I Saved My First $100K By 22. At 25, I Have $500K. Here's How.

"At 25, I have over $500,000 between my high-yield savings account, retirement funds, and investments. I put away my first $100,000 by 22. And I did it mostly without help after growing up in a lower-middle class household. My story is definitely not the norm. Gen Z is up against a lot: Around 13 million people in Gen Z have approximately $23,000 of student loan debt, per 2024 research from the Education Data Initiative. And the job market? Brutal."

"But Gen Z is also becoming financially savvy. Twenty-one percent save 1-10% of their monthly salary, another quarter carve out 11-20%, and 12% put away 21-30%, according to a poll conducted by Talker Research in January. Some even save their entire paycheck - 5% more than any other generation. Here's how I built my nest egg, and how you can work toward the same goal."

"Money stressed my parents out. After immigrating to the United States for their education and careers in software, my mom stopped working to care for me shortly after I was born. We managed on one income, but sometimes my dad dealt with bouts of unemployment that were beyond his control. After witnessing them work so hard to make ends meet, I've been conditioned to save as much as possible on my own."

At 25, the narrator has over $500,000 across a high-yield savings account, retirement funds, and investments, reaching the first $100,000 by age 22. The narrator grew up in a lower-middle-class, immigrant household relying on one income and experienced parental unemployment, which fostered a fear of scarcity and a personal drive to save. Gen Z faces widespread student debt and a difficult job market, yet many are saving significant portions of paychecks. The narrator pursued entrepreneurship early, studied business administration and data science at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, learned personal finance through courses and online resources, and invested in self-education and strategic investments.

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