It is often said that the earlier you start investing, the more you have for retirement. This is because you have a longer time-span for compounding to take effect. A typical investment life-span is about 30 years, so for a portfolio that can provide 4% real returns (or 7% nominal returns) annually, $1 at the start of 30 years will become $3.24 at the end of 30 years. However, if you can pass down the portfolio intact to your children who can continue to invest for another 30 years, $1 will become $10.52 at the end of 60 years. If they too can pass down the portfolio to their children and grandchildren, the portfolio will continue to compound further.Although you might have more than 1 child and you wish to split the inheritance evenly between your children, this portfolio may still provide more money for each generation ......