The sooner you start saving and investing for retirement or any other goal, the more time you'll have to take advantage of the power of compounding. And compounding is simply too good to put off.
The power of compounding interest
The sooner you start saving and investing for retirement or any other goal, the more time you'll have to take advantage of compounding.
What is a compounding investment?
Compounding happens when earnings on your savings are reinvested to generate their own earnings, which in turn are reinvested to create more earnings, and so on. Over time, compounding can add a lot of fuel to the growth of your savings.
Getting an early start on savings can pay off in a big way. Let's look at Kate and Andy, both saving and investing for retirement.1
Each saves $30,000 over 20 years—$1,000 annually for the first 10 years, and $2,000 annually for the second 10 years, with contributions made at year-end. Each achieves a hypothetical 6% annual investment return. Kate starts saving at age 25 and stops at 44. Andy starts at 45 and stops at 64. Look at how much Kate and Andy have in their respective retirement nest eggs by age 65:Although Kate and Andy both save the same total amount and earn a 6% return on their savings, Kate ends up with over $110,000 more in retirement savings than Andy. Why? Because her money enjoys up to 40 years of growth from the power of compounding, compared to up to 20 years for Andy’s money. Since Andy starts saving later, he would need to save more than three times as much money as Kate to end up with the same size nest egg at age 65.
| Scenario Kate starts saving at 25, stops at 44 |
Total Amount Saved $30,000 |
Retirement Savings at Age 65 $160,300 |
|---|---|---|
| Scenario Andy starts saving at 45, stops at 64 |
Total Amount Saved $30,000 |
Retirement Savings at Age 65 $49,970 |
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1 This is a hypothetical example for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to predict or project performance of any account. Does not include any withdrawals, fees, or taxes that would reduce performance. Actual returns will vary.*
This material is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute fiduciary investment advice under ERISA, a securities recommendation under all securities laws, or an insurance product recommendation under state insurance laws or regulations. This material does not take into account any specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor, or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on the investor’s own objectives and circumstances