Real wealth. Networth

WHY IT MATTERS:
Income is routinely mistaken for wealth. For example, if John Doe’s income is $250,000 per year, some people might say John is “wealthy.” However, if John’s mortgage, car payments, student loans from medical school, medical bills for his child, and private school tuition for his other child consume most of his monthly income, he may not have much left for saving at the end of the month. Consequently, John may have a nice house, but he has virtually nothing saved up for retirement, college, or emergencies. That is, he may have a high income, but he is not “wealthy” because he owns little of the things in his life.