Where Is the Economy Going? Knowing how well the economy is doing and where it is going next is critical to positioning both you and your investments appropriately. This means that knowing what economic indicators are and how to interpret them is critical to achieving your long-term financial goals and objectives. What is an economic indicator, and what does it do? An economic indicator is an economic statistic that: O Suggests the current and future condition and the future direction of an economy O Serves to indicate the total amount of goods and services produced within an economy during a given period of time Which of the following are examples of economic indicators? Check all that apply. X The economy's flation rate X The economy's unemployment rate The economy's gross domestic product Economic indicators can vary depending on the frequency of their reporting-such as monthly, quarterly, or annually-and their relationship with the economy. What are procyclical, countercyclical, and leading economic indicators? The value of procyclical indicator moves in the same direction as the economy's condition, whereas the value of a countercyclical indicator moves in the opposite direction as the economy's condition. In contrast, the value of a leading indicator changes before the economy's condition improves or worsens. Which of the following statements regarding procyclical, countercyclical, and leading economic indicators is correct? Check all that apply. An example of a procyclical indicator is the gross domestic product (GDP). I The consumer confidence index, which reflects consumers' optimism about the economy and their willingness to spend, is a leading indicator. An example of a countercyclical indicator is an economy's gross domestic product