Gauging the economy

Where do you turn if you want to get a real reading on the economy? Against the backdrop of the housing crisis, the credit crunch and the rise in gasoline prices, the economic reports are giving the stock market whiplash. The employment report is worse than expected, stocks tumble. The economy actually ticked up a little last quarter, stocks rise. Gigantic Corporation A misses earnings by a few cents, the market sinks. Gigantic Corporation B reports good news, the market soars.

At the end of it all though, the market is still lower than it was at the beginning of the year. Some economists report that things aren’t as bad as they seem, other economists report that things are going directly the other way. In short, the experts cannot make heads or tails and we the people are left to navigate on our own.