Summary
Inflation quietly erodes retirement savings while you're not looking. A 1% savings rate against 3% inflation means losing wealth every year. This lesson explores how retirees combat inflation through real rate of return calculations and investment strategies that outpace rising prices.
Bellringer: Guess the 1980 Price
- Display vintage prices and have students guess
- Reveal answers and connect to inflation concept
Instruction
- Review inflation and purchasing power
- Introduce Real Rate of Return and inflation-beating investments
Discussion: Fixed Income Squeeze
- Pose the retiree budget scenario
- Guide students through the consequences for 65-90 year olds
Activity: Retirement Roadmap
- Students draw a winding road from Now to Retirement
- Populate with checkpoints, savings goals, and investment choices
Wrap-Up & Assessment
- Why is inflation the "silent killer" of retirement?
- How can smart investors outpace inflation?
| Est. Time | Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 min | Bellringer: Guess the 1980 Price |
|
| 10 min | Instruction |
|
| 8 min | Discussion: Fixed Income Squeeze |
|
| 17 min | Activity: Retirement Roadmap |
|
| 5 min | Wrap-Up & Assessment |
|
Class Presentation
Includes a 16-slide deck with teacher notes. Present from Banzai, download a PDF, or copy it to Google Slides.
Presentations, Ready to Go
- Built-in PresentationPresent full screen, straight from Banzai
- Copy to Google SlidesMake an editable copy for your class
- Download or PrintSave as a PDF or print
- Teacher NotesSlide-by-slide guidance, printable as one handout
Unit 8: Retirement
Traditional vs. Roth
Pay taxes on the seeds now or on the harvest later? That single choice determines thousands of dollars in retirement income. This lesson unpacks tax-deferred versus tax-free retirement accounts and helps students decide when a Roth beats a Traditional IRA.
Social Security & Pensions
Your FICA taxes aren't sitting in a personal account with your name on it—they're funding someone else's retirement right now. This lesson explores how Social Security's pay-as-you-go system works and compares defined benefits like pensions with defined contributions like 401(k)s.
Managing Inflation
Inflation quietly erodes retirement savings while you're not looking. A 1% savings rate against 3% inflation means losing wealth every year. This lesson explores how retirees combat inflation through real rate of return calculations and investment strategies that outpace rising prices.
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