10/13/2026
In my twenties, an older coworker asked what I was putting into my 401(k).
“The minimum, just up to the company match...” I said. “I’ve got plenty of time.”
He looked at me and said, “Put in the max. Right now. While you’re young.”
I did, for a while. Then I changed jobs, life got busy, and I forgot all about it. I didn’t understand what he was really telling me until decades later.
I'm but this is what I’ve learned recently….
Saving your first million is the hardest part.
Save $200 a month at an 8% return, and your first million takes about 44 years. Keep going, and the second million takes only about 8 more. The third, about 5.
That’s compounding. The early years feel slow. Then the curve takes off.
Which means the most expensive thing you can do is wait.
Here’s that same $200 a month, invested until 65, assuming a constant 8% return:
👉 Start at 22: about $895,000
👉 Start at 32: about $387,000
👉 Start at 42: about $158,000
Waiting ten years saves you $24,000 in contributions but costs you over $500,000 in growth.
Most people hear “save $200 a month” and think, “From where?” That’s where I come in. 🤓
Sometimes the money is already there, tied up in how your debt is structured, and it just needs to be found. A good financial advisor helps you grow it. I may be able to help you free it up as a mortgage advisor and help you restructure your liabilities.
That coworker wasn’t a financial advisor. He was just an older guy who saw a young person making a mistake that would compound, and he cared enough to say something.
Now I get to be that voice.
If you’re in your 20s, 30s, or even 40s: start now, even if it’s small. And build your team before you think you “have enough” to need one.
Jacquie Vasicek 602-677-5859 NMLS # 1417924
Expert Mortgage Financing, LLC NMLS #1992714 - in AZ & CO
Equal Housing Lender
Hypothetical example: $200/month at a constant 8% annual return compounded monthly, before taxes, fees and inflation. Actual returns vary. Expert Mortgage Financing is a mortgage broker, not an investment firm, and does not provide investment advice. For educational purposes only; consult a licensed financial advisor about your situation.
