Inflation

Inflation-Adjusted Returns

Nominal returns look great on paper. This calculator shows what you actually keep in real purchasing power.

Inputs

Starting amount

Nominal annual return%

Expected inflation%

Years

Results

Real future value

$19,448

In today's dollars

Nominal future value

$38,697

Before inflation

Real annual return

3.38%

After inflation

Purchasing power of $1 today

In 20 years

Lost to inflation

$19,249

Nominal − real

Original amount, real

$5,026

If left uninvested

Real return uses the Fisher equation: (1 + nominal) / (1 + inflation) − 1. Historic US CPI has averaged ~3.3% since 1913; gold has historically preserved purchasing power over long horizons.