Starting a few years earlier can be worth far more than the extra contributions themselves.
A 'save now vs. save later' calculator shows the cost of waiting to start investing. It compares someone who begins contributing today with someone who starts years from now, even when the late starter contributes more in total.
The classic result is counterintuitive: a person who invests for ten years and then stops can end up ahead of someone who starts ten years later and contributes for decades, because the early money compounds for so much longer. Time in the market, not the total amount contributed, does the heavy lifting. The calculator makes this concrete for your own numbers and return assumption.
Each year you wait is a year of compounding you never get back, and it's the earliest years, the ones furthest from your goal, that grow the most. That's why the penalty for delay isn't linear: waiting from age 25 to 35 typically costs far more than waiting from 45 to 55, even though both are ten-year delays. The practical takeaway is to start with whatever you can now and increase it later, rather than waiting until you can contribute the 'right' amount.
Usually, yes, dramatically. Money invested earlier compounds for longer, so an early starter can finish ahead even after contributing fewer total dollars.
Often far more than people expect, because the earliest years compound the most. Enter your numbers above to see the dollar difference between starting now and starting later.
Starting small still beats waiting. You capture years of compounding on those early dollars and can raise your contribution as your income grows.
See the exact formula and a worked example on our methodology page.