Note: CPI was changed in the 90s with the not so subtle goal of changing the metrics to level out and reduce annually reported inflation, in part to reduce COLA (https://www.ssa.gov/history/reports/boskinrpt.html). It sure made politicians look smart and all the charts to go up! This sounds somewhat reasonable until someone who knows about exponential growth enters the chat, points to the Rule of 69/70/72, and notes that the ~2% under reporting of inflation for the past ~30 years means we’ve silently lost almost half our wealth. This will get exponentially worse yet few are talking about it.
Point being, $100 in 2026 is closer to $6 in 1970.
Median family income in 1970 was $9,870. Median family income in 2026 is NOT $164,500. Not even close.
Note: CPI was changed in the 90s with the not so subtle goal of changing the metrics to level out and reduce annually reported inflation, in part to reduce COLA (https://www.ssa.gov/history/reports/boskinrpt.html). It sure made politicians look smart and all the charts to go up! This sounds somewhat reasonable until someone who knows about exponential growth enters the chat, points to the Rule of 69/70/72, and notes that the ~2% under reporting of inflation for the past ~30 years means we’ve silently lost almost half our wealth. This will get exponentially worse yet few are talking about it.
Point being, $100 in 2026 is closer to $6 in 1970.
Median family income in 1970 was $9,870. Median family income in 2026 is NOT $164,500. Not even close.