Dividend growth.  When the C.N.R. went public in 1996, I, as a C.N.R employee, was able to buy shares at $20.00 each. After splits, each share is now 12 shares, for a cost of $1.67 each. The yearly dividend is now $1.65. I know that is really not meaningful, but it sure is a nice symmetry. longrundata estimates the total yearly growth over the past 20 years at about 20%. Invest early, buy a blue chip dividend grower, put it into a D.R.I.P., and let time and compounding work their magic.