Analyzing my net worth for April 2008

I was surprised that my net worth goes up with all the volatility in the stock market and the rumblings in the economy. Still, I was pleased to find in April, I increased my net worth by 1.5% from the previous month. This was greater than I expected with the various pressures on my money.

An unexpected car repair
Emergency funds are for just such an event and I was glad I could pay for this without issue. Still, losing over $1,400 in my liquid assets is no fun--and not the direction I want my savings to go.

Revised home assessment
Yes, I received one of these in the mail and the number went down 1.5%. The assessed value did not go down as much as it could have since I did do a window replacement, but it was not enough to counterbalance the market trends.

The stock market and its effects on my retirement funds
While my 401k and Roth IRA gained in value above the contributions made, my rollover IRA lost value. Since the rollover IRA was a front-load fund, I was not happy to see the low numbers. Since this news was from the first quarter of 2008, the loss may moderate and I may end the year ahead. Time will tell.

In addition, I received a statement from a university pension fund. Since I worked for a state university for 2.5 years, there is money invested in my name. I have let the money sit in the account as the fund is well-managed. In fact, I gained nearly $1,000 in value from the year before. This was as of January 1, 2008, the date of the statement, but an impressive number since the account gained 11.6% in value.

I am happy to see my net worth go up, but I expect May will not look as good. I have spent a lot on gardening supplies and home improvement, and the bill comes due this month. However, I will likely stay on a positive trend unless the stock market heads on a downward trend.