According to the latest data from the nation's central bank, the Federal Reserve claims that inflation and wage pressure were "contained" from November though the end of 2013 in all 12 of the bank's national districts. As reported in the bank's anecdotal Beige Book report, which is an overall summary of the activity in each of the districts based on information compiled from businesses in the area, the nation's economy continues to grow at a "moderate" pace leading into 2014.
However, the reliability of these predictions, which are published and released eight times annually in the weeks prior to the Fed's policymaking meetings in Washington, D.C., is frequently called into question, as many critics have accused the central bank of being a little too easy on itself when conducting a self evaluation.
Other criticism revolves around the fact that the economic recovery is only making "moderate" gains when the current administration had promised to pull the nation out of the Great Recession at a breakneck pace leading up to the 2008 elections. This report indicates that the unprecedented government intervention into the private sector has eroded capitalism markedly in the U.S. and left us with a middling economy that depends on the tax dollars of an increasingly diminished middle class.
What's most troubling about all of this information when viewed not through the rose-colored lenses of those in charge at the Fed is the fact that this is costing millions of Americans their right to a retirement. Before conditions get any worse, it is important that all Americans look into potential asset protection and wealth preservation measures to guarantee they aren't robbed of their constitutional rights.