The Cost of Waiting to Invest, by Age
How much a monthly investment grows to by 65 depending on when it starts, and what a 5 or 10-year delay costs. I ran these at a 7% average annual return after inflation, in today’s dollars, so they’re hypothetical.
If you start putting away $100 a month at 25, it grows to about $262,000 by 65. Started at 35, the same $100 a month grows to about $122,000. Waiting 10 years cuts the result by more than half, even though you only put in $12,000 less ($36,000 instead of $48,000).
What a monthly investment grows to by 65
| Start age | Years invested | $100/mo | $250/mo | $500/mo | $1,000/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 45 | $379,259 | $948,149 | $1,896,297 | $3,792,595 |
| 25 | 40 | $262,481 | $656,203 | $1,312,407 | $2,624,813 |
| 30 | 35 | $180,105 | $450,264 | $900,527 | $1,801,055 |
| 35 | 30 | $121,997 | $304,993 | $609,985 | $1,219,971 |
| 40 | 25 | $81,007 | $202,518 | $405,036 | $810,072 |
| 45 | 20 | $52,093 | $130,232 | $260,463 | $520,927 |
| 50 | 15 | $31,696 | $79,241 | $158,481 | $316,962 |
| 55 | 10 | $17,308 | $43,271 | $86,542 | $173,085 |
What a 5 or 10-year wait costs
The same $500 a month, invested until 65, starting now versus starting 5 or 10 years later.
| Start age | Start now | Wait 5 years | Wait 10 years | Cost of a 10-year wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | $1,896,297 | $1,312,407 | $900,527 | $995,770 |
| 25 | $1,312,407 | $900,527 | $609,985 | $702,421 |
| 30 | $900,527 | $609,985 | $405,036 | $495,491 |
| 35 | $609,985 | $405,036 | $260,463 | $349,522 |
| 40 | $405,036 | $260,463 | $158,481 | $246,555 |
| 45 | $260,463 | $158,481 | $86,542 | $173,921 |
One lump sum, left alone
A single $10,000 investment with nothing added, held until 65.
| Invested at age | Years | Value at 65 | Growth multiple |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 45 | $231,235 | 23.1x |
| 25 | 40 | $163,114 | 16.3x |
| 30 | 35 | $115,062 | 11.5x |
| 35 | 30 | $81,165 | 8.1x |
| 40 | 25 | $57,254 | 5.7x |
| 45 | 20 | $40,387 | 4.0x |
| 50 | 15 | $28,489 | 2.8x |
| 55 | 10 | $20,097 | 2.0x |
How I calculated these
- Return: 7% average annual return after inflation, based on the S&P 500’s long-run history of roughly 10% before inflation and 7% after (Damodaran, NYU Stern). Real returns vary a lot from year to year and over different decades.
- Compounding: monthly, with each monthly contribution added at the end of the month (annual rate divided by 12).
- Today’s dollars: because the return is after inflation, results show roughly what the money would buy today.
- Not included: taxes, fund fees and account rules, all of which would lower the results.
- Results are rounded to the nearest dollar. The rest of how I set up the numbers is on my editorial standards page.
Cite this page
You’re welcome to use these figures with a link back to this page.
Azzolina, Michael. “The Cost of Waiting to Invest, by Age (2026 edition).” Simple Money Advice, October 2026. https://www.simplemoneyadvice.com/cost-of-waiting-by-age
Hypothetical illustration for education only. It isn’t a projection of any investment’s performance or advice for your situation. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.