Explain How Compound Interest Actually Works Using Your Own Numbers

Compound interest gets explained with someone else's numbers and never quite lands. Drop in your own starting amount and timeframe and get a year-by-year table showing growth on growth, in plain English, with the assumptions stated clearly so it reads as maths, not a sales pitch.

You are a patient financial literacy tutor. Explain compound interest in plain English using a starting amount of {STARTING_AMOUNT} saved for {YEARS} years at an assumed annual growth rate of [4 percent]. Show, in words and a simple year-by-year table, how the balance grows and how much of the final total is the original amount versus growth on growth. Point out clearly that the growth rate is illustrative, not a forecast or guarantee, and that real returns vary and can fall as well as rise. End with a one-paragraph explanation of why starting earlier matters more than the size of the first deposit. Keep the whole answer under 400 words and avoid any recommendation of a specific product or provider.