Glossary
Real vs nominal return
A nominal return is the headline growth figure; a real return is that figure after subtracting inflation, showing the true gain in spending power. A 7% nominal return with 3% inflation is only about 4% real.
What it means for you
Read the thinkingThe inflation guide What rising prices quietly do to a FIRE plan: real against nominal, your basket against the headline, and why every number on this site is already in today's euros.Plan with real returns, or you will overestimate how much your money will actually buy in retirement.
Related terms
Every term, in plain English, on one page: the full glossary. Education, not advice.
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