A: I hear this often. And I understand it. Retirement feels abstract when you're eighteen. But here's the thing - you're not actually saving for retirement at 18. You're saving for options. The money you invest in your early twenties doesn't just grow. It compounds. At a historical average return of around 7%, money roughly doubles every ten years. So $5,000 invested at 22 could become $40,000 by the time you're in your fifties, without another dollar added. That's not retire

Albert Einstein reportedly called compound interest the eighth wonder of the world. Whether he actually said it or not, the math backs up the awe. Compound interest is interest earned on interest. When you invest money, you earn a return. When you leave that return invested, it also earns a return. Over time, this creates a snowball effect that is genuinely staggering. Here's a simple example. Suppose you invest $10,000 at an average annual return of 7%. After 10 years: ~$19,