'Now What?' — Investor With $100K In VOO Wonders What's Next After Constantly Hearing The First Hurdle Is The Hardest

The first $100,000 is the hardest. Once you reach this milestone, compounding starts to work in your favor and push you toward other financial goals.

A Redditor knew this detail when asking for advice in the Dividends subreddit. The original poster has $100,000 invested in the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF VOO and stated that you're "basically a millionaire" once you hit this threshold.

"Now what?" the Redditor asked.

Although reaching the six-figure mark is a great feat, many commenters encouraged the Redditor to keep going and stay invested.

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Forget About It For 30 Years

Multiple commenters told the Redditor to forget about their portfolio for the next 30 years.

"Forget about that account for 30 years," one of the top comments suggested.

Assuming an annualized 8% return, the $100,000 balance will turn into $1 million after 30 years. That's true even if the Redditor doesn't contribute another dollar to their portfolio. It demonstrates how returns can stack on top of each other and boost total returns.

The Redditor doesn't have to make any flashy moves to reach a $1 million portfolio, assuming that the 8% annualized return remains intact. 

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Continue To Invest

Although the Redditor is off to a great start, most commenters encouraged the Redditor to keep going. Investing more money will give the Redditor more choices in the future. Retirement will be more doable when the time arrives, and one commenter suggested that the Redditor can "pass it down to his family."

Another Redditor said that wealth building doesn't end once you reach $100,000. While this benchmark makes it easier to build your net worth, regular portfolio contributions will get you there even faster.

"You keep investing; job's far from done…I assume you want to hit a million faster, so you are going to need to continue to add to that money and make it grow."

It's impossible to predict how your financial situation will change in the next 10-15 years. Saving and investing money now will leave you better prepared for worst-case scenarios while setting you up for best-case scenarios.

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Keep Your Foot On The Pedal

One commenter questioned the notion that your wealth "explodes after $100k" and encouraged the original poster to continue investing. The commenter suggested only taking your foot off the pedal after you are halfway to your financial independence number.

Another commenter suggested that the Redditor continue with their current money habits. The same money habits that helped the Redditor end up with a $100,000 portfolio can result in a $200,000 portfolio sooner. 

Momentum is a strong force, and you can reach your financial goals sooner if you continue. However, if the Redditor decides to rest, they risk losing all of the momentum. It's hard to get an object at rest to move, but once something is in motion, it's easier to continue on that path.

The Redditor has an opportunity to grow their portfolio. Compounding is a nice bonus, but the Redditor should continue to make regular investments.

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