Invest Early, Stress Less: A Long‑Term Strategy for University Expenses

Planning for significant future costs—such as your children’s university education—is one of the most important financial steps a family can take. Education costs have risen steadily over the past decade and relying solely on your income when your children reach university age can create real financial pressure.

To put this into context, the CSO inflation calculator shows that €10,000 in December 2015 would need to have grown to €12,615 by December 2025 (a 26.2% increase) just to maintain the same purchasing power. Unfortunately, Irish deposit accounts delivered very little growth over this period. For most of the last decade, interest rates were close to zero, and in many years, savings struggled to keep pace with inflation—meaning deposit savers effectively lost money in real terms.

This article explains:

• Why starting early makes a meaningful difference
• How some of Eolas Money’s preferred university savings funds have performed
• What these insights mean for families planning for future education costs

Why Start Saving Early?

Beginning early, investing regularly, and letting compounding work overtime can make a remarkable difference to your future financial outcomes. When saving for long‑term goals such as university costs, starting sooner offers three key advantages:

1. Time + Compounding = Long‑Term Growth: Money invested today has more time to grow. Over long periods, investment returns can compound—meaning your returns begin earning their own returns.
2. Less Pressure When College Starts: Having a dedicated savings pot ready means you’re less reliant on income, loans, or last‑minute cutbacks when fees, accommodation, and living expenses arise all at once.
3. More Choice and Higher Growth Potential: A longer timeframe allows you to invest more in growth‑focused assets like equities, which historically outperform cash over the long term.

How A Selection of Our Preferred University Savings Funds Have Performed: At Eolas Money, we encourage clients to save consistently into multi‑asset and equity‑based funds with high long‑term growth potential. Despite global market volatility in years such as 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2025, these funds have delivered significantly stronger long‑term returns compared with cash. Below is a summary of three preferred funds from Zurich Life, a preferred partner for long‑term University savings strategies.

1. International Equity Fund was launched by Zurich Life in 1996 and has €8.75 billion in value. This fund has high‑growth potential as it invests predominantly in globally equities. This fund is ideal for long‑term savers or families whose children are 10+ years from starting university.

• • 10‑year annualised return: 12.57%
  • 5‑year annualised return: 10.20%

2. Performance Fund was launched by Zurich Life in 1989 and has €2.35 billion in value. This is a diversified multi‑asset fund with 65–90% global equities, supported by bonds and cash. Also suited to those with 10+ years before university costs arise.

• • 10‑year annualised return: 10.42%
  • 5‑year annualised return: 8.24%

3. Cautiously Managed Fund was launched by Zurich Life in 2008 and has €1.04 billion in value and is lower‑risk option with 20–50% global equities plus bonds and cash. Ideal for medium‑term savers or parents whose children are closer to university age.

• • 10‑year annualised return: 5.31%
  • 5‑year annualised return: 4.28%

All fund values and stated returns correct as of 16 February 2026.

What This Means for Families Planning Ahead: For long‑term goals such as education savings (often a 10–18‑year timeframe), the evidence is clear:

• Deposit accounts protect your capital but often fail to keep pace with inflation, reducing your future purchasing power.
• Equity‑based and diversified investment funds have historically delivered much stronger long‑term growth, increasing your likelihood of reaching your goals.
• Starting early magnifies the benefits, giving your savings more time to grow and more time to ride out short‑term market fluctuations.

Final Thoughts: Saving for your children’s future—or any long‑term goal—doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With a clear plan, the right investment approach, and consistent contributions, Eolas Money can help you build a substantial fund that eases the financial burden when university years arrive.

The funds listed above are examples of long‑term options available through Zurich Life. As always, we work closely with each client to select the most suitable investment solution based on your personal goals, timeframe, and comfort with risk.

If your long‑term savings are still in deposit accounts—or if your investments haven’t been reviewed in some time—now is the right moment to act and ensure you’re on track. Book your Discovery Call with Eolas Money by clicking HERE

 Warnings:

• Past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance.
• Benefits may be affected by currency exchange rate movements.
• The value of your investment may fall as well as rise.
• You may lose some or all of the money you invest.