Headline CPI is the average household basket. Yours depends on what you actually buy. The gap between your personal rate and the headline matters for retirement planning.
Monthly spend last year versus today. The delta is your real personal inflation.
The published inflation rate to compare against.
Running ppt above headline CPI (%)
Personal inflation 9.7% vs headline %. If your spend keeps drifting above headline, your FIRE target needs adjusting upward.
Illustrative figures only. Personal inflation is volatile month-to-month; the honest signal is a year-on-year comparison. For your specific situation, consult a qualified adviser.
Worth applies your personal inflation rate to the retirement projection, not the headline. The number that compounds is the number that actually hits your account. Join the waitlist.
Significantly. FIRE calculators assume spending grows with headline CPI. If your personal inflation runs one to two percentage points higher, the real portfolio target is materially bigger. Apply your personal inflation rate to the retirement projection, not the published headline.
Recent published rates for the UK and US sit in the three to four per cent range, but the right number changes every month. Use the most recent annual figure from the Office for National Statistics or the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The default in this calculator is a placeholder; replace with the latest.
Yes, especially if your spending pattern is unusual. People in cities with high housing inflation, families with growing childcare costs, or anyone whose income tracks one sector all benefit from running this annually. The trend often surfaces something the noisy month-to-month spend does not.
Reasonably. The signal is the year-on-year delta, not a tight monthly estimate. Pulling rough monthly averages from a tracking app or bank statements is fine. The categories that move fastest in either direction (energy, housing, food) deserve the most attention.