#inflation

Headline CPI averages food (3% category weight 14%) with electronics (deflationary, weight 1%). Your bill doesn't average. For low-income households where food is 25%+ of spending, food inflation alone moves personal inflation by 3+ points.

Brokerage statements show nominal returns. Grocery stores charge real prices. The gap between the two compounds over 30 years into hundreds of thousands of missing dollars. Here's how to read your account honestly.

CPI is the average across all US consumers. If your housing share is high, your inflation is higher. If you're an electronics-heavy buyer, it's lower. Three sample profiles show 1.5% to 6.2% personal rates against the same 3% headline.