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    Inflation-Adjusted Returns Calculator

    See what a nominal return actually means after inflation, the real growth in your purchasing power.

    Real Return Calculator

    Inflation-Adjusted Return

    %
    %
    Real Return5.66%
    Simple Approximation6.00%
    Purchasing PowerGrowing

    How to use this

    Enter the nominal return your investment earns and the inflation rate you expect. The calculator shows the real return: the growth in what your money can actually buy. This distinction matters more than most investors realise. A fixed deposit earning 7% while inflation runs at 6% grows your purchasing power by barely 1% a year; after tax on the interest, the real return can even turn negative. That is the quiet way conservative portfolios lose wealth over decades. Note that the real return is not simply the nominal return minus inflation. The correct formula divides rather than subtracts, and the gap between the two widens as rates rise. For India, CPI inflation has historically averaged in the mid single digits, which is a reasonable starting assumption for long-horizon planning.

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