Your scenario
$
%
Future purchasing-power equivalent
$0
in 20 years
Purchasing power lost
0.0%
Value over time
How it's calculated
Future Equivalent = Amount ÷ (1 + inflation)^years
Today's Equivalent = Amount × (1 + inflation)^years
Forward shows what today's amount will be worth, in future purchasing power, after the given number of years ·
Backward shows what a past amount is worth in today's dollars.
Key concepts
The terms behind the numbers above, explained simply.
Definition
A U.S. government measure of the average change in prices paid by consumers for a fixed basket of goods and services over time. It's the most common real-world basis for calculating actual historical inflation — this calculator uses a simplified constant-rate assumption instead of pulling live CPI data.
Definition
How much a given amount of money can actually buy. Purchasing power falls when prices rise faster than the amount of money you hold — even if the number in your account doesn't change, what it can buy shrinks.
Definition
The rate at which prices rise (and purchasing power falls) over a period, usually expressed as an annual percentage.
Definition
"Nominal" is the raw dollar figure with no adjustment. "Real" value adjusts that figure for inflation, showing what it's actually worth in constant/comparable purchasing power. A $100,000 salary in 2005 and a $100,000 salary today are nominally equal but very different in real terms.
Not financial advice. Finistack calculators are educational tools that estimate outcomes based on the assumptions you enter. They're not financial, tax, or legal advice, and Finistack is not a bank, CPA, or certified financial adviser. This tool uses a constant assumed inflation rate for simplicity — actual historical and future inflation varies year to year and by category of spending (e.g. housing and healthcare often outpace headline CPI).