 TITLE: How to Build Wealth CONTENT: Don't Be Afraid to Invest Early\n-------------------------------\nFiguring out whether to pay down debts or save and invest can be an ongoing challenge.\nIn short, if you're making long-term investments in index funds (such as retirement savings that you don't expect to touch for 20 to 30 years), you might expect an approximate 8% to 10% annual return on your investments. Focus on paying down debts that have a higher interest rate first, then investing and then paying off low rate debts.\nStarting to invest early can be especially important, as you have years of potential growth ahead of you. For example, if you invest $100 a month and earn an average of 8% each year, you'll have nearly $55,000 after 20 years—and almost $136,000 after 30 years. END