No matter what your level of expertise, following the movements of the local economy can be a difficult and sometimes frustrating experience. Numerous data series are reported, and they often provide conflicting signals of the economy’s direction. Data are reported by different frequencies—monthly, quarterly, annually. And they are often revised, changing our picture of where we have been, as well as where we are or where we are headed. Some data lag changes in general economic activity, while other data lead and some are contemporaneous, or coincident.