Variare MONEY · EXPLORER 02 REAL RETURN
What is your investment return
actually worth after inflation?
Compare nominal growth with its value in today’s dollars using hypothetical constant annual return and inflation assumptions.
Your financial inputs stay on your device.
$214,255
Value in today’s dollars
Before taxes and fees.
Nominal and inflation-adjusted value over time
USD · annual compoundingNominal: $386,968 · Today’s dollars: $214,255
View yearly values
| Year | Nominal value | Base · today’s dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | $100,000.00 | $100,000.00 |
| 1 | $107,000.00 | $103,883.50 |
| 2 | $114,490.00 | $107,917.81 |
| 3 | $122,504.30 | $112,108.79 |
| 4 | $131,079.60 | $116,462.53 |
| 5 | $140,255.17 | $120,985.34 |
| 6 | $150,073.04 | $125,683.80 |
| 7 | $160,578.15 | $130,564.73 |
| 8 | $171,818.62 | $135,635.20 |
| 9 | $183,845.92 | $140,902.59 |
| 10 | $196,715.14 | $146,374.54 |
| 11 | $210,485.20 | $152,058.98 |
| 12 | $225,219.16 | $157,964.19 |
| 13 | $240,984.50 | $164,098.72 |
| 14 | $257,853.42 | $170,471.48 |
| 15 | $275,903.15 | $177,091.74 |
| 16 | $295,216.37 | $183,969.08 |
| 17 | $315,881.52 | $191,113.52 |
| 18 | $337,993.23 | $198,535.40 |
| 19 | $361,652.75 | $206,245.51 |
| 20 | $386,968.45 | $214,255.05 |
Nominal growth.
Real purchasing power.
A nominal return tells you how the number of dollars changes. A real return adjusts that growth for inflation, showing what the ending value is worth in today’s dollars.
Both returns and inflation compound. For that reason, nominal return minus inflation is only an approximation. This explorer uses the exact relationship between them.
Try zero inflation to make the nominal and real ending values equal. Try equal nominal return and inflation to see a 0% real annual return. A negative inflation assumption increases the value measured in today’s dollars.
Compare one assumption at a time to isolate the effect of nominal return, inflation, or the time horizon.
How we calculate it
Rates are converted to decimals before calculation: 7% = 0.07. Internal calculations are not rounded; displayed values are.
At 7% nominal return and 3% inflation for 20 years, $100,000 becomes about $386,968 nominally and $214,255 in today’s dollars. The exact real annual return is about 3.88%.
Assumptions & limitations
Constant annual nominal return and inflation, annual compounding, no deposits or withdrawals, and no taxes or fees. USD is the unit of account.
Actual returns and inflation vary and can be volatile. The defaults are illustrative assumptions, not current data, a forecast, or investment advice.
Sources & calculation standards
The exact real-return calculation follows the standard inflation adjustment described by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor.gov glossary. Inflation context is supported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI FAQ. No live or historical data is used.
Calculations run locally in deterministic TypeScript functions with automated tests. Read our methodology and editorial standards.
Methodology version 0.1 · Reviewed September 29, 2026