Just a quick note to point out to your readers that the results you are calculating over the 47 years are nominal results, meaning that they are not adjusted for inflation. To get to the real results, you must reduce your annual return assumptions by a further assumed annual rate of inflation for prices in the general economy. Most models assume a 2% to 3% rate of inflation for a developed country like the USA. But, that small rate of inflation can be disastrous to the outcome of your investment, especially if you are only earning, say, 4.5% per year on your money. You may end up with the amount of money you calculated in your article, but the purchasing power of that money will be much weaker after 47 years of general prices rising at 3% per year. This is why investing in things like equities (i.e., stocks) is so important over the long term. If you can earn, say, 11% to 12%, per year on average over those 47 years by investing in something like an S&P 500 exchange traded fund (ETF), you can better overcome the damaging effects of that 3% per year inflation in prices. You can also live a much sweeter life in retirement, knowing that you pretty much have the purchasing power to live the life to which you had become accustomed before you retired.

Thanks,

Logan.