Lesson One · Gut check7% return, 5% inflation.How much richer, really? Gut check first.AssessmentYour account earned 7% last year. Prices rose 5% that same year. How much better off are you, really?AAbout 2% better off.BA full 7% — that's the return the account actually paid you.CImpossible to say without knowing exactly which funds you held.Check answer →