Why Does My Net Worth Look Wrong After Moving Money Between Accounts?

Overview

If your net worth jumped by roughly the amount you just moved — after a 401(k) rollover, an account transfer, or moving money between institutions — the most likely cause is that the account you moved money out of is still reporting its old balance, so the money is briefly counted in both places. This usually corrects itself once that institution reports the updated balance. If it doesn't, report it and we'll check both accounts.

⚠ What You May See

• Your net worth is higher than expected by about the amount you transferred.

• The old account (for example, a former employer's 401(k)) still shows its full balance even though the money has left it.

• The new account (for example, a rollover IRA) shows the money correctly.

• The new account appears twice in your accounts list.

⚙ How to Fix It

1. Check the old account's balance in Mezzi. If it still shows the pre-transfer amount, compare it with what that institution's own website shows. If the institution still shows the old balance too, the transfer hasn't finished on their side yet, and Mezzi will follow once it does.

2. Give it time to catch up. Institutions update on their own schedules, and a closing account can keep reporting its last balance for a while after the money leaves. See How Long Does It Take for My Accounts to Sync?

3. If the institution shows $0 but Mezzi doesn't, report it. Send us the account names, the amount, and the date of the transfer. We'll check what each institution is reporting.

4. If the new account appears twice, remove the duplicate. See How to Remove Duplicate Accounts in Mezzi. If you're not sure which copy to keep, ask us before deleting either.

💡 Why This Happens

Mezzi shows what each institution reports. When money moves between two institutions, they rarely update on the same day: the receiving account often shows the new money before the sending account shows it gone. For that window, the same dollars appear in both accounts, and your net worth is overstated by the transfer amount. Nothing is wrong with the money itself — it's a timing gap between two reports.

Important Notes

• Your old account doesn't need to be deleted for your net worth to be correct. Once it reports $0, it no longer adds to your total.

• If you'd like to tidy up a closed account, you can rename it or change its status. See How to Edit an Account's Name, Status, or Other Details in Mezzi.

🗨 Still Need Help?

Email help@mezzi.com or text/call (415) 763-6997 with:

• the names of both accounts as they appear in Mezzi

• the amount you moved and the date

• a screenshot of the old account's balance from its institution