Early vs. Late Saver

"Can a late start out-save an early one?"

The early saver's initial effort compounded to approximately $1,050,000. The late saver contributed three times as much cash but still trails by more than $100,000 — fighting against the exponential math of those first ten lost years.

— Debugging Your Personal Finance, Chapter 7

Early saver (starts now, then stops)

Late saver (starts later, contributes until retirement)

Illustrative comparison at constant real return. Actual outcomes depend on market sequence.

From Chapter 7 of Debugging Your Personal Finance. Simple calculator · Inputs stay in your browser · Not financial advice.