The Most Dangerous Sentence in Finance

Most financial mistakes do not happen suddenly. They happen slowly, quietly, over years — usually starting with one harmless sentence:
“I’ll start next year.”

Next year, I’ll start saving.
Next year, I’ll increase my retirement contributions.
Next year, I’ll start investing properly.

The problem is that in finance, delays are expensive.

Many people underestimate the true cost of waiting because nothing appears to happen immediately. Missing one or two years does not feel dangerous. But over time, the consequences become enormous.

Consider two people:

• One starts investing R2 000 per month at age 25.
• The other delays for 15 years and only starts at age 40, investing R5 000 per month.

At retirement age, the first investor could accumulate approximately R23m, while the second investor may only accumulate around R9m, despite investing far more every month.

Why? Because the most valuable asset in finance is not money, it is time.

Every year of delay gives compound growth less time to work. Once those years are lost, they can never truly be recovered.

The uncomfortable truth is that many people are not financially behind because they earn too little. They are behind because they started too late.

The sentence “I’ll start next year” sounds harmless today. But financially, it can become one of the most expensive sentences a person ever says.

If this article raised questions about your own retirement planning, investments, or long-term financial strategy, feel free to reach out for a confidential discussion.

Name: Hansie Myburgh
Address: 14 Lelie Street, Northmead, Benoni, 1501
Contact Number: 071 471 2501  |  011 425 1318
Email Address: hansie.myburgh@sfpadvice.co.za