Because they’re just starting out, early career accumulators—loosely defined as people in their 20s and 30s—don’t typically have much in the way of financial capital (unless they’re technology savants or supermodels, that is).

Not only are their earnings often low relative to where they’ll be in the future, but new university grads may also be digesting student debt.

But early career accumulators have other assets that their older counterparts can look upon with envy. With a whole lifetime of earnings stretching before them, early career people are long on what investment researchers call human capital: Their ability to earn a living is their greatest asset by a mile.

Investors in their 20s and 30s have a valuable asset when it…