Catch-Up by Age
Thirty is the most-searched 'too late' age on the internet. The math says it is not close to late.
You have roughly 37 years to age 67. A monthly amount started now is worth about twice the same amount started at 40, at the same assumed return — that gap is compounding, not effort.
What a monthly amount must be to reach a goal by age 67, starting now — at two assumed yearly returns. You pick the assumption; markets have landed inside this band and outside it. Projections are arithmetic, not promises.
| Goal by 67 | Monthly at an assumed 5% | Monthly at an assumed 7% |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $195 | $119 |
| $500,000 | $390 | $238 |
| $1,000,000 | $781 | $477 |
Shown for a start at age 30 (444 monthly contributions to 67). 2026 contribution limits checked October 23, 2026.
The same $400/mo invested from age 30 reaches about $838,618 by 67 at an assumed 7% return. Started at 25, it reaches about $1,217,483. The gap is real — it is compounding, and no product erases it. What closes it is the only lever you hold: a larger monthly amount, run through the right order, starting this month instead of next year.
The Filled Plan pack, the first-account walkthrough pack, the first-30-days plan, the full catch-up tables, the decoder card deck, and the order workbook — one pack, one-time payment.