Don't expect tariff and deportation policies to show their teeth overnight. Economic shocks take time to ripple through business decisions, consumer spending, and investment moves before they actually show up in the numbers. The real financial damage from these policy shifts usually lags behind the headlines—sometimes weeks, sometimes months. By the time the data hits government reports, investors and businesses have already been feeling the squeeze through credit tightening, hiring freezes, and portfolio adjustments. That's exactly why smart money watches the leading indicators, not just the trailing ones. The economy's shock absorbers can only take so much before they break.