After my first summer job as a day-care assistant in high school, I followed my father’s advice and opened a Roth IRA with a $250 deposit and rosy dreams of retiring at 30 years old (hey, I was 16!).
Being somewhat of a perfectionist, I didn’t take this responsibility lightly. I knew from my dad’s ongoing retirement lectures that to retire at all, I would probably have to contribute significant money for years to come.