Start Retirement Saving Before Retirement Feels Real

At twenty-five, retirement feels like someone else's problem. At forty-five, it feels urgent but late. The paradox of retirement saving is that the best time to start is when it feels the least relevant. The math is unambiguous: starting at twenty-five with a modest amount will likely produce more wealth than starting at forty with aggressive contributions, because time gives compound interest its power.

You do not need to save a lot at first. Even a small automatic transfer — three or five percent of your income — builds the habit and gives your money decades to grow. The hardest part is not the money; it is taking action on something that feels abstract. Your sixty-year-old self will consider this one of the smartest things you ever did.