Investing $50 a month could add up nicely for your retirement (2024)

FAQs

Investing $50 a month could add up nicely for your retirement? ›

More specifically, contributing $50 a month through an automatic investment account with an average annual return of 5% could add more than $20,000 to your investment account over the next 20 years, more than $40,000 over the next 30 years and more than $70,000 over the next 40 years.

Investing only $50 a month adds up

Contributing $50 a month to an investment account can help create impressive savings, even at a moderate 5% annual growth. It's a common myth that you need a few thousand dollars to begin investing.

That's certainly a nice amount of money. In fact, a recent study by Northwestern Mutual found that the average American has $89,300 saved for retirement. In our example, investing $50 a month over 40 years leaves you with about three times that amount.

You should consider saving 10 - 15% of your income for retirement. Sound daunting? Don't worry: your employer match, if you have one, counts. If you save 5% of your income and your boss matches another 5%, you've accomplished a 10% savings rate.

Investing $50 a month over 35 years, with the returns varying around the baseline average of 10% by ±3%, results in the following future values: At a 7% annual return rate (monthly compounded), the future value is approximately $90,052.73. At the baseline rate of 10%, the future value is approximately $189,831.90.

If you want to invest but don't believe you have enough money to get started, we have good news. You can begin with as little as $1. In fact, if you're nervous about the prospect, starting slow (say, with $50) may be the way to go. It gives you time to learn the ropes and develop your own investment strategies.

You can retire a little early on $400,000, but it won't be easy. If you have the option of working and saving for a few more years, it will give you a significantly more comfortable retirement.

If you earned around $50,000 per year before retirement, the odds are good that a $300,000 retirement account and Social Security benefits will allow you to continue enjoying your same lifestyle. By age 55 the median American household has about $120,000 saved for retirement, and about $212,500 in net worth.

One example is the $1,000/month rule. Created by Wes Moss, a Certified Financial Planner, this strategy helps individuals visualize how much savings they should have in retirement. According to Moss, you should plan to have $240,000 saved for every $1,000 of disposable income in retirement.

Is $100 a month enough for retirement? ›

Your Retirement Savings If You Save $100 a Month in a 401(k)

If you're age 25 and have 40 years to save until retirement, depositing $100 a month into a savings account earning the current average U.S. interest rate of 0.42% APY would get you to just $52,367 in retirement savings — not great.

By age 35, aim to save one to one-and-a-half times your current salary for retirement. By age 50, that goal is three-and-a-half to six times your salary.

If you start collecting your benefits at age 65 you could receive approximately $33,773 per year or $2,814 per month. This is 44.7% of your final year's income of $75,629. This is only an estimate. Actual benefits depend on work history and the complete compensation rules used by Social Security.

Investing $100 per month, with an average return rate of 10%, will yield $200,000 after 30 years. Due to compound interest, your investment will yield $535,000 after 40 years. These numbers can grow exponentially with an extra $100. If you make a monthly investment of $200, your 30-year yield will be close to $400,000.

Key Takeaways

Investing just $100 a month over a period of years can be a lucrative strategy to grow your wealth over time.

No, $25 a month isn't going to provide you with what you need to retire comfortably. But it does get you in the habit, and it can provide you with a foundation for your portfolio. Once you begin earning more money, you can boost your monthly investment and build wealth a little faster.

Chart by author. Assuming a 15% annual growth rate (on average), a $50 per-week investment could grow to a value of more than $1.5 million after 30 years.