I opened my Roth IRA back in 2017, when I was 32, and today the balance is sitting at about $142,500. Over the years, I’ve contributed $63,000 of my own money, maxing out the allowable annual contributions without fail.<\/p>\n
The cool part for me now is seeing that more than half of what’s in there is growth I never actually contributed.<\/p>\n
I’ve got a handful of different investment accounts, but this Roth IRA is my favorite. Here’s what it taught me about starting early, staying boring, and letting time do the heavy lifting.<\/p>\n
What I put in vs. what it’s worth today<\/p>\n
IRAs come with annual contribution limits — which means there’s a maximum each year you can put in. When I first opened my Roth IRA in 2017, the limit was $5,500, so that’s exactly what I put in that year. For 2026, the standard limit is up to $7,500.<\/p>\n
It was slow going at first. But I just kept putting in money year after year, increasing with the annual limit. Here’s the overview of what I’ve contributed in total vs. the current balance:<\/p>\n
Total contributions (2017-2026): $63,000Current account value: ~$142,500Investment growth: ~$79,500<\/p>\n
That extra $79,500 is money I never earned at a job or moved over from my checking account. It just grew because I bought shares, left them alone, and let time do the work.<\/p>\n
If you’ve been meaning to open an IRA and start investing, it’s always better to start sooner rather than later. I keep mine at Fidelity, which was named the Best Stock Broker Overall for 2026 by my team. I love that there are no account fees, no commissions on trades, and easy access to the low-cost index funds I buy.<\/p>\n
Starting earlier beats trying to invest more<\/p>\n
If I’m being honest, my hopes were pretty low when I first opened the account. I didn’t have a whole lot of money to invest, but I just got started anyway.<\/p>\n
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that time can be more valuable than the actual amount you put in. My earliest contributions have had nearly a decade to grow, and the ones I add now are the least powerful dollars in the account.<\/p>\n