All charts and data below are CPI-U inflation-adjusted and with dividends reinvested. (Why?)

Total Real Returns

Asset Classes: Stocks vs. Savings vs. Cash

Dividends Reinvested • Inflation Adjusted

×

Growth of $10,000

Mon 2024-07-01 to Tue 2026-08-18 Overall
Return 		Exponential
Trendline
USSTOCKS × 		+36.22%
+15.62%/yr 		+14.49%/yr
R2=0.798
⭐ U.S. Total Stock Market 💬 Reference Data
US1MTBILL × 		+2.72%
+1.27%/yr 		+1.04%/yr
R2=0.597
⭐ U.S. 1-Month Treasury Bill 💬 Reference Data
USDOLLAR × 		−6.06%
−2.89%/yr 		−3.06%/yr
R2=0.948
⭐ U.S. Dollar 💬 Currency

This Year’s Performance

through 2026-08-18

  YTD YoY
USSTOCKS × 		+10.21% +17.18%
US1MTBILL × 		−0.85% +0.49%
USDOLLAR × 		−3.12% −3.25%

Understanding the Total Real Returns chart

This chart answers a simple question:

If you saved or invested money on Jul. 1, 2024, how much purchasing power would you have today, on Aug. 18, 2026?

Most investment charts show nominal prices. This site shows real total returns instead. That means it includes two things most charts leave out:

The y-axis is labeled “Portfolio Value (2026 USD)”: how much your investment could buy today, after accounting for inflation.

The three homepage symbols represent three different ways to invest or store wealth:

If you started with the same amount of purchasing power in each on Jul. 1, 2024, the chart shows how much purchasing power each asset would have on Aug. 18, 2026.

USSTOCKS were risky and volatile like a roller coaster, but over the long term, grew dramatically because corporate earnings and reinvested dividends compounded faster than inflation. US1MTBILL preserved purchasing power much better than idle cash because interest was continuously reinvested. USDOLLAR declined because the number of dollars stayed the same while prices rose.

This is why USDOLLAR can go down on inflation-adjusted charts, even though it is “cash.” The chart is saying those same dollar bills buy less than they used to.

Here's what happened if you had put $10,000 in today's dollars into each asset on Jul. 1, 2024:

Growth of $10,000 Summary

Mon 2024-07-01 to Tue 2026-08-18 Start
Value 		End
Value
USSTOCKS × 		$10,000.00
2024-07-01 		$13,621.89
2026-08-18
US1MTBILL × 		$10,000.00
2024-07-01 		$10,272.33
2026-08-18
USDOLLAR × 		$10,000.00
2024-07-01 		$9,394.43
2026-08-18

Drawdowns

  Current
Drawdown 		Worst
Drawdown
USSTOCKS × 		−1.42%
on 2026-08-18
from 2026-08-13 peak 		−20.09%
on 2025-04-08
from 2024-12-06 peak
US1MTBILL × 		−0.85%
on 2026-08-18
from 2025-12-31 peak 		−1.81%
on 2026-05-29
from 2025-12-31 peak
USDOLLAR × 		−6.06%
on 2026-08-18 		−6.23%
on 2026-06-01

Rolling Returns

Period ending Tue 2026-08-18 1 yr 2 yr 3 yr 5 yr 10 yr
USSTOCKS × 		+17.18% +33.87%
+15.70%/yr 		+66.69%
+18.57%/yr 		+47.23%
+8.04%/yr 		+186.35%
+11.09%/yr
US1MTBILL × 		+0.49% +2.19%
+1.09%/yr 		+4.99%
+1.64%/yr 		−1.86%
−0.37%/yr 		−8.90%
−0.93%/yr
USDOLLAR × 		−3.25% −5.91%
−3.00%/yr 		−8.37%
−2.87%/yr 		−18.27%
−3.96%/yr 		−28.01%
−3.23%/yr

