UK shares surged last year, delivering a staggering 25% total return for FTSE 100 investors. That’s roughly 6x more than what some of the most generous savings accounts delivered over the same period, transforming every £1,000 into £1,250.

It’s important to highlight that this is quite exceptional, with the long-term average return typically sitting around 8% a year. But even at this rate, investing a small lump sum each month can still build considerable wealth in the long run.

Here’s how putting aside just £50 each month could be all that it takes to eventually accumulate £10,000 with next to no effort.

Building stock market wealth

One of the easiest and low-effort ways to start putting money to work in the stock market is with a low-cost index fund. These clever assets allow investors to indirectly invest and own a small piece of every business within an index like the FTSE 100.

The result is an instantly diversified portfolio that will track and replicate the returns of the stock market each year. And if we assume that the stock market will continue its long-term trend of delivering an annual 8% return, then investing £50 a month would grow to £10,000 in just over 10 years.

Want to speed up the process? Doubling the monthly contribution to £100 shortens this timeline to just six and a half years. And for those willing to wait the full decade, could actually end up with close to £20,000 instead.

While never risk-free, index investing’s a fantastic and proven way for building long-term wealth, even with small sums of capital. However, for those who dare to take things a step further, using a stock-picking strategy could generate even more explosive gains.

The power of picking stocks directly

Rather than relying on an index fund, investors can opt to invest in individual businesses directly. This obviously requires significantly more effort, with detailed analysis and due diligence.

But for those smart enough to find the diamonds in the rough, the returns can be extraordinary. And that’s something investors of Rolls-Royce (LSE:RR.) have experienced firsthand over the last three or so years.

Thanks to some superb execution and radical restructuring under a then-new CEO, the British engineering giant achieved a remarkable turnaround. And subsequently, since the start of 2023, Rolls-Royce shares have skyrocketed more than 1,280%!

That’s the equivalent of 140% annualised return. And for anyone who’s been drip feeding £50 a month into this stock over this period, they’ve already accumulated £22,336!

Still worth considering?

Sadly, Rolls-Royce shares probably won’t continue generating such explosive gains moving forward. But there’s still a lot to like about this business. The group’s transformation continues to boost profit margins and free cash flow generation. Rising activity in the travel sector is driving up demand for its civil aerospace aftermarket services. And at the same time, higher defence spending is also boosting the order book.

There are, of course, risks. Supply chain disruptions remain an ever-present threat, and its long-term small modular reactor project, while promising, remains commercially unproven.

Nevertheless, given the quality of leadership, Rolls-Royce could be worth a deeper dive for stock pickers. But of course, there are plenty of other UK shares to explore, some of which could be gearing up for their own recovery surge in 2026.