Why planning for retirement needs an early start

Many of us treat retirement as a problem of the future. It is considered as something that is to be looked at once the children are done with through school, the home loan is paid, or the next big promotion kicks in. But, in the world of finance, time is not just a luxury. It can be one of the most powerful advantages in long-term investing.

As the Indian economy evolves and life expectancy increases, the traditional safety nets of previous generations are thinning. For the modern professional, it is important to start setting aside a corpus for retirement early. This can be the differentiator between a comfortable retirement and a stressful one.

The importance of an early start

When you start early, your money does the heavy lifting. Through the power of compounding, even modest contributions made in your 20s or 30s can grow into a significant amount of money. The logic is simple. If you wait until your 40s to start investing towards retirement, you not only lose time but also the exponential growth that happens in the final decade of a long-term investment.

Factoring in the hidden erosion of inflation

While starting your savings journey is a great first step, this is not enough. We must account for inflation, often referred to as the silent killer of wealth. Looking at past trends, the cost of healthcare, basic amenities and lifestyle will increase substantially, and a corpus that looks substantial today might barely cover a year’s expenses thirty years from now.

It is important that you factor in the cost of inflation when you are calculating how much you need at retirement. Retirement planning requires a disciplined approach to asset allocation and keeping a keen eye on how rising costs will shift your goalposts over time. Also, asset allocation decisions should be aligned with individual risk appetite, time horizon and financial goals.

Closing the retirement gap

An upcoming investor education session in Hyderabad aims to decode these complexities. The event, titled ‘Close the Retirement Gap: Build Your Corpus Early’, presented by Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) Pvt Ltd, is designed specifically for those who want to move beyond passive saving and toward active wealth creation.

It brings together two distinct perspectives to help investors navigate the current market landscape. The first, Krishna Chaitanya, is a seasoned professional from Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) Pvt Ltd, who will provide a strategic view on the topic and offer a roadmap for building a retirement corpus. His approach focuses on goal clarity and the investor-education side of finance. This can help you to understand not just where to invest your money, but why disciplined habits and periodic reviews can play an important role in long-term financial planning.

The other speaker for the evening is M. Ram Prasad is a financial expert who has been active in financial education and personal finance advisory for several years. A regular columnist for leading Telugu newspapers, he writes on goal-based investing, retirement planning, and managing inflation. He is also the author of a Telugu book on personal finance.

About the session

The session is structured to provide actionable takeaways that attendees can implement immediately. Participants will gain insights into:

● Calculating a realistic target: How to stop guessing and calculating what you actually need.

● Inflation-proofing your plan: Learning how rising costs change your final number in terms of the corpus you need post-retirement.

● Creating an action plan: Practical steps to increase contributions and conduct regular health checks on your portfolio.

The details of the event are as follows:

Date: February 17, 2026

Time: 6.30 pm onwards

Venue: Hotel Daspalla, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad

Don’t leave your retirement to chance. Register now to take the first step toward a secure future.

Note to the Reader: This article has been produced on behalf of the brand by HT Brand Studio and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Mint.