Governments and other financial organizations are constantly measuring trends in the economy to try to predict what will happen next. The ability to successfully predict economic trends has a profound effect on whether or not a business will make a profit or lose money. The economy also affects people's personal lives by helping them make good decisions: Is this a good time to buy a car? Refinance your home? Take a new job? One of the measurements used to evaluate and predict the economy is the CPI, or Consumer Price Index.