Race to a Million
Two investors. One finish line. Watch them race side by side and see if starting early really beats investing more.
Choose a matchup
Why Starting Early Wins
Compound interest is often called the eighth wonder of the world, and this race shows why. When you start investing early, your money has more time to generate returns — and those returns generate their own returns. Someone investing $200/month from age 18 can end up with more wealth than someone investing $800/month from age 30, despite contributing far less total cash. The extra 12 years of compounding make all the difference.
The Cost of Waiting
Every year you delay investing costs you more than just that year's contributions. It costs you all the future growth those contributions would have generated. At 7% annual returns, $300 invested today becomes $2,281 in 30 years. That same $300 invested next year only becomes $2,133 — a $148 difference from just a one-year delay. Multiply that across thousands of contributions and the gap becomes enormous.
Build Your Own Race
Try the preset matchups above, or customize both racers with your own numbers. Change starting ages, contribution amounts, and expected returns to model any scenario. Race your current self against the version of you that started earlier — the results might motivate you to start today.