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The financial media are not always clear about what is going on. We hear about the Federal Reserve System's actions. We are told what this will do. There is not much agreement.
To sort out fact from speculation, it helps to see the official statistics. Even if they are distorted, at least you can track the general movement of the figures: up or down. It is the trend that matters most, not the specific figures.
Is there inflation or not? What is inflation, anyway?
Is the money supply increasing? How rapidly? By which definition of money?
In the Free Materials section, I have a department devoted to Federal Reserve charts. These charts give an indication of what FED policy has been and what the results have been. If you read that the FED has done this or that, you can monitor at least some of what the FED has done. Pay close attention to the adjusted monetary base and M1.
What has been the outcome of FED policy? Here, you need to get a sense of the rate of price increases. The CPI is one gauge. Another is the Median CPI. I include both here:
On that page, I also include a link to the inflation calculator posted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What is the forecasting accuracy of the various monetary measures in relation to the consumer price index? I survey this question here (members only):
How is monetary policy related to the business cycle? I provide answers here:
What interest rates is the U.S. government paying to investors in its debt? Yesterday's rates are posted here:
How are U.S. stocks doing? Monitor this here:
What is the price of gold? You can find out by clicking the link on my home page. Or click here:
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