10/07/2026
A lesson I’ve learned as a young adult, turned financial advisor, is that time is often more valuable than money. People will say, “I’ll start investing when I can afford to put more away.” Reasonable… but waiting for the “perfect time” can end up costing you more. You don’t need a huge amount of money to get started. What is really needed is enough time for your money to grow, compound, and build momentum.
I like to start the conversation by thinking about the number of years ahead. This is because, even a relatively small contribution, as long as it is consistent and has the ability to compound, can have huge gains. Learn more about how compounding works!
Imagine two people who both want to invest $500 a month. One starts in their 20s, while the other waits until their 30s because they want to have a bigger income first. The person who starts later may eventually be able to invest more each month, but they’ve given up years of potential growth.
That extra 10 years gives the first person’s money more time to grow and for those gains to grow again and even more.If both invest $500 a month and earn an average 10% annual return, the person who starts at 25 could have about $3.16 million by age 65, compared to about $1.58 million for the person who starts at 35. Compounding growth is not just about how much you invest, but also how long you give your investments the ability to grow.
Keep in mind, that doesn’t mean you should ignore your financial situation just to start investing. Consider your current debt, emergency fund, and your overall financial plan. Understand that there is a difference between being financially prepared and constantly putting off investing. In many cases, starting with an amount that feels manageable is better than waiting until you can invest a much larger amount.
Another important consideration is that increasing your investment later is always an option as well. For example, starting with $100 a month, then increasing it when you do get that raise. Maybe when you receive that annual bonus, invest a portion of it.
Give your money something that no future raise or bonus can buy back… time. You can always invest more later, but you can’t get today back. So, if you’ve been telling yourself, “I’ll start investing when I have more money,” I’d encourage you to flip the question around and ask yourself, “What could I reasonably start with today?”
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