Inflation & pay insights
Plain-English explainers on inflation, CPI, and pay — how the index is built, how to read the monthly release, and how to make sure a raise actually keeps up. New pieces are added as the data and questions warrant.
- June 2026 CPI breakdown: inflation at 3.5% as gasoline finally gives some back — The June 2026 CPI release puts headline inflation at 3.5% year over year, even as prices fell on the month. What moved, what a flat salary lost, and which number to cite in a raise conversation.
- How small real pay cuts compound into big ones — Falling 1% behind inflation sounds trivial. Stretched over a career, the same 1% a year quietly removes years of earnings. The math, and how to stop the bleed.
- Your raise didn't beat inflation. Now what? — A real pay cut isn't the end of the conversation — it's the start of one. Practical, non-confrontational moves to make after the calculator shows you fell behind.
- Cost of living vs. inflation: why a COLA isn't always enough — A cost-of-living adjustment sounds like it keeps you whole, but it often lags real inflation and ignores where you actually live. Here's the difference and what to watch.
- Reading the monthly CPI release — a recurring explainer — BLS publishes CPI once a month. Here's how to read the release in two minutes: headline vs core, month-over-month vs year-over-year, and what moves it.
- What CPI actually measures — and what it leaves out — The Consumer Price Index is the number behind 'inflation,' but it tracks a specific basket. Here's what's in it, what isn't, and why your personal inflation can differ.
- How to ask for an inflation-adjusted raise (script + the number to cite) — A short, practical script for raise conversations, plus exactly which CPI number to bring and how to frame it without sounding like you're complaining.
- Real vs. nominal wages, explained — Nominal pay is the number on your check. Real pay is what it buys. The gap between them is inflation — and it's the only one that determines your standard of living.
Updated July 2026