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Inflation & Purchasing Power

What today's dollars will buy tomorrow, and what tomorrow's bills will cost — the quiet tax on cash.

The question

US CPI has averaged ~2.6%/yr over the last 30 years, ~3.8% over the last 5.

For comparison

A savings yield or conservative portfolio return, to show what beating (or just matching) inflation looks like.

Future buying power
Future cost of the same stuff
Power lost to inflation
If invested instead

Purchasing power of your cash

Held as cash Invested (real value)