Here's how much more money you'd have for retirement if you saved $100 a month starting at 25 instead of 35 (Business Insider.com)

Business Insider/Andy Kiersz. Time is the greatest tool we have for building wealth. If two people save $100 a month for retirement, but one starts at 25 and the other starts at 35, the early saver will have nearly twice as much in their bank account by age 65. Starting to save now, wherever you are in your timeline, is better than starting tomorrow or next week. Consider the following example and the chart below. Chris and Jennifer both invest $100 a month at a 5% annual compound rate of return. Chris begins investing at age 25, putting away $100 every month until 65 and Jennifer begins saving $100 a month at age 35. An extra 10 years of saving means that Chris has about $162,000 in his bank account, while Jennifer has $89,000 by the time she is 65. Chris' balance is nearly double Jennifer's, and he contributed only $12,000 more of his own money. Now, if Chris and Jennifer incrementally increase their monthly contribution as they grow older — perhaps bumping up their savings rate by a small percentage with every pay raise — they'll wind up with even more money in that account at retirement. Plus, investing in the stock market, whether directly or through a retirement account such as a 401(k), may yield a rate of return that's even higher than 5% in some years. Historically, the stock market has averaged a 7% rate of return, adjusting for inflation. Saving in a tax-advantaged retirement account, such as an IRA or 401(k), can give your money an even greater boost. Those types of accounts are funded with pretax money, so your full dollar will have the opportunity to compound.