In sport, the betting odds will change constantly during a match with the ebb and flow of the game as it takes shape and each side battles for victory. This is perfectly normal. We all know pundits that make wildly different predictions from one week to the next and seem to forget everything they have said in the past.
However, we should expect a little more consistency from those in charge of our economy.
It is fair enough for the rest of us to examine data, make forecasts and attempt to look into the future with the limited information supplied to us but surely the people whose job it is to shape and manage the economy for us all have a little more insight into what is going to happen next?
Something as important as this should have a clear plan and only exceptional circumstances would see the path changed. Or so you would think.
Only 3 months ago, the Governor of the Bank of England (the man in charge), indicated that interest rates would start to rise in early 2016. He gave a big hint that this was the timescale he was working to.
Sure, the economy is looking less rosy than it did a couple of months ago. Sure, inflation and growth forecasts have been cut. But in the space of 3 months, the man in charge has changed his mind. His latest prediction sees interest rates rising "probably at the end of 2016".
Don't get me wrong - this is good news for borrowers. Lower interest rates for longer cannot be a bad thing. This is already in evidence in the marketplace:
For borrowers with a 10% deposit, interest rates are the lowest on record. Fixed rates with a 25% deposit are 2% below those on offer in 2012.
So we are benefiting from the low rates on offer which is great. The harsh reality of our economic situation - huge state and consumer debts - could mean that rates stay low for many years to come. Unless you have savings, this is all positive.
But the real moral of the story is not to trust predictions. Read them. Take note of them. Bear them in mind. Use them as a guide. And remember they will change from one month to the next. You only have to see the updates on these pages to realise that. Just don't trust them - even if they are from the man in charge!
If a week is a long time in politics, for an economist a month is a lifetime.
YOUR HOME IS AT RISK IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE