BY MASA YAMAZAKI, CPWA® CEPA® CDFA®

Congratulations, Graduates, on your incredible achievement. Today marks not just the end of one journey but the beginning of another—one where the decisions you make can shape your financial future in powerful ways.

Among the most important lessons you can learn early in life is the value of saving and investing. It might feel too soon to think about retirement or building wealth when you’re just only graduating, but the earlier you start, the more powerful your efforts become. Why? Because of something called compounding.

Compounding is the process where your money earns interest—or returns—and then those earnings go on to earn even more. Over time, this effect snowballs. Think of it like planting a tree: at first, growth is slow. But with patience and time, that small sapling becomes a strong, towering tree. The key is time, and time is what you have now.

Let’s say you invest $100 a month starting at age 22. If your money earns an average annual return of 7%, by age 65 you’ll have around $329,000. But if you wait just 10 years to start, you’ll end up with only about $155,000—even though you invested for 33 years instead of 43. That’s the magic of compounding in action.

Saving and investing doesn’t require a lot of money at first—just consistency and commitment. Start small if you need to, but start now. Use your youth as your greatest financial advantage. Open a retirement or investment account, build an emergency fund, and make saving a habit, not a chore.

Your financial future isn’t built in a day, but the decisions you make today lay the foundation. Let compounding work for you, and your future self will thank you.

Start early. Stay consistent. Let time do the heavy lifting.

Masa Yamazaki, CPWA® CEPA® CDFA® is a Principal at Oxler Private Wealth®, an independent, family owned and operated wealth advisory firm in Rye Brook and Manhattan, offering financial care to women and families. For a complimentary, no pressure conversation, call (212) 785-2860 or visit www.oxlerpw.com. Oiler Private Wealth is a SEC-Registered Investment Adviser. Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any specific level of skill or training and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission. Oxler Private Wealth does not provide tax or legal advice. The information presented is not a solicitation to buy or sell any securities or investment advisory services.