"I'll start saving aggressively next year, once my practice is more established."
As a financial advisor who has a specific focus on working with law firm owners, I hear this statement far too often. While it might seem logical to prioritize reinvesting in your practice, the mathematical reality of delayed saving is staggering.
Let me share a typical scenario that crystallizes this issue:
Consider a successful law firm owner, age 45, who decides to wait "just one more year" to max out their retirement accounts, choosing instead to reinvest $60,000 back into their practice.
They might believe growing their practice is the safer bet. However, when we run the numbers, that single year of delay could cost them nearly $280,000 in potential retirement wealth (assuming 8% annual returns by age 65).
This isn't a unique situation. Here's what I see law firm owners delaying:
- Maxing out retirement accounts
- Opening investment accounts for their children
- Building liquid assets outside their practice
- Creating diversification beyond their firm
- Establishing regular investment habits
The consequences of delay extend far beyond just lost compound interest. Here's what successful law firm owners understand about the true cost of waiting:
The Mathematics of Lost Time
- An attorney starting at age 35 needs to invest $2,000 monthly to reach $3 million by age 65 (at 8%)
- Wait until 45, and that required monthly investment jumps to $5,100
- Wait until 55, and it skyrockets to $16,400
- These numbers aren't just statistics – they represent real sacrifices in future lifestyle choices
The Compounding Penalty
For another perspective, let's look at three attorneys, each investing until age 65:
- Attorney A invests $5,000 monthly starting at 35: $7.5 million
- Attorney B waits until 45: $3.0 million
- Attorney C waits until 55: $900,000 All invested the same monthly amount. The only difference? When they started.
Hidden Opportunity Costs
Delayed saving often means:
- Missing years of tax-advantaged growth
- Reduced flexibility in exit strategy timing
- Increased pressure on practice profitability
- Greater reliance on selling your practice for retirement
- Fewer options for charitable giving and legacy planning
The transformation comes from understanding that building wealth isn't just about how much you save – it's about how long your money has to grow.
Every year of delay isn't just losing one year of savings; it's losing decades of compound growth on those savings.
Here's the good news: While we can't recover lost time, we can stop the bleeding today. The best time to start saving was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
See you next week, where we’ll showcase the fallacy in “Keep-It-Simple” tax planning.
Cheers,
Dave
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