Business and Personal Finance Dictionary

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• CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI)
  
  The consumer price index (CPI) is a monthly gauge of inflation that measures changes in the prices of basic goods and services, such as housing, food, clothing, transportation, medical care, and education. Compiled monthly by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CPI often incorrectly referred to as the cost-of-living index is used as a benchmark for making adjustments in Social Security payments, wages, pensions, and tax brackets to keep them in tune with the buying power of the dollar.
  
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