# Inflation

*Macro & Economy — Finicade finance glossary*

The general rise in prices that quietly shrinks what your money buys. At 3% a year, prices double roughly every 24 years — which is why cash under the mattress loses and why returns only count after inflation.

**Also known as:** price level and inflation rate, costs of inflation, inflation targeting, expected inflation

**Related terms:** [Deflation](https://finicade.com/glossary/deflation), [Consumer Price Index (CPI)](https://finicade.com/glossary/cpi), [Interest Rate](https://finicade.com/glossary/interest-rate), [Monetary Policy](https://finicade.com/glossary/monetary-policy)

**Taught in:** Macro & Markets — Inflation: The Price of Everything

Source: https://finicade.com/glossary/inflation