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When you're young, your ability to earn an income is your biggest asset. At retirement, this ability to earn diminishes or falls away entirely, meaning you need to have a financial buffer for when you age. So why get an early start? The earlier you start, the less you have to contribute per month.
But knowing when to start is only half the journey. You also need to know how much you'll need According to the Chief Investment Office and Bank of America Retirement & Personal Wealth Solutions, you should already save 0.1 times your annual income between the ages of 18 and 25.
There are several reasons why you should save as early as possible and for as long as possible.
The longer you invest for, the better able your investment will tolerate market volatility. By continuing to invest during the downtowns, you're also able to buy into the markets at a lower price. See it as shopping for bargain investments.
A balanced portfolio with funds across all asset classes hedges against inflation, which means that the growth has the potential to outpace inflation. This is rarely true for regular savings.
The compounding effect of interest is a financial marvel. It allows you to earn interest multiple times over throughout the life of the investment. If you invest an amount, you earn interest depending on the frequency of the interest distribution. For instance, if you earn interest annually, you'll earn interest on your initial deposit for the first year. For the second year, you'll earn interest on the initial investment plus the interest you earned in year one. This continues for the life of the investment.
This graph from Investopedia shows that an investment of $10,000 with an interest rate of 5% that compounds annually will accrue more than $30,000 in compounded interest over a period of 30 years.
Source: Investopedia
Very few people have decent retirement savings in their twenties. For most, the reality of retirement really only kicks in when you're in your thirties or even forties. According to Pricewaterhouse Coopers, 42% of those between the ages of 18 and 29 don't have any retirement savings.
You're not too late to start, but if you want to build a substantial retirement egg, you may need to double or even triple your savings.
An example of the power of saving early can be found on Investopedia, where they use twins who started saving for retirement at different ages.
Twin A starts saving $100 per month at age 20 with an annual compounding interest rate of 4%. After 40 years, twin A only invested $54,100, but their earnings are $151,550.
Twin B only starts saving at age 50 with an initial investment of $5,000 and monthly payments of $500. The annual interest rate is 4% and compounds annually. While twin B has a principal investment of $95,000, their earnings are only $132,147.
While it's never too late to start, starting earlier makes it a lot easier to build up a decent investment portfolio.
When you're ready to invest, these simple steps should kick you off:
Allocate a portion of your budget to retirement savings. See this as you paying your future self first. When allocating money to investments, be sure that you're happy to part with those funds for the long term. This means you should have separate short-term savings already set up for your short-term financial needs.
Deciding on the types of investments you choose will depend on your risk appetite. If you're looking at high-risk investments, you should invest for the long term. Short-term, high-risk investments could leave you out of pocket as there's not enough time to weather market fluctuations.
A financial advisor or investment specialist should be able to guide you through your options after working through your budget and conducting a needs analysis.
Some financial institutions offer the entire process online. This also means that you're able to keep an eye on your investments through their website or a mobile app.
When it comes to retirement savings, there's no time quite like the present to get started. While it helps to start early, it's still possible to put away a decent amount of money before retirement even when starting later on in life.
Reach out to Savvly to learn why we created the first market-driven private pension and how it could help you thrive in retirment.
Assumptions and Risk Disclosure
The information on this page is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended as investment, legal, or tax advice. It is designed solely to illustrate how longevity-based investment benefits may work under certain assumptions. Actual results will vary.
All illustrations, examples, and case studies are hypothetical and are intended to demonstrate potential scenarios—not to predict or guarantee actual outcomes. They do not represent the performance of any individual investor, portfolio, or account.
Key Assumptions Used in the Illustrations
- Life expectancy and mortality projections are based on the most recent Social Security Administration (SSA) tables available at the time of simulation.
- In the event of death or early withdrawal, hypothetical scenarios assume that beneficiaries may receive 75% of the lesser of the initial investment or current market value, plus 1% for each full year the account was active.
- Case studies assume standardized market growth of 8% annually and do not incorporate unexpected market volatility, inflation, changes in interest rates, or changes in an investor’s personal circumstances.
- Simulations may assume a 3% annual early withdrawal rate prior to payout or death.
- All figures shown are net of fees.
Risks to Consider
- Market Risk: Investment values will fluctuate and may be worth more or less than the amount invested. There are no guaranteed returns.
- Sequence of Returns Risk: The order and timing of market gains or losses—particularly near the payout phase—can materially affect results.
- Longevity Risk: Living longer than projected may reduce the pooled benefit per participant; shorter-than-expected lifespans may affect the amount received.
- Redemption Impact: Early or voluntary withdrawals by other participants can impact overall fund performance and distribution outcomes.
No forecast, projection, or hypothetical return should be relied upon as a promise or representation of future performance. Investors should carefully evaluate their own circumstances and consult a qualified financial professional before making any investment decision.
