The question that always gets asked is “when should I start investing; is this the best time to jump into the market”? The answer is simple, now is always the best time; especially if you are a new investor. The earlier you start, the better your chances of reaching your financial goals. Many fail to understand the long-term effects of investing early. Saving early and often and investing what you save are some of the keys to successful retirement due to the power of compounding over the long term. It’s important to know that investing a little now is better than holding more to invest later. Taking a look at the graph we see Susan started investing early and then let her investments grow while Bill started investing later but continued paying through age 65. Because of Susan’s early start to investing, Bill would be unable to match her compounding earnings. Of course the ultimate goal is to be more like Chris.