In this episode of Inflation Adjusted Returns, Jake Carson and Lily Morgan explore a key question for those on the path to FIRE: Are you double counting inflation in your retirement projections? Our listener, who’s been following a 6.5% return assumption and a 3% annual increase in expenses, is now questioning if they’re unintentionally being too conservative or missing the mark on their estimates. We’ll dive into the math behind inflation-adjusted returns, clarify how to avoid common pitfalls in projections, and discuss strategies to account for those tricky years between early retirement and the start of pension and Social Security income. If you’re trying to refine your FIRE calculations to achieve the freedom you’ve worked so hard for, join us as we break it all down!