How to Build Wealth in your 40s

Building wealth in your 40s is a process, one that will continue throughout your life. And no matter how much you have already achieved, there are always ways to take your wealth to the next level.

For example, the more you save, the more you can invest, which puts your money to work for you. However, there are often obstacles, some that we might not even be aware of, which can inhibit our ability to save as much as we could.

Once you identify these obstacles, you can create strategies to minimize and sometimes even eliminate their impact on your ability to save and invest more. Here are four of them.

1. Procrastination

The #1 thing that stands between you and a wealthier future is procrastination – waiting until tomorrow to do what you can do today. It is hard to overcome procrastination. People do so for a wide variety of reasons, many of which are subconscious and have been reinforced over years, even decades.

Just being mindful and recognizing when you are procrastinating can help you push through it. But a powerful antidote for procrastination is logic and math.

Logic tells us that the sooner you put money to work, the sooner you can take advantage of one of the most powerful forces for wealth creation: compound interest. Keep that in mind as you look for new ways to save money.

2. Spending Habits

The second obstacle that can thwart sustained wealth creation is your spending habits. Again, this is where logic comes in. Every dollar that you spend each month is a dollar that cannot go toward your savings and investment goals.

The obvious culprit here would seem to be excessive or extravagant spending on discretionary items, but that is not always the case.

Thanks to technology, spending money has become an almost frictionless process. With the tap of your phone or click of a mouse, you can have a meal delivered, buy almost anything online, and sign up for digital subscriptions with recurring billing.

Taken individually, this type of spending does not seem significant, but in aggregate these charges can add up, and even if you believe that you are being very frugal, you may be surprised by how much money goes out the door in this way.

And spending habits can really become a problem when they cause you to carry debt, even short-term debt. In fact, the math shows us that servicing debt works against your ability to build your wealth.

This is especially true for high-interest debt like credit card balances. Reducing or eliminating such debt should be a priority in your financial planning.

3. Inflation

This next item could be considered a stealth obstacle to building wealth because it is hard to quantify in our everyday lives, and that’s inflation. Inflation is defined as the general increase in the cost of goods and services over time, which translates into less purchasing power for your money.

For example, if you bought an item that costs $100 today, at a cumulative 7% inflation rate, that same item would cost approximately $140 in five years, which means your buying power would have decreased by 29%.

So as this example illustrates, every year, inflation erodes your purchasing power by making things more expensive. And that works against your ability to create wealth.

One way you can combat the effects of inflation is to have an investment portfolio with a rate of return that keeps up with, and hopefully outpaces, the rate of inflation. This is where long-term investments and financial planning come into play.

4. Taxes

Benjamin Franklin is famously quoted as saying, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” Yet, tax rates change, and there is no long-term certainty on what tax rates will be in the future. That brings us to the fourth obstacle to building wealth: taxes.

Just like with spending habits, every dollar that taxes take away is a dollar that cannot be used to build your wealth. That is why it is important to take advantage of any opportunities to lower your taxes allowed by law.

It’s also useful to incorporate tax-smart strategies into your wealth-building plan, such as deferring paying capital gains taxes on investments until you are in a more favorable tax bracket.

Taken together, surmounting these four obstacles to building wealth may seem intimidating, even impossible to some. But don’t despair. As the Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius once said, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

The first step is to take action toward removing these obstacles.

And as you do, those same actions that wear them down and eventually eliminate them become the engines that will drive new habits going forward.

How Much Wealth Should a 40-Year-Old Have?

A common question is, how much wealth should a 40-year-old have? According to financial experts, a good benchmark is to have saved about three times your annual income by age 40. For example, if your annual income is $80,000, you should aim to have around $240,000 in savings and investments. This includes your retirement accounts, emergency fund, and other investments.

If you’re not there yet, don’t worry, you’ve still got time but you may need to re-commit to your financial plan.

The big question: Is It Too Late to Get Rich at 40?

Absolutely not! It is never too late to start building wealth. Your 40s can be a prime time for financial growth because you are likely in your peak earning years. With a solid financial plan, disciplined saving, and smart investing, you can still achieve significant wealth.

A financial advisor can work with you to create a tailored plan to help maximize your income and investments.

How Can You Build Your Wealth and Become a Millionaire in Your 40s?

Becoming a millionaire in your 40s may be achievable with the right strategies. Here are some steps to help you reach this goal:

1. Set Clear Financial Goals: Define what you want to achieve and create a plan to get there.
2. Maximize Your Earning Potential: Seek opportunities for raises, promotions, or side gigs to increase your income.
3. Live Below Your Means: Keep your expenses in check and avoid lifestyle inflation.
4. Aggressive Saving and Investing: Save a significant portion of your income and invest wisely.
5. Pay Down Debt: Focus on eliminating high-interest debt, such as credit card balances.
6. Create Multiple Income Streams: Diversify your income sources through investments, side businesses, or real estate.
7. Continuous Financial Education: Stay informed about financial planning and investment strategies.

By following these steps and staying committed to your financial goals, you can build substantial wealth in your 40s and beyond.