With a New Year and new presidential administration, many people, from consumers to business owners, are wondering whether this ushers in a new era for the United States economy.

If you are a business owner or you work at a company, the health of the economy affects everything from consumer demand to home prices to whether companies are hiring more employees. And if you are retired, the economy affects policy decisions on interest rates, which in turn could impact how well your investments perform and what the cost of living looks like.