Retirement might seem like a distant dream — or a source of stress if you’re not sure you’ll have enough saved.

According to Pew Research, for many Americans, retirement savings plans are a critical pathway to building wealth. But what if a single, smart investment today could set you up to retire like a millionaire?

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GOBankingRates spoke with Joseph Keshi, CEO of Keshman Property Management, and Dr. David Ghozland, an OB/GYN and owner of David Ghozland MD, on the best $10,000 they spent preparing for retirement.

“I reached financial independence early through disciplined real estate investing and long-term planning,” Keshi said. “My $10,000 was primarily invested in consulting services by a good accountant.”

He added these were precipitously accomplished by attorney services and ways to save estate taxes.

“Reviewed were my investments for costly mistakes; a trust was prepared to shield assets from creditors and death taxes, followed by an LLC for liability protection,” Keshi noted.

He acquired education towards sustainable income in rental real estate and exit planning, eliminating unknown factors.

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“I have more than 20 years in medicine and running my own practice, and financial education is what helped me retire a millionaire,” Ghozland said.

He said the best $10,000 he spent was hiring a financial advisor who worked with doctors back in 2007.

“Most physicians earn good money but we start late because of student loans and years of training,” the doctor added.

Ghozland’s advisor helped him set up automatic payments into retirement accounts and index funds so the money was transferred even before he could spend it. That one option put over $850,000 into his retirement over the span of 15 years because he never touched it or was tempted to spend it.

“I see other doctors in their 40s who waited too long and now they stress about catching up when they could have made it easy on themselves from the start,” Ghozland pointed out.

The common thread? Both Keshi and Ghozland turned $10,000 into a foundation for long-term financial security by investing in knowledge, guidance and planning — not just assets.

Whether it was expert advice, legal safeguards or automated retirement contributions, that smart upfront spending set them on a path to retire comfortably and confidently.

In other words: Retirement doesn’t have to be a guessing game.

Sometimes, the best investment isn’t another stock or property — it’s investing in a plan that keeps your future on track. A relatively small, strategic outlay today can pay off in peace of mind and financial freedom for decades to come.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I Retired a Millionaire: The Best $10,000 I Ever Spent Preparing for Retirement