Teresa Ghilarducci, Columnist

The Best Gift for College Graduates Is Help With Retirement

It's becoming harder than ever, but saving money early on is still the best way to guarantee a comfortable retirement.

May 18, 2022 at 1:30 PM UTC

Teresa Ghilarducci is the Schwartz Professor of Economics at the New School for Social Research. She's the co-author of "Rescuing Retirement" and a member of the board of directors of the Economic Policy Institute.

Let’s talk retirement… Photographer: Jason Davis/Getty Images North America — Let’s talk retirement… Photographer: Jason Davis/Getty Images North America

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

This article is for subscribers only.

New graduates face fierce financial headwinds of soaring rent, ballooning student debt and inflation. The oft-repeated message to the young to “save early and often” may feel near-impossible. Still, it's worth highlighting the benefit of doing so for those who can somehow squirrel some money away.

One of the most compelling reasons is regret. By others, that is. Almost 70% of Gen Zers and 77% of millennials say they wish they had invested earlier, according to a survey by Magnify Money.