tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335748440449035592.post375319525731317931..comments2007-09-28T12:03:34.840-04:00TraderMarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241756200482130281noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335748440449035592.post-72098484531426179952007-09-28T12:03:00.000-04:002007-09-28T12:03:00.000-04:00Yep! I have stopped really listening to most of these reports. Even consumer spending today, blah blah. I am going to look at same store sales instead - that's more indicative of what is truly going on. <BR/><BR/>Even if the government statistics were on the up and up, how do you collect accurate statistics on the US economy as a whole - its impossible.<BR/><BR/>Even these labor reports which move markets so much get revised 6x so the real number you don't know until 5-7 months later. <BR/><BR/>As you say, the reality is staring people at the face everytime they fill up, buy food, look at their kids tuition bills, or pay their medical insurance (if they have any!) <BR/><BR/>You really have to feel for people on fixed incomes whose cost of living is indexed to this - they get some small increase and then have to buy the same basket of goods each year so their buying power degrades even more than the working stiffs.TraderMarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241756200482130281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335748440449035592.post-44080237080918436942007-09-28T11:28:00.000-04:002007-09-28T11:28:00.000-04:00What I've also noticed - and the media seems to happily push this - is that whichever value, core CPI or overall CPI gives the better picture, that's what is used as a headline. <BR/><BR/>If core CPI rises more than expected but food & energy decline some, overall CPI is reported as a headline. If food & energy rise more than expected, only the core CPI is used as a headline. <BR/><BR/>It's all very misleading and even people who have never heard of the CPI scoff when they hear the gov't say inflation is non-existant or very minimal. People who go buy their own food or healthcare know this isn't right.msbnoreply@blogger.com