HENRY Knowledge · 6 September 2026

Which five numbers should a HENRY track?

A practical monthly scorecard for turning high earnings into wealth, without arbitrary comparisons with people your age.

Mark Graham, founder and product editor · General education, not personal advice. AI-assisted content; no independent professional review claimed. Tax examples concern 2026/27.

Track decisions, not status

A large salary tells you what comes in, not what remains or how resilient your finances are. This is a suggested household scorecard, not a universal definition of wealth. Start with a consistent monthly snapshot and compare it with your own previous figures.

1. Net worth

Add your assets and subtract your liabilities. Record the valuation date and distinguish actual account balances from estimates such as property value. Keep the method consistent: if you include a home, also include its mortgage. A rising total is useful context, but does not tell you how much you can spend.

2. Accessible assets

Show cash and investments you could access separately from pensions and property. Note that investments can fall in value and may take time to sell. Avoid treating a large pension pot as funding for next month’s expenses.

3. Monthly cash surplus

Subtract spending from take-home income, including a monthly share of annual bills. Keep transfers between your own accounts separate from spending so they are not counted twice. Report irregular bonuses separately until you decide how to allocate them.

4. Cash runway

Divide readily available cash by essential monthly spending. For example, £24,000 divided by £4,000 gives six months. That is arithmetic, not a recommended emergency-fund target: job security, dependants, insurance and upcoming commitments affect what is comfortable for you.

5. Progress towards your freedom target

Define the spending you want assets to support and use the Freedom Number tool to explore different assumptions. A target based on an assumed withdrawal rate is a scenario, not a promise of sustainable retirement income. Pension access dates and the years before those dates need separate attention.

Your monthly routine

Use the same date each month. Add a short note explaining changes such as a bonus, market movement or mortgage repayment. Choose one action the scorecard suggests, then check it next month. HENRY’s calculator scenarios can be saved explicitly on this browser; they do not connect to your accounts or produce a verified net-worth record.