Lesson 1Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA): accessing GDP data, real vs nominal GDP, quarterly annualization, revisionsLearn to get BEA GDP reports, tell real GDP from nominal, grasp quarterly growth rates that are yearly figures, and follow changes over time to see how the big economic story develops.
Navigating BEA GDP data portalsReal vs nominal GDP and deflatorsQuarterly annualized growth calculationsGDP components and expenditure sharesTracking GDP revisions over timeLesson 2Inflation datasets: CPI and PCE—definitions, core vs headline, measurement differences, locating time seriesLook into CPI and PCE inflation ideas, headline against core measures, what they cover and how they weigh things, and how to find, download, and explain official inflation data for big economy and investment choices.
Definitions of CPI and PCE price indexesHeadline vs core: what is excluded and whyMeasurement differences and data sourcesLocating CPI and PCE series in FREDInterpreting inflation trends and volatilityLesson 3International organizations and cross-checks: IMF and World Bank time series for context and consistencyUnderstand how IMF and World Bank data add to national sources, how to get similar data across countries, and how to double-check levels, growth, and meanings to keep things steady in big economic checks.
IMF Data Portal and key macro datasetsWorld Bank WDI and topic-based searchesHarmonizing country codes and unitsComparing series across multiple providersSpotting inconsistencies and data breaksLesson 4Leading indicators databases: ISM PMI, Conference Board LEI, consumer confidence indices—where to find and how to useCheck out main leading data sets like ISM PMI, Conference Board LEI, and consumer confidence, learning where to get them, how they are made, and how to use them for predicting business ups and downs.
ISM manufacturing and services PMIsConference Board LEI componentsConsumer confidence and sentiment indexesDiffusion indexes and threshold levelsUsing leading data in recession modelsLesson 5Data quality, revisions, and how to cite sources with month/year (best practices)Build a steady way to judge macro data quality, know first releases from changed ones, track past changes, and cite sources properly with month and year in professional work.
First releases vs revised macro dataCommon sources of revisions and biasesUsing revision histories and vintagesChecking documentation and footnotesCiting data with date and source detailsLesson 6Treasury market and yield curve data: 2y, 10y, and other maturities; calculating spreads and reading auction resultsLearn to get Treasury yield data for different times, work out key spreads like 2s10s, read yield curve shapes, and check auction results for signs of demand, cash flow, and policy hopes.
Sources for Treasury yield curve dataOn-the-run vs off-the-run securitiesCalculating 2s10s and other key spreadsInterpreting curve steepening and inversionReading Treasury auction result tablesLesson 7Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): unemployment, payrolls, labor force participation, wage measures and seasonalityGet hands-on skills in reaching BLS labour market data, like unemployment, payrolls, participation, and wage checks, and see how seasonal fixes and survey setups change how we read trends.
Household vs establishment surveysUnemployment rate and U-3 vs U-6Nonfarm payrolls and sector breakdownsLabor force participation and demographicsWage and earnings measures, seasonal effectsLesson 8FRED and other aggregators: downloading series, frequency conversion, basic smoothing and trend extractionLearn to use FRED and like tools to search, download, and change macro series, adjust times, use easy smoothing and trend tools, and set up data for charts, comparisons, and basic investment checks.
Searching and bookmarking key macro seriesDownloading data in CSV and Excel formatsChanging data frequency and aggregation methodsApplying moving averages and simple filtersUsing FRED graphs and custom dashboardsLesson 9Practical checklist: step-by-step guide to assemble the specific 12–24 month dataset required by the case study (GDP, unemployment, inflation, policy rate, yield curve, one leading indicator)Follow a planned way to build a 12–24 month macro dataset for a case study, covering GDP, unemployment, inflation, policy rates, yield curve spreads, and one leading sign, set for charts and number checks.
Defining the case study horizon and scopeSelecting core macro and market variablesAligning frequencies and calendar datesCleaning, labeling, and storing the datasetCreating summary charts and tablesLesson 10Federal Reserve releases and FOMC statements: how to find, read, and extract policy rate and guidanceLearn to find Federal Reserve stats, FOMC statements, and notes, pull policy rate paths and balance sheet info, and read forward guidance words for macro and market checks.
Key Fed releases and publication calendarFinding FOMC statements and minutesIdentifying policy rate decisions and pathsReading forward guidance languageUsing SEP and dot plot information
