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 annualized, and follow data revisions over time to see how the 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 seriesDive into CPI and PCE inflation ideas, headline against core figures, how they cover and weigh things differently, and ways to find, download, and read official inflation data for economic 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 consistencySee how IMF and World Bank data back up national stats, pull matching data across countries, and double-check levels, growth, and meanings to keep your economic analysis spot on.
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 useLook at key leading indicators like ISM PMI, Conference Board LEI, and consumer confidence surveys, where to get them, how they're made, and how to use them for predicting economic 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 good habits for checking macro data quality, spotting early vs updated releases, tracking past changes, and properly noting sources with month and year in your 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 resultsFind out how to get Treasury yield info for different terms, work out spreads like 2s10s, read yield curve patterns, and check auction outcomes for clues on demand, cash flow, and policy outlooks.
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 seasonalityPick up hands-on skills for BLS jobs data like unemployment, payrolls, workforce involvement, and pay trends, plus how seasonal tweaks and survey methods shape how you read the patterns.
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 extractionMaster FRED and like tools to search, grab, and tweak macro data, change time frames, smooth it out, pull trends, and set up for graphs, comparisons, and simple 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)Use this clear step-by-step plan to gather a 12–24 month macro dataset for your case, covering GDP, jobs, prices, policy rates, yield spreads, and one leading sign, all set for charts and analysis.
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 guidanceTrack down Fed stats releases, FOMC updates, and notes, pull policy rate plans and balance sheet info, and unpack forward guidance for economic and market insights.
Key Fed releases and publication calendarFinding FOMC statements and minutesIdentifying policy rate decisions and pathsReading forward guidance languageUsing SEP and dot plot information