Annual Returns

Year USSTOCKS US1MTBILL USDOLLAR
2026 (YTD) +10.21% −0.85% −3.12%
2025 +14.08% +1.55% −2.60%
2024 +20.34% +2.35% −2.80%
2023 +22.05% +1.72% −3.24%
2022 −24.36% −4.52% −6.07%
2021 +17.51% −6.54% −6.57%
2020 +19.28% −0.99% −1.34%
2019 +27.95% −0.17% −2.23%
2018 −6.97% −0.06% −1.87%
2017 +18.72% −1.25% −2.07%
2016 +10.41% −1.78% −2.03%
2015 −0.23% −0.69% −0.73%
2014 +11.87% −0.72% −0.75%
2013 +31.52% −1.44% −1.48%
2012 +14.46% −1.64% −1.70%
2011 −1.64% −2.85% −2.88%
2010 +15.47% −1.36% −1.47%
2009 +25.14% −2.56% −2.65%
2008 −36.85% +1.18% −0.09%
2007 +1.32% +0.30% −3.93%
2006 +12.84% +2.15% −2.46%
2005 +2.60% −0.43% −3.32%
2004 +9.41% −1.93% −3.15%
2003 +29.08% −0.85% −1.84%
2002 −22.55% −0.74% −2.32%
2001 −12.20% +2.16% −1.52%
2000 −13.40% +2.38% −3.28%
1999 +20.70% +1.95% −2.61%
1998 +21.55% +3.19% −1.59%
1997 +28.32% +3.49% −1.67%
1996 +17.06% +1.85% −3.21%
1995 +31.85% +2.96% −2.48%
1994 −2.86% +1.19% −2.61%
1993 +8.50% +0.15% −2.67%
1992 +5.89% +0.59% −2.82%
1991 +30.81% +2.46% −2.97%
1990 −11.44% +1.66% −5.76%
1989 +23.14% +3.55% −4.44%
1988 +13.00% +1.84% −4.23%
1987 −2.67% +0.99% −4.25%
1986 +15.15% +5.00% −1.09%
1985 +27.77% +3.78% −3.66%
1984 −0.10% +5.69% −3.80%
1983 +18.08% +4.80% −3.65%
1982 +16.98% +6.46% −3.69%
1981 −11.18% +5.32% −8.19%
1980 +18.43% −1.12% −11.12%
1979 +8.95% −2.55% −11.76%
1978 −0.69% −1.69% −8.26%
1977 −9.19% −1.48% −6.27%
1976 +21.09% +0.21% −4.64%
1975 +29.36% −1.06% −6.49%
1974 −35.73% −3.85% −10.98%
1973 −25.79% −1.62% −8.02%
1972 +13.08% +0.41% −3.28%
1971 +12.49% +1.08% −3.16%
1970 −5.19% +0.90% −5.28%
1969 −16.15% +0.35% −5.84%
1968 +8.97% +0.48% −4.53%
1967 +24.92% +1.15% −2.93%
1966 −11.86% +1.24% −3.34%
1965 +12.28% +1.96% −1.89%
1964 +14.96% +2.53% −0.96%
1963 +19.00% +1.45% −1.62%
1962 −11.37% +1.39% −1.32%
1961 +26.09% +1.43% −0.67%
1960 −0.16% +1.29% −1.34%
1959 +10.84% +1.22% −1.70%
1958 +42.47% −0.23% −1.73%
1957 −12.54% +0.25% −2.82%
1956 +5.21% −0.48% −2.89%
1955 +24.87% +1.17% −0.39%
1954 +51.43% +1.62% +0.75%
1953 −0.03% +1.07% −0.74%
1952 +12.62% +0.89% −0.75%
1951 +13.82% −4.32% −5.73%
1950 +22.83% −4.35% −5.50%
1949 +22.75% +3.23% +2.09%
1948 −1.10% −2.12% −2.90%
1947 −4.96% −7.66% −8.12%
1946 −20.76% −15.04% −15.35%
1945 +35.66% −1.92% −2.23%
1944 +18.64% −1.89% −2.21%
1943 +24.63% −2.53% −2.87%
1942 +6.84% −8.03% −8.28%
1941 −18.63% −9.00% −9.03%
1940 −7.86% −0.73% −0.71%
1939 +2.51% +0.01% +0.00%
1938 +31.83% +2.82% +2.86%
1937 −36.54% −2.50% −2.78%
1936 +30.27% −1.25% −1.43%
1935 +40.80% −2.76% −2.90%
1934 +1.72% −1.31% −1.49%
1933 +55.61% −0.44% −0.73%
1932 +1.80% +12.47% +11.42%
1931 −37.99% +11.47% +10.27%
1930 −23.86% +9.42% +6.83%
1929 −15.35% +4.13% −0.58%
1928 +40.71% +4.75% +1.17%
1927 +35.65% +5.51% +2.31%
1926 — — +1.13%
1925 — — −3.35%
1924 — — +0.00%
1923 — — −2.35%
1922 — — +2.43%
1921 — — +12.12%
1920 — — −2.58%
1919 — — −12.70%
1918 — — −16.97%
1917 — — −15.38%
1916 — — −11.16%
1915 — — −1.94%
1914 — — −0.99%
1913 — — −2.00%

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