Why is that? The consumer price index (CPI) helps answer this question, as it measures inflation, the economic phenomenon that slowly erodes the purchasing power of your hard-earned dollars.

The Consumer Price Index “is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services,” according to the Bureau of ...

Since the CPI is updated and reported monthly, it can be used to estimate the rate of inflation over as short a period as a single month. How to Calculate Inflation Using the CPI To calculate an ...

Our new data page, CPI Inflation Contributions from Goods and Services, details the evolution of inflation using the consumer ...

largely because of the lag in how the CPI measures these costs. There is no shortage of improvement suggestions for better incorporating housing costs in CPI inflation. David Wilcox at the ...

“The CPI measures the change in prices UK consumers pay for everyday goods and services, like groceries, fuel and clothing. It compares the prices of goods and services now with how much they ...

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the average change in prices that urban consumers pay for "a market basket" of goods and services over a specified period. This market basket includes food ...

A measure of underlying U.S. inflation remained firm in October, underscoring the ongoing risks Federal Reserve officials ...

The CPI is used as a measure of inflation for policymakers, financial markets, businesses, and consumers. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the monthly change in prices paid by U.S. consumers.

J.B. Maverick is an active trader, commodity futures broker, and stock market analyst 17+ years of experience, in addition to 10+ years of experience as a finance writer and book editor.