The financial plight of the average American is about the same—we’d have more if we had saved more.

In 2022, the median retirement savings for American households was $87,000. As of 2024, a staggering 25% of non-retired Americans have no retirement savings at all, according to Guardian Life Insurance.

We seldom see the big picture when we are in our early 20s. We’re busy earning a degree, getting married, buying a home, starting a family—just starting life. Rarely do we have someone to sit us down and say, “Here’s where you could be financially if you start saving now.”

Few high school seniors have had anyone write numbers on a chalkboard to show them what early investing can do.

If someone had told me at 18 to put $1,000 into the right investment fund, I could be sitting on $117,000 today (at age 68)—based on an annual average return of 10%. That same amount invested at 19 could grow to $106,000, at 20 to $97,000 and at 21 to $88,000. By age 22, your total could be over $408,000 from just four modest annual investments.

That’s more than most Americans have for retirement.

Let’s say you keep going and invest $100 a month from age 18 to 68. You’d have roughly $1.27 million. Increase it to $300 a month, and you could build more than $3.17 million.

These are projections, of course. Interest rates vary, but historically, the stock market has averaged about 10% annually over the past 50 years.

Too many wait until their 30s or 40s to start saving. But starting early—even with small amounts—can make a huge difference.

Yes, there’s more to life than money. You can’t take it with you. But by teaching our children and grandchildren the value of early investing, we can make their lives a little easier.

According to CNBC, former president Joe Biden’s net worth is about $9 million. But had he invested just $1,000 a month over his 50-year political career, he’d have more than $13.9 million today. Biden’s doing fine—but it’s a reminder that no matter who you are, you can always do a little better.