Dane Does Data | Finance1 / 8

A career-start experiment

Same system.Four starting lines.

They began at $0, earned the median for their age, saved 15%, and followed the same simple index investing plan after saving an emergency fund.

WWendy$91,287

PPaul$80,698

DDoug$98,648

SSam$89,301

Who had the strongest first 10-year journey? →

Dane Does Data | Finance2 / 8

W

Hi, I’m Wendy.

I earned the median for a full-time worker age 25–34 and saved 15% of my gross income.

6 months cash→then 60/40 global equities

After 10 years of available history $91,287 ending portfolio in shared 2023–24 purchasing power

Dane Does Data | Finance3 / 8

P

Hi, I’m Paul.

I earned the median for a full-time worker age 25–34 and saved 15% of my gross income.

6 months cash→then 60/40 global equities

After 10 years of available history $80,698 ending portfolio in shared 2023–24 purchasing power

Dane Does Data | Finance4 / 8

D

Hi, I’m Doug.

I earned the median for a full-time worker age 25–34 and saved 15% of my gross income.

6 months cash→then 60/40 global equities

After 10 years of available history $98,648 ending portfolio in shared 2023–24 purchasing power

Dane Does Data | Finance5 / 8

S

Hi, I’m Sam.

I earned the median for a full-time worker age 25–34 and saved 15% of my gross income.

6 months cash→then 60/40 global equities

After 10 years of available history $89,301 ending portfolio in shared 2023–24 purchasing power

Dane Does Data | Finance6 / 8

The hidden variable

They started indifferent years.

W

Walkman Wendy

1985

$91,287ending portfolio10 years on book

P

PC Paul

1995

$80,698ending portfolio10 years on book

D

Dot-Com Doug

2005

$98,648ending portfolio10 years on book

S

Smartphone Sam

2015

$89,301ending portfolio10 years on book

Dane Does Data | Finance7 / 8

Apples-to-apples comparison

Four histories,aligned by years on book.

Every monthly balance is converted to the same purchasing-power basis before the paths are aligned.

Dane Does Data | Finance8 / 8

The takeaway

You can’t control when you start.You can control the system.

Set aside part of every paycheck. Build a six-month cash buffer first, then direct that same share to equities. Keep going through every market.

$80,698–$98,648ending portfolios in shared 2023–24 purchasing power

1.72–2.10 yearsof current expenses funded at the end of each replay

Try the same system with your starting years →