We spend way too much time trying to predict the future (especially this time of year). Rather than engage in futility, let’s look at the coincident indexes in all 50 states over the past 3 months, via the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (October 2023). Note: I have been occasionally eyeballing this map since 2008, and it does a good job of showing the overall trend of the economy (on an obvious lag). Phily Fed: “Over the past three months, the indexes increased in 33 states, decreased in 16 states, and remained stable in one, for a three-month diffusion index of 34. Additionally, in the past month, the indexes ... (full story)