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 based, and follow changes in data over time to see how the big economic story develops.
Finding BEA GDP data portalsReal vs nominal GDP and price adjustersQuarterly growth calculations yearlyGDP parts and spending sharesFollowing GDP changes 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 series for big economy and investment choices.
What CPI and PCE price indexes meanHeadline vs core: what left out and whyHow measurements differ and data placesFinding CPI and PCE in FREDExplaining inflation trends and ups downsLesson 3International organizations and cross-checks: IMF and World Bank time series for context and consistencyUnderstand how IMF and World Bank data add to country sources, how to get similar data series from different countries, and how to check levels, growth, and meanings to make sure things match in big economy study.
IMF Data Portal and main macro dataWorld Bank WDI and topic searchesMatching country codes and unitsComparing series from many providersFinding mismatches and data breaksLesson 4Leading indicators databases: ISM PMI, Conference Board LEI, consumer confidence indices—where to find and how to useLook at main leading sign data like ISM PMI, Conference Board LEI, and consumer confidence numbers, learn where to get them, how they are made, and how to use them to predict economic ups and downs.
ISM making and services PMIsConference Board LEI partsConsumer confidence and feeling indexesSpread indexes and level pointsUsing leading data in downturn modelsLesson 5Data quality, revisions, and how to cite sources with month/year (best practices)Build a good way to check macro data quality, know first reports against changed ones, follow past changes, and properly name sources with month and year in work outputs that look professional.
First reports vs changed macro dataCommon change sources and biasesUsing change histories and versionsChecking papers and notesNaming data with date and source infoLesson 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, understand yield curve shapes, and read auction outcomes for signs of demand, money flow, and policy hopes.
Places for Treasury yield curve dataOn-run vs off-run securitiesWorking out 2s10s and other spreadsUnderstanding curve getting steeper or flatReading Treasury auction tablesLesson 7Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): unemployment, payrolls, labor force participation, wage measures and seasonalityGet skills to reach BLS labor data, including no jobs, payrolls, people joining work, and wage numbers, and learn how season changes and survey ways affect reading trends.
Home vs work place surveysNo job rate and U-3 vs U-6Nonfarm payrolls and sector breaksLabor joining and people groupsWage and earnings numbers, season 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, fix times, use easy smoothing and trend ways, and set data for charts, compares, and basic investment looks.
Searching and saving key macro seriesDownloading data in CSV and ExcelChanging data time and group methodsUsing moving averages and easy filtersUsing FRED graphs and custom boardsLesson 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 make a 12-24 month macro data set for a case, including GDP, no jobs, inflation, policy rates, yield curve spreads, and one leading sign, ready for charts and number works.
Setting case time and rangePicking main macro and market numbersMatching times and datesCleaning, naming, and keeping data setMaking summary charts and tablesLesson 10Federal Reserve releases and FOMC statements: how to find, read, and extract policy rate and guidanceLearn to find Federal Reserve number reports, FOMC statements, and notes, get policy rate paths and balance sheet data, and explain forward guide words for macro and market looks.
Main Fed reports and time tableFinding FOMC statements and notesFinding policy rate choices and pathsReading forward guide wordsUsing SEP and dot plot info
