Summer is Here – Give your Kids a Head Start on Building Wealth

by | Jun 1, 2025 | Established Professionals, Families, Integras Insights

Many schools don’t teach Financial Literacy.  Beyond a formal education, one of the most powerful gifts you can share is how to manage money.

Encourage them to get started with investing early.  Compounding returns over time is like a rolling snowball accumulating more and more wealth.

  • Does your high schooler or college student have a summer job? Contribute a portion of their earnings to a Roth IRA.
  • Has your new grad received monetary gifts from family? Talk to them about investing some of that money for their future self.

A single $1,000 investment at age 20 could turn into $80,0001 by age 65. Wait 10 years to make that investment, and it’s less than half the amount by age 65.

  • First job? Maybe coming up with $1,000 all at once sounds like a lot. What if they could invest just $100 a month?

Investing just $100 a month beginning at age 25 could grow to $530,0001 at age 65! Putting in $48,000 over 40 years and ending up with over $500,000 is pretty compelling.

Treat investing like a bill you pay to your future self. Automate it and let compound growth make life-changing decisions possible.

Here are some ideas to free up money for investing each month.

  • Cancel subscriptions not used regularly
  • Make coffee at home
  • Cook some meals at home
  • Use cashback credit cards (as long as they’re paid off each month) and invest the bonuses

One last question your kids may have – what if they can’t invest consistently for 40 years? Is it still worth it?

Investing $100 a month beginning at age 25, then stopping at age 45 could still turn into $330,000 by age 651.

The takeaway? Start early and be consistent. Small, regular contributions now can lead to life-changing outcomes later.

Call us today to learn how we can help. 404-941-2800

1 Assumes a 10% annual return

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