The Federal Reserve's meeting-to-meeting process is not opaque or secret, even if the deliberations themselves are. Monetary policy decisions and communications generally follow a predictable cadence that offers reliable, real-time insight into the Fed's perspective and posture. In its efforts to communicate policy effectively, the central bank actively tries to help the public separate signal from the noise. By following the FOMC cycle, you will gain a better understanding of the economy, monetary policy, and the Federal Reserve.