What will your money be worth?
Cash quietly loses value to inflation. See what today's money is worth down the road - and why sitting in cash has a cost too.
Reviewed by Market Minute · Updated June 2026 · ✓ Fact-checked · how we rate
In 20 years, $1,000buys what's worth today
$554
Or: you'd need $1,806 to keep the same buying power.
Long-run US inflation is roughly 3% a year (recent years have been higher). It's why cash loses value and investing aims to stay ahead of it. Source. Educational, not advice.