The First Million
$1,000,000
The milestone that gives this site its name — a number that mostly builds itself once you're here.
Ways to get there
Stay invested and let time finish the job
Keep your existing plan running; at this stage, time in the market matters more than any single decision.
Pros
- Requires the least new effort of any stage
- Historically the most reliable driver of this final stretch
Cons
- Still no guarantees against market conditions
- Can feel anticlimactic after years of active saving
- Aggressive
- 15 years
- Moderate
- 20 years
- Conservative
- 25 years
Diversify across multiple asset classes
Balance equities, real estate, and business equity so no single market swing threatens the milestone.
Pros
- Smooths out volatility near the goal
- Reduces reliance on any one outcome
Cons
- More complex to manage
- May involve rebalancing costs or effort
- Aggressive
- 12 years
- Moderate
- 17 years
- Conservative
- 22 years