How We Track
Economic Data
Authoritative sources. Transparent methodology. Here's how it works.
The
Problem
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) contains over 800,000 data series. Most are too obscure, too narrow, or lack sufficient history to be useful for market analysis.
Traders want to understand how economic releases affect markets. But existing tools show raw data without market context, require expensive subscriptions, or bury the signal in noise.
Our
Approach
We curate the indicators that matter: data going back to 1993 (when SPY began trading), weekly/monthly/quarterly frequency, and relevance to traders and economists.
Every chart includes an S&P 500 overlay so you can see how markets moved when similar data was released. AI-powered analysis helps you understand what the numbers mean.
Data
Sources
All data comes directly from government agencies through FRED. We don't estimate, seasonally adjust, or modify anything.
What you see is exactly what BLS, BEA, Census, or the Fed released.
How Updates Work
From government release to your screen
Government Release
BLS, BEA, or other agencies publish new data on their scheduled release dates.
FRED Updates
FRED ingests the new data, typically within minutes of the official release.
We Fetch & Process
Our daily automated pipeline pulls the latest data and calculates derived metrics (YoY, moving averages).
Charts Update
New data appears on the site with updated charts, release dates, and calendar entries.
Why SPY?
- Most liquid equity ETF, representing the S&P 500
- Benchmark for "the market" that most traders watch
- Daily OHLCV data going back to 1993
- Candlestick display shows intraday volatility around releases
S&P 500
Overlay
Every chart includes an optional SPY overlay—S&P 500 price data alongside the indicator. See how markets moved when similar data was released.
The relationship isn't always direct. Markets are forward-looking and often price in expectations before releases. But the historical pattern helps you understand typical reactions.
Toggle SPY on/off to focus on just the data or see the full market context.
Release
Calendar
Release dates come directly from FRED's schedule, which mirrors official government publication calendars.
When data is released, we detect the update and mark it. Next release dates are automatically fetched from FRED's forward-looking schedule.
The calendar shows 5 weekdays centered on today—what's coming and what just dropped.
Released Today
Green indicator shows data that dropped today
Upcoming Releases
Future dates based on FRED's official schedule
Category Colors
Visual grouping by economic category
Chart Features
What's on every indicator page
Recession Shading
Gray bands mark NBER-defined recession periods, helping you see how indicators behaved during past downturns.
Moving Averages
12-month or 4-week moving averages smooth out noise and highlight underlying trends in the data.
Time Range Selection
Toggle between 1Y, 5Y, 10Y, or All data to focus on recent trends or long-term historical context.
AI Analysis
Every indicator page has an AI assistant. Ask about historical comparisons, what the numbers mean, or how indicators relate to each other.
The AI has access to current data and provides sourced answers—no hallucinated numbers. Click EXPERT on any indicator page to try it.
See It In Action
The best way to understand how it works is to explore the data.