Starting at 45 Instead of 25 Costs You $1.8 Million

Same $500/month invested, but time makes all the difference

The Details

The 35-year-old invests 50% more dollars than the 45-year-old but ends up with 239% more money. Each decade of delay roughly cuts your final balance in half, even though you're saving the same monthly amount.

What this means for you

Retirement decisions compound — getting one of these details wrong can cost tens of thousands of dollars over a retirement. The good news: most of these mistakes are completely avoidable if you understand how the rule actually works.

Next step

If you want to see how this applies to your specific situation, take the free Retire Ready Score — a 2-minute assessment that scores your current plan across income, taxes, healthcare, and protection.