Why Invest for Retirement When You’re Young?

Young investors have to contend with an unfortunate irony. On the one hand, you have an abundance of an invaluable asset: Time. That’s one of the most powerful ingredients for successful investing. On the other hand, you probably don’t have a lot of money to invest! What’s a young person to do? Here are three suggestions.

1 – Understand the opportunity. Some young people put off investing for retirement because it seems like such a distant goal, and they simply don’t realize how much difference it can make to start investing as soon as possible. Consider this. A 20-year-old who invests $200 per month and generates an average annual return of 7% will end up with over $1 million dollars by age 70.

2 – Be proactive in freeing up money to invest. There are four main things you can do with money. You can spend it, save it, invest it, or give it away. The order you choose will make a huge difference. When people say they don’t have enough money to be generous or to save, it’s often because spending is their first priority. They start earning their first full-time salary and immediately think of all the things they can buy.

Here’s a more effective approach. Start with your gross income (the amount before anything is deducted for taxes or anything else) and allocate 10% for giving and 10% for saving or investing. Then, with what’s left, decide how much to spend on housing and food and all the rest. By setting aside a healthy percentage for generosity and saving/investing right off the top, that’ll ensure those priorities get taken care of.

At first, direct the 10% saving/investing allocation toward building an emergency fund in a savings account. Once that account has at least three months’ worth of essential living expenses, redirect that 10% to investing.

3 – Take full advantage of the opportunity for free money. It’s alarming how many people take a pass on the free money available to them via an employer match in their 401(k) plan. If your employer offers a match, that’s the easiest money you’ll ever make. Some employers will match your 401(k) plan contributions dollar for dollar up to a certain percentage of your salary—often 6 percent.

In that situation, if you make $5,000 per month and contribute 6 percent, or $300, your employer will contribute $300 more. That’s a guaranteed 100% return on your money! Even if your employer offers a lower match—say 25 or 50 cents on the dollar—that’s still an amazing deal. It’s a guaranteed 25% or 50% return on your money. At very least, try to contribute as much as is necessary in order to receive the full match.

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Matt Bell is the author of Trusted: Preparing Your Kids for a Lifetime of God-Honoring Money Management. He speaks at churches and conferences throughout the country and writes the MattAboutMoney blog.

This article should not be considered legal, tax, or financial advice. You may wish to consult a tax or financial advisor about your individual financial situation.