The Beige Book and Current Consumer Spending The Beige Book http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/FOMC/BB/Current/ is a report on current economic conditions published eight times a year by the Federal Reserve Systems. Each Federal Reserve Bank gathers anecdotal information on current economic conditions in its district through reports from bank and branch directors and interviews with key executives economists market experts and other sources. Locate the current Beige Book report. Compare consumer spending for the entire U.S. economy with consumer spending in your Federal Reserve District. What are the economic strengths and weaknesses for both? Are retailers reporting that recent sales have met their expectations? What are the expectations for the future?

Investment Instability – Changes in Real Private Nonresidential Fixed Investment Investment is the most volatile component of total spending. Real private nonresidential fixed investment is mode up of two components: structures and producers’ durable equipment. The Bureau of Economic Analysis provides data for real private nonresidential fixed investment in table form http://www.bea.doc.gov/briefrm/tables/ebr2.htm and graphically form http://www.bea.doc.gov./briefrm/nonresfi.htm. Has recent investment been volatile? Which is the largest component of investment structures or producers' durable equipment? Which component has been more volatile (as measured by percentage change from preceding quarter)? Are recent quarterly percentage changes similar to previous years’ changes? Looking at the investment graph what investment forecast would you make for the forthcoming year?