# 401K ..

**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/401k/39907
**Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic
**Created:** [December 7, 2007, 7:49am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/401k/39907 "2007-12-07T07:49:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 45

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Zer0DazE](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/zer0daze/32/7624_2.png) [@Zer0DazE](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Zer0DazE)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2007, 9:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/401k/39907/45 "2007-12-07T09:31:39Z")

</div>

i am posting this example in hopes to inspire those who aren’t investing some of their money to start today

lets say you are 18 and going to college. you toss $2000 into an ira making 12% returns.  
in 42 years (that makes you 60 incase you suck at math) that will be $291,807  
not bad, but what happens if you can toss just $100 a month at it?  
it becomes $1,587,906  
thats better than not bad for not a lot of money invested.

most people here aren’t 18 though ☹

lets say you a 25, and maybe have 5k to start with. that 5k will end up at $263,998 in 35 years. now i assume you have a little more loot to spend, so lets say you toss 3000 a year at that (thats less than what i spend on beer every week).  
you will end up with $1,714,387.  
now take that and make a conservative 6% return per year, and you will have an income of $102,863.

think about how much you would have if you tossed a little more in. maybe employer matching, or by taking advantage of a HSA.

here is a compound interest calculator to play with  
[http://www.moneychimp.com/calculator/compound\_interest\_calculator.htm](http://www.moneychimp.com/calculator/compound_interest_calculator.htm)

“The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest”  
-Albert Einstein

---

_[View the full topic](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/401k/39907)._