Author: Charles Jorgensen CFP, JBL Wealth Management

JBL Wealth Management has been in business since January 2000. Over 26 years, we’ve walked the full financial journey with many loyal clients – from early careers through retirement and beyond.

Some of those journeys have been outstanding success stories. Others, despite good incomes and long working lives, have been far more challenging. When we look back across thousands of client experiences, the outcomes are rarely about luck or market timing. They are about behaviour – especially how much, how consistently, and how early people invest.

The patterns are remarkably consistent.

Why some financial journeys succeed

Our clients who have done well over long periods tend to share a few common habits:

  • They started monthly investing early, even if the amounts were modest.
  • They increased their debit orders regularly, usually every year.
  • They treated investing as a non-negotiable expense, not a leftover.
  • They stayed invested during difficult market periods.
  • They were realistic about retirement timing and post-retirement income.
  • They avoided dipping into long-term investments for short-term lifestyle upgrades.

In simple terms: consistency plus discipline over time is a recipe for success.

Why others fall short

On the other side, the less successful outcomes also share common causes – and they’re far more common than most people realise:

  • Not saving enough early on. Waiting for the “right time” usually means losing the most powerful years of compounding.
  • Failing to increase monthly investments. Debit orders that stay unchanged for 10–15 years quietly lose effectiveness due to inflation.
  • Retiring too early. A longer retirement requires significantly more capital, especially with rising healthcare and living costs.
  • Drawing too much income in retirement. Even strong portfolios struggle when income withdrawals are simply too high.

None of these decisions feel reckless at the time. The damage only becomes visible years later.

Why monthly debit orders matter so much

Monthly investing via debit order remains one of the most effective wealth-building tools available:

  • It removes emotion and timing decisions.
  • It enforces discipline automatically.
  • It benefits from rand-cost averaging.
  • It turns long-term goals into manageable monthly actions.

Importantly, it’s not the starting amount that matters most – it’s the growth of the amount over time.

Practical ways to increase your current savings

For many investors, the real opportunity lies not in starting something new, but in making sure existing monthly investments are still appropriate for today’s income, lifestyle and long-term goals. Some practical approaches that work well:

  1. Annual increases

Increase debit orders every year, ideally at least in line with salary increases or inflation. Even a 5-10% annual increase can materially change outcomes over time.

  1. Save raises and bonuses first

Before lifestyle expands, allocate a portion of increases or bonuses to investments. You’ll rarely miss money you never fully start spending.

  1. Automate the change

Once the debit order is increased, discipline takes care of itself. Avoid relying on “I’ll invest what’s left over.”

  1. Re-examine and redirect short-term spending

Small recurring expenses (subscriptions, frequent upgrades, impulse purchases) can often fund meaningful investment increases when reviewed properly.

A closing thought

Markets will always fluctuate. Returns will vary year to year. But the single most controllable driver of long-term financial success remains how much you invest, and how consistently you increase it.

After 26 years in practice, one thing is clear: clients who steadily grow their monthly investments give themselves far more flexibility, confidence and choices later in life –  especially in retirement.

If you haven’t reviewed your monthly debit orders in the past 12 months, now is the time. A small increase today can materially improve your long-term outcome.

Speak to your advisor at JBL Wealth Management and let’s make sure your monthly investments are still doing the heavy lifting they should.

 

 

The information contained in this document is for information purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal, tax, investment or other advice as defined and contemplated in the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, Act 37 of 2002. It does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any product (the “Information”).