Most Americans measure retirement preparedness against six-figure targets, which makes a $100 monthly transfer easy to dismiss before the first transfer is even set up.

Vanguard published a chart projecting what monthly contributions grow to at a hypothetical 6% annual return on its recurring investing page, and the $100 tier, the smallest in the set, tells the most compelling story.

Vanguard’s “How America Saves 2026”report puts the average 401(k) balance at $167,970, and the median at $44,115, and those lump-sum benchmarks dominate most retirement coverage.

This chart reframes the question around what a small, unchanging deposit compounds into before you reach that level.

Vanguard anchored the model at $100 rather than $500 or…