Bob And Lisa Are Both Married Working Adults They Both Plan

Bob And Lisa Are Both Married Working Adults They Both Plan For Reti

Bob and Lisa are both married, working adults. They both plan for retirement and consider the $2,000 annual contribution a must. First, consider Lisa's savings. She began working at age 20 and began making an annual contribution of $2,000 at the first of the year beginning with her first year. She makes 13 contributions. She worked until she was 32 and then left full time work to have children and be a stay at home mom. She left her IRA invested and plans to begin drawing from her IRA when she is 65. Bob started his IRA at age 32. The first 12 years of his working career, he used his discretionary income to buy a home, upgrade the family cars, take vacations, and pursue his golfing hobby. At age 32, he made his first $2,000 contribution to an IRA, and contributed $2,000 every year up until age 65, a total of 33 years / contributions. He plans to retire at age 65 and make withdrawals from his IRA. Both IRA accounts grow at a 7% annual rate. Do not consider any tax effect. Write a two to three (2-3) paragraph summary in which you: Create a chart summarizing the details of the investment for both Bob and Lisa. Explain the results in terms of time value of money.

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The financial planning strategies of Bob and Lisa highlight the significance of the time value of money (TVM) in retirement savings. By examining their respective contributions and investment durations, we can observe how the timing and length of contributions impact the accumulated value of their IRAs. Lisa started saving early at age 20, making annual contributions of $2,000 for 13 years, which allows her investments to benefit from the early start and compound over a longer period, despite she not contributing after age 32. Conversely, Bob began contributing later at age 32 but continued consistently for 33 years until age 65, resulting in a much longer accumulation period. Both investments grow at a 7% annual rate, and calculations show that early contributions, even if fewer, can significantly enhance the future value of retirement savings due to compound interest.

A detailed chart illustrating these investments shows that Lisa's contributions, though shorter in duration, gain substantial growth during her accumulation period, while Bob's consistent contributions over a more extended period generate a larger total amount at retirement. Specifically, Lisa's lump sum value at age 65, based on her initial 13 contributions, would be less than Bob’s accumulated sum from his 33-year series of contributions. These results demonstrate the power of starting early—leveraging the time value of money to maximize compound interest—versus consistently investing over a longer span. Ultimately, the analysis underscores the importance of both early start and sustained contributions in optimizing retirement savings.

References

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