Money WondersPlay

Inflation & the EconomyInflation

Your Money in 20 Years

What today's savings will really buy later

The $10,000 in your account will still say $10,000 in twenty years. So why will it buy so much less?

You'll find out

  • What 2006's cash buys today
  • Your own amount, 30 years out
  • What even 2% a year takes

Why it matters

Money that sits still is quietly losing. Seeing how fast is the first step to knowing what your savings are worth.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 66 · Zone 8

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More in this zone

  1. 64InflationWhy a Dollar Buys LessPrices creep up nearly every year
  2. 65PricesThe 5-Cent CokeA bottle of Coca-Cola cost a nickel for over 70 years
  3. 67InflationWhat Causes InflationToo much money chasing too few goods, and other reasons
  4. 68InflationReal and NominalThe number you see and what it's really worth
  5. 69Central BanksZero Inflation Is the GoalThe Fed aims for about 2% on purpose
  6. 70ValueThe Wheelbarrow of MarksIn 1923 Germany, prices doubled every few days and a lifetime of savings turned into paper
  7. 71The EconomyGDP: The Size of the PieEverything a country makes in a year, in one number
  8. 72CurrenciesThe Big Mac IndexA burger that compares the world's currencies