What is inflation? Here’s how rising prices can erode your purchasing power
Prices rise and fall all the time in the U.S. economy. It’s not always inflation.
About the author
Lance Davis is the former Vice President of Content for Bankrate, where he oversaw content for home lending, deposits, investing, consumer lending, insurance, credit cards and small business. Lance led a team of more than 70 editors, reporters and publishers who were dedicated to creating content that helped readers make smarter financial decisions.
Lance started at Bankrate as a copy editor in 2013, where he learned the finer points of personal finance while reading almost every article before it was published. In this role, Lance saw how small moves today can have a big impact on your financial future. He developed a passion for sharing these lessons to help others budget their money, buy a house, save for retirement and more.
When he’s not reading Bankrate articles or playing around on the retirement calculator, Lance enjoys spending time with his wife, Sarah, and French bulldog, Honey. He dreams of being able to retire early and buy a home on a beach.
Lance earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Auburn University in 2013.Lance Davis' recommended readings:
How to start (and build) an emergency fund
How to save for retirement
How to start investing in 2023
Small moves today can have a big impact on your financial future.
— Lance Davis
Prices rise and fall all the time in the U.S. economy. It’s not always inflation.
Businesses may now be starting to pass along higher costs from tariffs to consumers.
These companies have long-term track records of success and promising futures.
The Dow, Nasdaq and S&P 500 are all market indexes, not stock exchanges.
Both versions offer tax breaks. Your choice comes down to paying now, or paying later.
The number helps gauge whether the price of a stock is on the rise or on the decline.
Even before inflation, Americans struggled to save for the future.
Behind the slowing economy is a Fed determined to defeat red-hot inflation.