This Is the Single Biggest Threat to Your Retirement Security

The Motley FoolFeb 15, 2026 11:25 AM

Key Points

Seniors deserve financial security in retirement, but many will struggle to achieve it.
There's one mistake that could set you up for failure.
If you're making this error now, you still have time to make a change.
The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook ›

You could be making a mistake right now that is putting your financial security in retirement in jeopardy. It's one of the single most difficult mistakes to recover from, and many people never get back to the position they would have been in if they hadn't made this error.

Here's the mistake you must avoid if you want your retirement planning efforts to succeed.

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You can't afford to make this mistake with your retirement plans

The biggest threat to your retirement security isn't what you might think. It's not Social Security running out, which is a common fear many have. Instead, it's delayed retirement investing.

If you delay investing for retirement, you give up the opportunity to make compound growth work as effectively as it should. You limit how much your money can work for you to grow your wealth, and you end up with far less money in your retirement plans because of it.

Why is delayed investing the biggest threat to your retirement security?

To understand why delayed retirement investing is such a huge threat, just take a look at the numbers. Let's say you want to retire at 67 with $2 million. Here's how much you'd have to save each month to make that happen, depending on how old you are when you begin investing and assuming a 10% average annual return:

Age 30: $504.99
Age 40: $1,376.27
Age 50: $4,110.69
Age 60: $17,567.58

As you can see, a delay takes a goal that's achievable -- saving $504.99 per month -- and makes it impossible since few people can save $4,110.69, much less save over $17,000 per month. There is a huge disparity in how much you must save because when you invest early, you have lots of time for your money to make money that can be reinvested. You don't need to contribute as much personally. You lose that advantage when you start late.

So, don't put your retirement in jeopardy by waiting. Start investing as much as you can today so compound growth can work for you and help you achieve your retirement savings goals.

The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook

If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income.

One easy trick could pay you as much as $23,760 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Join Stock Advisor to learn more about these strategies.

View the "Social Security secrets" »

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