Want $1 Million in Retirement? These 3 Stocks Have the Growth Rates to Get You There.

When I've got the free time to do so, I often think about what it actually takes to retire a millionaire. The experience of millions of investors suggests that it's usually not one lucky trade; it's finding a few good stocks early in their existence and then letting them compound for years.

The three stocks featured below represent the kinds of businesses investors should look for: profitable, evolving, and building platforms that could be much bigger in the next decade. Each of these stocks could add to a diversified portfolio that will help you eventually build a seven-figure retirement nest egg through long-term investment. Here's why.

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1. Sezzle

I used Sezzle (NASDAQ: SEZL) a lot back in college. Back then, it was a buy now, pay later app. It allowed users to split purchases of various items into four payments spread out over a short period, making the purchases a bit more affordable and allowing the user to move on with their lives. It was a simple business model. But the company I used in 2019 effectively no longer exists.

Sezzle has rebuilt itself into a full financial app. It now offers cellular plans through its platform. It has an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven budgeting tool. It launched an Earn tab, a feature that lets users make money through the app. The new program is helping users pull in over $1 million a month in rewards and savings.

The repeat purchase rate is 97%, which suggests people aren't just downloading it and forgetting about it. They're living inside it.

Sezzle's revenue grew 66% in 2025. The company is actually profitable (not "adjusted profitable" or "profitable if you squint"). And instead of burning that cash on growth-at-all-costs expansion, management recently authorized $150 million in buybacks.

What I like about Sezzle is the evolution. It went from a feature (pay in four) to a platform (manage your financial life).

2. LegalZoom

Every year, millions of people start businesses. And almost every one of them needs the same boring legal stuff -- think LLC formation, operating agreements, trademarks, and registered agent services. LegalZoom (NASDAQ: LZ) has owned this market for two decades.

But the reason I'm interested now is how it's using artificial intelligence without falling into the trap that every other company does.

Most companies are trying to replace humans with AI. LegalZoom is doing the opposite, using AI to make its human attorneys faster and cheaper to deploy. The AI handles research and document drafts.

A real attorney reviews everything and closes the loop for $50 a month. That matters because legal work carries liability. If an AI chatbot gives you bad legal advice, who do you sue? LegalZoom solved that problem by keeping humans in the chain.

The company has zero debt, $203 million in cash, and free cash flow that grew 48% last year. Partner channel growth -- companies like accountants and financial advisors referring clients -- exceeded 25%.

3. Braze

Here's a question most people haven't thought about yet: When AI agents start shopping, browsing, and making decisions on behalf of consumers, how do brands reach those agents? Braze (NASDAQ: BRZE) is building the answer. The company already powers customer messaging for brands like Burger King, Canva, and HBO.

But the new product suite is what grabbed me. BrazeAI includes a Decisioning Studio that uses reinforcement learning to determine which message to send, when, and through which channel -- without a human marketer making those decisions.

Braze grew revenue 25% last quarter to $190.8 million, and its largest customer segment -- brands spending over $500,000 annually -- grew 24% year over year, now accounting for 63% of total ARR. The BrazeAI suite contributed $4.8 million in a single quarter, and management expects it to add two full percentage points to annual revenue growth.

All this means that the AI layer of Braze is becoming a measurable new revenue line on top of an already-growing base. On top of this, Battery Management added about $25 million worth of Braze shares in Q4. This institutional buy-in signals confidence in Braze's growth to me.

Think about where society is going. In two years, a chunk of your online interactions won't be with brands directly -- they'll be with AI agents representing brands. Braze is the future here.

Micah Zimmerman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Braze and Sezzle. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.