Investing $50 a month could add up nicely for your retirement (2024)

FAQs

Investing $50 a month could add up nicely for your retirement? ›

If you invest $50 over 40 years at 10%, you'll end up with around $265,000. That's certainly a nice amount of money. In fact, a recent study by Northwestern Mutual found that the average American has $89,300 saved for retirement.

Investing only $50 a month adds up

Contributing $50 a month to an investment account can help create impressive savings, even at a moderate 5% annual growth. It's a common myth that you need a few thousand dollars to begin investing.

With a good interest rate, say around 7% a year, your $50 a month turns into a lot more than just the $24,000 you put in. By the end of 40 years, you could end up with over $120,000. This shows how saving a little bit regularly can really grow into a big amount over the years.

You should consider saving 10 - 15% of your income for retirement. Sound daunting? Don't worry: your employer match, if you have one, counts. If you save 5% of your income and your boss matches another 5%, you've accomplished a 10% savings rate.

Investing in the stock market with a small amount of money like $50 or $100 is certainly possible, and it can be a good way to get started with investing.

Let's start with the obvious: If you're not contributing any money to retirement, even $50 per month will make a substantial difference. That monthly contribution could add up to nearly $24,600 after 20 years, $56,700 after 30 years, and $119,800 after 40 years. That's still not enough to retire on, but it's a start.

Assuming an annual return rate of 7%, investing $50,000 for 20 years can lead to a substantial increase in wealth. If you invest the money in a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, and other securities, you could potentially earn a return of $159,411.11 after 20 years.

If you set aside $50 a month for one year, you'll have $600 saved. That's better than $0. As you continue to contribute more money, your account balance will grow. By keeping your extra cash in a high-yield savings account, you can earn interest while your money sits in the bank.

Investing $100 per month, with an average return rate of 10%, will yield $200,000 after 30 years. Due to compound interest, your investment will yield $535,000 after 40 years. These numbers can grow exponentially with an extra $100. If you make a monthly investment of $200, your 30-year yield will be close to $400,000.

The Bottom Line

Putting aside $25 a month to invest in a savings account, mutual fund, or individual retirement account is a worthwhile venture. However, pay extra attention to make sure profits counteract fees.

What is the average Social Security check? ›

Social Security offers a monthly benefit check to many kinds of recipients. As of December 2023, the average check is $1,767.03, according to the Social Security Administration – but that amount can differ drastically depending on the type of recipient. In fact, retirees typically make more than the overall average.

Your Retirement Savings If You Save $100 a Month in a 401(k)

If you're age 25 and have 40 years to save until retirement, depositing $100 a month into a savings account earning the current average U.S. interest rate of 0.42% APY would get you to just $52,367 in retirement savings — not great.

If you start saving $500 a month for your retirement fund at the age of 30, you'll still be setting yourself up for greater financial stability when retirement arrives. By stashing away that much each month, you can expect to accumulate around $400,000 by the time you reach 60.

Assuming a 15% annual growth rate (on average), a $50 per-week investment could grow to a value of more than $1.5 million after 30 years.

Over shorter timeframes, it tends to make little difference whether you invest a lump sum or split it into regular amounts. In a given year, for instance, it is much closer to 50/50 whether a lump sum at the start works out better than splitting it up over the twelve months.

In our example, investing $50 a month over 40 years leaves you with about three times that amount. It's also worth noting that investing $50 a month means parting with $600 a year. Over 40 years, that's $24,000. So based on the number above, you'd be looking at a $241,000 gain.

Investing $100 per month, with an average return rate of 10%, will yield $200,000 after 30 years. Due to compound interest, your investment will yield $535,000 after 40 years. These numbers can grow exponentially with an extra $100. If you make a monthly investment of $200, your 30-year yield will be close to $400,000.