iStock; Robyn Phelps/Insider
If an 'expert' is warning you that the market is about to crash, check their math
Beyond popping up as talking heads on cable news, Wall Street analysts and economists serve an important purpose helping to guide the financial decisions of a wide array of investors — from average Americans worried about retirement to large institutions deciding where to put billions of dollars. At its best, Wall Street's coterie of experts is supposed to translate the shifting sands of the economy into a cogent, useful investment view.