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Inflation Calculator

Inflation silently erodes the value of your money every year. Whether you want to see what a sum of money will be worth in the future, or understand what a price from the past equals in today’s dollars, this calculator gives you a clear, honest picture of purchasing power over time.

Future Value Settings

  <div style="margin-bottom: 1.25rem;">
    <label style="display:block; font-weight:600; margin-bottom:6px; color:#44403c;">
      Current Amount
    </label>
    <div style="display:flex; align-items:center; gap:8px;">
      <span style="font-size:1.2rem; color:#d97706; font-weight:700;">$</span>
      <input id="fv-amount" type="number" value="1000" min="1" max="10000000" step="1"
        oninput="calcFuture()"
        style="width:160px; padding:8px 12px; border:1.5px solid #fcd34d; border-radius:7px; font-size:1rem; background:#fff; color:#1c1917; outline:none;">
    </div>
  </div>

  <div style="margin-bottom: 1.25rem;">
    <label style="display:flex; justify-content:space-between; font-weight:600; margin-bottom:6px; color:#44403c;">
      <span>Annual Inflation Rate</span>
      <span id="fv-rate-display" style="color:#d97706;">3.0%</span>
    </label>
    <input id="fv-rate" type="range" min="1" max="10" step="0.5" value="3"
      oninput="document.getElementById('fv-rate-display').textContent=parseFloat(this.value).toFixed(1)+'%'; calcFuture();"
      style="width:100%; accent-color:#d97706; cursor:pointer;">
    <div style="display:flex; justify-content:space-between; font-size:0.75rem; color:#a8a29e; margin-top:3px;">
      <span>1%</span><span>5%</span><span>10%</span>
    </div>
  </div>

  <div>
    <label style="display:flex; justify-content:space-between; font-weight:600; margin-bottom:6px; color:#44403c;">
      <span>Time Period</span>
      <span id="fv-years-display" style="color:#d97706;">10 years</span>
    </label>
    <input id="fv-years" type="range" min="1" max="40" step="1" value="10"
      oninput="document.getElementById('fv-years-display').textContent=this.value+' year'+(this.value==1?'':'s'); calcFuture();"
      style="width:100%; accent-color:#d97706; cursor:pointer;">
    <div style="display:flex; justify-content:space-between; font-size:0.75rem; color:#a8a29e; margin-top:3px;">
      <span>1 yr</span><span>20 yrs</span><span>40 yrs</span>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

<!-- Future Results -->
<div id="fv-results" style="background:#fff; border:1.5px solid #fde68a; border-radius:12px; padding:1.5rem; margin-bottom:1.5rem;">
  <h2 style="margin:0 0 1rem; font-size:1.05rem; color:#92400e;">Results</h2>
  <div style="display:grid; grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(190px,1fr)); gap:1rem; margin-bottom:1.25rem;">
    <div style="background:#fffbeb; border-radius:9px; padding:1rem; text-align:center;">
      <div style="font-size:0.8rem; color:#a8a29e; margin-bottom:4px;">Future Equivalent Price</div>
      <div id="fv-future-price" style="font-size:1.6rem; font-weight:700; color:#d97706;">$1,344</div>
    </div>
    <div style="background:#fffbeb; border-radius:9px; padding:1rem; text-align:center;">
      <div style="font-size:0.8rem; color:#a8a29e; margin-bottom:4px;">Purchasing Power Lost</div>
      <div id="fv-power-lost" style="font-size:1.6rem; font-weight:700; color:#dc2626;">25.6%</div>
    </div>
    <div style="background:#fffbeb; border-radius:9px; padding:1rem; text-align:center;">
      <div style="font-size:0.8rem; color:#a8a29e; margin-bottom:4px;">Needed to Maintain Power</div>
      <div id="fv-maintain" style="font-size:1.6rem; font-weight:700; color:#16a34a;">$1,344</div>
    </div>
  </div>

  <!-- Visual Bar -->
  <div style="margin-bottom:0.5rem;">
    <div style="display:flex; justify-content:space-between; font-size:0.8rem; color:#78716c; margin-bottom:6px;">
      <span>Today's $1,000</span>
      <span id="fv-bar-label">Future purchasing power</span>
    </div>
    <div style="background:#e5e7eb; border-radius:99px; height:22px; overflow:hidden; position:relative;">
      <div id="fv-bar-fill" style="height:100%; background:linear-gradient(90deg,#d97706,#f59e0b); border-radius:99px; transition:width 0.4s; width:74.4%; display:flex; align-items:center; padding-left:10px;">
        <span id="fv-bar-pct" style="font-size:0.75rem; font-weight:700; color:#fff;">74.4%</span>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div style="font-size:0.75rem; color:#a8a29e; margin-top:4px;">
      Your money retains <span id="fv-retain-pct" style="color:#d97706; font-weight:600;">74.4%</span> of today's purchasing power after <span id="fv-retain-years">10</span> years at <span id="fv-retain-rate">3.0%</span> inflation.
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

How to Protect Against Inflation

Inflation is a permanent feature of modern economies. Here are four evidence-based strategies to protect your purchasing power:

1. Invest in assets that historically outpace inflation. Broad stock market index funds have historically returned around 7–10% annually before inflation adjustments — well above the long-run US inflation rate of roughly 3%. Holding cash long-term is a guaranteed losing strategy in real terms.

2. Consider I Bonds and TIPS. US Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) and Series I Savings Bonds are explicitly designed to rise with inflation. They won’t make you rich, but they preserve purchasing power with low risk — especially useful for emergency funds or short-term savings.

3. Real assets provide a natural hedge. Real estate, commodities, and infrastructure tend to rise in nominal value alongside inflation, though they carry their own risks and illiquidity. REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) offer exposure without direct ownership.

4. Avoid holding large amounts in low-yield savings accounts. Even a high-yield savings account at 4–5% barely keeps pace with moderate inflation. Money that won’t be needed for 5+ years should generally be invested, not saved. Review your allocation regularly as interest rates change.