While many Americans leave college in debt, Ben von Werder will likely have a positive net worth when he graduates from Purdue University in fall 2026.

He’s “always been a saver,” he says, and “my portfolio has grown unbelievably” while he earns his undergraduate degree in accounting. As of Sept. 16, 2025, von Werder had about $115,000 in savings and investments, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

That’s due to a couple of factors: The 21-year-old Indiana native worked throughout his teenage years, stashing most of his earnings in an investment account, and enlisted in the National Guard in order to attend college for free.

He’s also focused on saving his money, rather than spending it all on nights out; but once he graduates and starts working full-time, he’ll spend a bit more freely on activities like travel.

“I try to take advantage as much as I can of being young and having time on my side for [investment growth],” he says.

Growing up, von Werder’s parents, both teachers, were generally frugal, he says. His dad helped him establish good saving habits, but credit card debt put a burden on relationships within the family.

“That was something I wanted to entirely avoid, so heading into high school, I was making sure that I was working,” he says. 

As a result, von Werder started refereeing soccer games when he was in his early teen years, then worked as a server in a retirement home and at a deli throughout high school. When he was 15, his parents helped him start investing through a Uniform Transfer to Minors Account, a type of brokerage account that allows adults to invest on behalf of children before they turn 18.

By the time von Werder was getting ready for college, his parents had already helped his two older siblings pay for school and didn’t have savings left for him. He saw a flyer for the Indiana National Guard advertising free college tuition and took the opportunity to get his education paid for.

In addition to having his education costs covered, von Werder earns $400 to $550 a month from the National Guard when he goes to training. During deployments, like an 11-month stint in the Middle East he did between September 2023 and August 2024, he earned around $6,000 a month.

He also makes $2,000 during the fall term coaching his high school’s soccer team.

Though his service commitment meant taking two years off from school during his deployments, getting college paid for “has set me up financially for the rest of my life,” von Werder says.

When he’s deployed or away for training, he doesn’t have to pay for housing, meals or clothes. As a result, he’s been able to stash away roughly 95% of his National Guard income to keep growing his portfolio.

When it comes to his investment strategy, von Werder mainly invests in broad market index funds, giving him exposure to a variety of companies and sectors, and setting him up for long-term growth.

“I’m really a big fan of passive investing and just not trying to overthink it,” he says.

He plans on leaving the National Guard in February when his commitment ends. While he finishes school, von Werder plans to continue investing for his future and looks forward to having cash saved for some post-graduation travel before he starts working full-time. He’s planning to sit for his certified public accountant exams infall 2026 and hopes to land a job in Indianapolis or Chicago.

As for his long-term investing goals, “it’s not so much for me about getting rich,” he says.

“It’s more so about having financial security and allowing me to have freedom to essentially choose which jobs I want to work, where I want to live, what I want to do with my lifestyle. Being able to survive the ups and downs of the economy.”

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