Inflation Explained: Why $100 Buys Less Every Year
更新于: · 5 min · 入门
Inflation is the quiet erosion of purchasing power. Understand how it is measured, why it matters for savers, and the difference between nominal and real values.
What inflation actually measures
Official statistics track a basket of goods and services — food, housing, transport, healthcare — and compare its cost over time. Your personal inflation rate differs from the headline number depending on what you actually buy.
The rule of 72, in reverse
Divide 72 by an inflation rate to estimate years for prices to double. At 3%, prices roughly double every 24 years. Cash that earns nothing loses half its purchasing power in that span even though the account balance never falls.
Nominal vs. real
A 5% nominal return with 3% inflation is closer to 2% real. Always compare financial projections in inflation-adjusted terms, especially over multi-decade goals like retirement.
What this does not mean
Understanding inflation is not a recommendation to invest all cash. Emergency money needs safety and liquidity; accepting market risk with funds you need next month is a different mistake. Balancing the two is personal planning — not investment advice.
计算器常见问题
「教育」和「建议」有什么区别？
教育讲的是一个概念或公式在一般情况下如何运作；建议则是告诉你个人该买什么、该做什么。AILICAI 只提供前者，后者建议你咨询持牌专业人士。
为什么收益要标注为「假设」？
因为没人能预知未来收益，而画一条平滑上升的曲线很容易误导。这里所有推演都是你可以调整假设的模拟，不是承诺。