This chart shows the value of $1 going all the way back to 1802 and was previously shared as a Chart of the Day. However, I'd like to share it once again as the figures were updated to include data from 2021. The chart was created by Jeremy Seigel in his book called “Stocks for the Long Run” published in 2014.
It is pretty self-explanatory, except to remember these are “real” returns, which are returns after inflation. It is sad to see that the US dollar went from $1.00 to only worth $0.04, and that the value of gold only went up to $4.06, both of which highlights the detrimental effects inflation over the long-term.