Not Starting Early Enough

Not starting early enough imposes a brutal math penalty: Investor A invests $500/month from age 25 to 35 (total $60,000) and ends with $602,070 at 7% returns, while Investor B starts at 35 and invests $500/month until 65 (total $180,000) but ends with only $566,764. Starting 10 years earlier makes a $15,306 difference despite investing one-third the capital. Einstein called it the eighth wonder of the world—the evidence is clear that time in the market, not timing, builds wealth.