CPI

Some countries stockpile grain and petroleum. China has both, plus a national pork reserve.

Month-to-month price fluctuations make it difficult for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to measure inflation accurately.

New inflation numbers out today showed … very little of it. The consumer price index ticked up 0.2 percent in February. It was the first rise in four months. And year over year, the measure of how expensive it is to buy a fixed basket of goods is up just 1.5 percent. And that’s weird, […]

The Consumer Price Index tracks the average price change over time for a “basket”  of goods and services. The CPI takes into account things like food, transportation and health care. If the CPI goes up, that’s considered an indication that the inflation rate is rising. But when the Federal Reserve calculates the inflation rate, it […]

In a 30 minute conversation, Chairman Powell discusses tariffs, political pressure on the Fed and wage stagnation.

Our listener asks which economic statistics are the best predictors of future economic performance.

Using an index that's representative of retirees would mean a bigger monthly check, but it's a tough sell.