Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you put in. Past performance doesn't tell you what will happen next. This is general education — not personal advice, and not a recommendation of any product or provider.
Compound interest: your secret weapon
Compound interest is growth on your growth. You earn returns not just on what you put in, but on the returns you've already made — and that snowball accelerates over time.
Why starting early wins
Because compounding rewards time, starting a few years earlier can matter more than saving larger amounts later. The first decade lays the foundation the later decades build on.
As an illustration only: saving £200 a month from your twenties could grow into a six-figure sum by retirement, most of it growth rather than your own contributions. It's a simplified example at an assumed rate, not a forecast — with investments, means real returns vary and the value can go down as well as up.
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The value of investments can go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you put in; past performance doesn't tell you what will happen next. This guide is general financial education, not personal advice. Always do your own research, and consider speaking to a regulated adviser for your specific circumstances.