May, 2007:

I still have my funds in my ex-employer’s account, but I have been actively managing the funds on the web. It was a good thing that I started depositing money as soon as I was qualified. I contributed to this 401k account during my college years before I turn full-time status in the same company.

At that time, my colleagues around my age thought I was stupid for putting money away that I may never see again. I explained to them that this money will be my retirement fund. I may not see it now but if the funds grow at a rate of 10% annually and I contribute on a regularly basis, my 401k portfolio balance will increase significantly over the long run. I was thinking about the future. They were thinking about that moment in time. Of course, nobody listened to me. I find human nature to be very funny at times. When you have a good vision and try to give people good, honest advice, they take it for granted. People thought I was silly and naive. Now that they have known how well I did with my investments over the years, they wish they had done the same thing. It’s always the “should’ves, would’ves, and could’ves.”

In any case, over the span of seven years, my 401k portfolio has grown at an average rate of 25% annually. The company match made it even a sweeter deal. My last account balance was at $46,000, and less than half of that amount came from my contributions. For starting with a few hundred dollars in the year 2000 and reaching $45K in seven years, I thought it was worth contributing early and regularly.