. Because cars lose value every year, use a realistic current resale value — not what you paid.
How to value a car
- Use the private-party or trade-in value for your make, model, year, mileage and condition.
- Expect a new car to lose roughly a fifth of its value in the first year and keep depreciating after that, so update the value at least yearly.
Why a new car can lower your net worth
- If you finance most of a new car, the loan can be larger than the car's resale value for the first few years — negative equity that reduces your net worth.
- Paying the loan down and the car depreciating move in opposite directions; your equity is the gap between them.
Leased cars
- A leased car isn't yours, so it isn't an asset — and the lease payments aren't counted as a debt either, unless you owe early-termination or excess-mileage charges.
Common questions
Should I include my car in my net worth?
Yes, at its current resale value, with any car loan subtracted as a debt. The Federal Reserve's net-worth figures include vehicles.
Is a car an asset or a liability?
The car itself is an asset — it has resale value — while the loan against it is a liability. Because it depreciates, it is a shrinking asset.
Does a leased car count toward net worth?
No. You don't own a leased car, so it isn't an asset, and the remaining lease payments generally aren't counted as debt.
Can Caliper track my car's value?
Yes. Caliper estimates your vehicle's current value and tracks it with any loan, so depreciation shows up in your net worth automatically.
Let it add itself up
Caliper is the AI net worth tracker: link your accounts once and it keeps every balance, your home's value and your car's value current — and you can ask its AI analyst questions about your own numbers.
Track your net worth free →