What principle suggests that the earlier you start saving, the more you earn due to compound interest?

The principle highlighting the importance of starting to save early is known as the time value of money. This concept suggests that money available now is worth more than the same amount in the future due to its potential earning capacity. When you start saving early, your money has more time to grow through compounding, which is the process where interest earned is reinvested to generate additional earnings.

Compounding works best with a longer time frame, as it allows for the exponential growth of your savings. Therefore, the earlier you begin to save, the more time your investments have to accrue interest on both the initial principal and the accumulated interest. This accumulative process increases the total value of your savings by the time you reach retirement.

In contrast, the other principles mentioned—such as risk tolerance assessment, future value approximation, and inflation forecasting—don’t directly capture the advantage of starting to save sooner in order to maximize earnings through compounding.