Are you worth more than you earn? Poll results/discussion

Former_MSE_Lawrence

Poll between 26 August - 2 September 2008:

Are you worth more than you earn?

How does your income compare to your wealth? Are you asset rich and cash poor? Do you earn a lot but own nothing? Or are you just badly in debt?

How to work it out:

• Wealth: Add all assets (savings, shares, home) and subtract debts (mortgage, loans, credit cards). If your debts are bigger than your assets you have negative wealth (and are overall in debt)

• Income: Total all the amount you earn in a typical year from salary, interest, pension.

Which of these categories do you fit in?

A. IN DEBT: You owe 21 times or more your earnings. 2% (158 votes)
B. You owe 16 to 20 times your earnings 0% (32 votes)
C. You owe 11 to 15 times your earnings 1% (58 votes)
D. You owe 6 to 10 times your earnings 3% (242 votes)
E. You owe 2.5 to 5 times your earnings 9% (677 votes)
F. You owe 1 to 2.4 times your earnings 9% (653 votes)
G. You owe less a year’s earnings 17% (1268 votes)
H. IN CREDIT: You’re worth less than a year’s earnings 13% (957 votes)
I. You’re worth 1 to 2.4 times your earnings 13% (957 votes)
J. You’re worth 2.5 to 5 times your earnings 14% (1092 votes)
K. You’re worth 6 to 10 times your earnings 9% (706 votes)
L. You’re worth 11 to 15 times your earnings 3% (235 votes)
M. You’re worth 16 to 20 times your earnings 2% (160 votes)
N. You’re worth 21 times or more than your earnings 5% (358 votes)

Voting has now closed, but you can still click 'post reply' to discuss below.


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shelovestobuystuff

Looking at the big picture makes my situation appear quite rosy,asset rich but cash poor.I clicked K but that still doesnt help me pay the bills month to month,did chear me though to see I am actually not in too bad a situation overall.

[Deleted User]

Oops, i clicked the wrong one.. forgot that my house was an asset worth more than the mortgage!

before_hollywood

h- i don't have any debt any more (well about £100 on my overdraft) but thats it and i have a car (paid for) and odds and ends of stuff (paid for)

Coveredinbees!!!!

I can't calculate any of this as it's not all mine. My wife owns half of everything.

ceridwen

Well....thats ceridwen dropping dead of shock - as I clicked M and that apparently makes me in the top 5% of the population - on my low salary (little more than National Minimum Wage). Add the fact that I have the higher expenses of a single person AND the higher expenses of living in a dear part of the country - and I am thinking "looks like I can polish the financial halo". Crikey - I knew I am good with money (and have learnt a lot from M.S.E. to help with this - thanks Martin :money: ) - but its nice to know that I have proof positive that I'm obviously a b.....y good money manager.

Okay....employers....form an orderly queue right here....I'm available as your personal Financial Planner - for double the salary I earn at present:D - and a Christmas Bonus wouldnt go amiss either;). A gal's gotta value herself you know....God knows employers never have....

Dorrie

I ticked N because I, personally, only earn around £50 per week. I have two jobs (plus being a wife and mother!!) but one is voluntary, so I don't get any pay for that. We have no debts (mortgage around £18000), everything is owned outright.

thecraftybear

Well hubby and me together as a household are in I. We own both cars outright and are paying off the mortgage as quickly as possible. I'm "stoozing" a large sum in my offest mortgage account to make a profit, does anyone have any tips for extending my stoozing? as I only have one credit card with such a high limit!
cheers

sparrer

I clicked L but in fact my value is off the scale ..well it is according to my DGS who I took to the Motor Show a couple of weeks ago, anyway:rotfl:

I'm on a pension but my total worth on paper is now well into the L bracket for the first time in my life. The feeling of relief and security was well worth the wait. I don't own my house but I don't owe anyone anything now and have just recently made some very small but sound investments - thank you MSE :A

sdooley

Unless you've just lost your job I don't see how A-C are possible. No-one would lend to someone with that much debt surely? (not counting mortgages which will have a matching asset). M-N will be mostly pensioners I suspect.

geri1965_2

I can't work it out accuratelt as I have no idea of the value of my pension, endowment policy and death in service benefit (if that counts).

If I do a very rough guess using value of house + savings minus mortgage (no other debts) then I fall into J.