Putting It Together — A Macro Dashboard for Traders

Summary

Individual macro variables are noisy. Together they form regimes — and regimes are what actually matter for positioning.

The four-quadrant regime framework

Bridgewater's classic framework splits macro into four regimes based on the intersection of growth (rising/falling) and inflation (rising/falling). Rising growth + rising inflation favours commodities and equities. Falling growth + rising inflation (stagflation) favours gold and cash. Rising growth + falling inflation is the goldilocks regime — best for equities. Falling growth + falling inflation favours long-duration bonds.

Building a personal dashboard

You don't need a Bloomberg terminal. Free sources cover 95% of what matters: FRED (macro data), CME FedWatch (rate expectations), TradingView (yield curve, DXY), and the BLS website (CPI, jobs). A 15-minute daily read of these puts you ahead of most retail traders.

The weekly ritual

Every Sunday, log the week's readings: DXY level, 10Y yield, 10Y-2Y spread, VIX, WTI crude, gold, S&P 500. Note which quadrant we're in. Compare to last week. You'll build regime intuition faster than reading any single article.

Don't over-trade macro

Macro regimes shift over weeks and months, not minutes. Use the framework for position sizing and asset allocation, not for entry timing.

(Educational simulation only — not financial advice. Practice everything below with $100,000 virtual cash on TradeHQ.)

Key takeaways

• Growth × inflation defines four macro regimes.
• Free sources cover 95% of what matters.
• A weekly log builds intuition fast.
• Use macro for allocation, not intraday timing.

Check your understanding

• Bridgewater framework splits by: Options: Rates + unemployment; Growth × inflation direction; GDP + CPI levels; Stocks + bonds. Correct answer: Growth × inflation direction. Why: Four quadrants.
• Stagflation = Options: Growth up + inflation up; Growth up + inflation down; Growth down + inflation up; Growth down + inflation down. Correct answer: Growth down + inflation up. Why: Weak growth + high inflation.
• Macro regimes best used for: Options: Scalping; Sizing + allocation; Option strikes; Backtesting. Correct answer: Sizing + allocation. Why: Slow-moving.
• Free source covering 95% of macro: Options: Bloomberg; Reuters Eikon; FRED; Cap IQ. Correct answer: FRED. Why: St Louis Fed's free database.

Sources

• FRED (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/)
• BEA — GDP (https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gross-domestic-product)

Practise this lesson

Open the practice desk and apply this lesson immediately with $100,000 in virtual cash. Concepts become usable when they are rehearsed under simulated conditions, not when they are read. Educational simulation only — not financial advice.