Inflation Calculator
Today's NT$1M, 20 years from now, is worth how much in real terms? Enter an amount, inflation rate, and years — see both future nominal needed to match today's purchasing power and today's real value of that future amount.
Even at a moderate 2% annual inflation, 30 years erodes purchasing power by roughly 45%. Retirement plans should always use real returns (after inflation) to reflect actual wealth growth.
Frequently asked
- What inflation rate should I assume for Taiwan?
- Taiwan's CPI averaged 1.2-1.5% annualized over 2005-2024, lower than the US (~2.5-3% same period). But 2021-2023 saw a sharp rise (peak 2.95%). For long-horizon planning, use 2% with a safety margin; 3% for worst case. Specific items like housing and tuition inflate much faster than headline CPI and need separate treatment.
- Nominal vs real returns — what's the difference?
- Nominal: the number on your statement (e.g., 7% ETF return). Real: purchasing-power growth after inflation, ≈ (1+nominal)/(1+inflation)−1. 7% nominal at 2% inflation ≈ 4.9% real. Use real returns throughout retirement planning to avoid the inflation illusion.
- How much does inflation affect retirement planning?
- A lot. NT$600K annual spend today needs NT$1.09M nominal in 30 years (at 2% inflation) to maintain purchasing power. Computing 25× off nominal returns dramatically understates the required assets. 2% over 30 years erodes ~45% of purchasing power; 3% erodes ~59%.
- Can fixed deposits beat inflation?
- Barely. Taiwan 1-year fixed deposits run 1.6-1.8% — roughly tied with inflation, so real return ≈ 0%. Holding all retirement savings in deposits keeps purchasing power flat at best. You need some equity/bond allocation to outpace inflation.
- Which assets best hedge inflation long-term?
- Equities (long-run): S&P 500 has delivered ~6-7% real, Taiwan TWSE ~4-5%. TIPS / I Bonds: principal and interest adjust with inflation, but Taiwan doesn't issue equivalents — access via US ETFs (SCHP, TIP). Real estate: rent and prices have historically tracked inflation, but illiquid and concentration-prone.
- Does the tool store my inputs?
- No. All math runs locally in your browser.