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Chris Degnen
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With principal, interest rate and inflation

p = 100000
r = 0.12
i = 0.06

after two years you have

p (1 + r)^2 = 125440.00

However, accounting for inflation, in today's value that is

125440/(1 + i)^2 =  111641.15

This is the same as adjusting for inflation after each compounding period, which would be necessary if there were intervening cash flows.

year1 =     p (1 + r)/(1 + i) = 105660.38
year2 = year1 (1 + r)/(1 + i) = 111641.15

See http://financeformulas.net/Real_Rate_of_Return.html

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also https://money.stackexchange.com/a/56847/11768

The quick and dirty method you may find mentioned elsewhere is

p (1 + (r - i))^2 = 112360.00

but that's just lazy and wrong.

It is more rigorous to use an extra step calculating x

x = i (1 + r)/(1 + i)

p (1 + (r - x))^2 = 111641.15

Additional note by RonJohn

The Q&D method is wrong because (1 + (r - i))^2 where r=12% and i=6% reduces to 1.06^2, whereas 1.12^A grows faster than 1.06^A.

Chris Degnen
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