Here's something that sounds wrong: the first $1,000 you ever invest will probably do more for you than the last $100,000 you ever earn.

Why? Time. Money grows on top of money — that's compounding. A dollar invested at 17 has ~50 years to multiply. A dollar invested at 50 has 17. Same dollar, wildly different outcome.

Run the numbers and it's almost unfair. A small amount invested young, then left alone, can quietly become many times itself by the time you're old — without you adding a cent. The same amount invested at 40 barely budges by comparison.

This is why “I'll invest when I have real money” is one of the most expensive sentences in personal finance. The money isn't the point. The time is — and you have more of it than any adult reading this.

You don't need a lot. You need a little, early.

This week: open a brokerage account (most have no minimum) and add whatever you can — $20, $50. Not to get rich today. To start the clock.

— Kevin