Metals Retirement Audit: Is Inflation Quietly Reducing Your Purchasing Power?
Use this independent calculator to estimate how inflation may impact your long-term savings over time.
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The Impact of Inflation on Retirement Savings
Before using the calculator, it's important to understand how inflation affects your retirement purchasing power and why protecting retirement from inflation is a consideration for many investors.
Understanding Purchasing Power
Purchasing power represents the real value of your money—what it can actually buy. When you saved $100,000 for retirement a decade ago, that amount could purchase a certain quantity of goods and services. Today, due to inflation, that same $100,000 purchases less. This erosion happens gradually, making it easy to overlook until retirement arrives.
Why Inflation Matters Over Long Periods
Inflation compounds over time, much like interest. Even modest annual inflation rates can significantly reduce purchasing power over a 20 or 30-year retirement horizon. Historical data shows that inflation has averaged around 3% annually over the past century, with periods of much higher inflation. Understanding this long-term impact is essential for realistic retirement planning.
Portfolio Diversification Considerations
Traditional portfolios heavily weighted in cash, bonds, or fixed-income investments may struggle to keep pace with inflation over extended periods. Some investors explore diversification strategies that include assets historically considered as potential inflation hedges, such as precious metals diversification or 401k to gold IRA transfer options. Any portfolio decisions should be made in consultation with qualified financial professionals.
What Options Do Investors Consider?
When exploring ways to potentially protect retirement savings from inflation, investors may consider various strategies. Some explore gold IRA rollover options, which allow for tax-deferred transfer of existing retirement funds into precious metals. Others may look into direct precious metals purchases as part of a broader diversification approach.
Understanding IRA rollover rules for 2026 and the specific requirements for precious metals in retirement accounts is an important first step. The calculator below can help you visualize the potential impact of inflation on your specific situation, providing a starting point for further research and consultation with qualified professionals.
Data Sources & Methodology
Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS)
St. Louis Fed
FRED Database
Historical
Return Averages
Educational
Purpose Only
This tool uses publicly available inflation data and historical asset return averages for educational illustration only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Retirement Leakage Audit Tool
Enter your details below to calculate your potential purchasing power loss
Include IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, TSP, brokerage accounts, and liquid savings. Exclude home equity, crypto, or metals you already own.
Blended Return: 7.5% nominal → 4.5% real (after 3% inflation)