Understanding the difference between nominal and real return is the key to realistic financial planning. It's the difference between how rich you are on paper versus how much you can actually buy.
Nominal Return: This is the headline number, the straightforward percentage growth of your investment. If you invest ₹10,000 and it grows to ₹11,200 in a year, your nominal return is 12%.
Real Return: This is what truly matters. It tells you how much your purchasing power has increased after accounting for inflation. It answers the question: "Am I actually wealthier, or can I just buy the same amount of stuff with more money?"
A Simple Example:
- You invest ₹10,000.
- Your investment earns a nominal return of 12%, growing to ₹11,200. You made ₹1,200!
- However, inflation for that year was 6%. This means the basket of goods that cost ₹10,000 at the start of the year now costs ₹10,600.
- Your real increase in purchasing power is only ₹600 (₹11,200 - ₹10,600).
- So, your real return is 6% (₹600 gain on a ₹10,000 investment).
Our inflation adjusted sip calculator automatically does this math for you, showing you the 'Real Value' of your future wealth to give you a true measure of your financial growth.