Segment 1: Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group, joins John Williams to talk about the market and to break down details on the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index. Tom also talks about how Social Security COLA is expected to be 2.5% in October. Segment 2: Ted Rossman, Bankrate.com Senior industry analyst, joins John to e…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. A new survey shows optimism among small businesses in Chicago for the upcoming year. The University of Illinois-Chicago conducted the survey, called the 2024 Small Business Outlook. It shows the majority of companies anticipate positive performance over the next year…

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, talks to John about the market broadening, why there is a negative perception of the economy despite it being healthy, and if he believes the Fed will continue to cut rates. Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about Meta unvei…

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about a surprising drop in consumer confidence despite the economy being good overall, and if the spending slowdown creep into the holiday season. Terry also answers your financial questions. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/6604958/6604958_2024-09-25-2129…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. A Chicago-based Medicare Advantage insurer has raised $140 million in new funding. Zing Health will use the funding to expand its integrated, chronic special needs focused plans to more beneficiaries. It also plans to invest in integrating its member experience with …

Segment 1: WGN Business Reporter Steve Alexander tells John about Kmart closing its last full-size U.S. store. Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about how retailers need to be prepared when customers get politically heated up. Segment 3: Harold Redman, President and CEO, ECHO Incorporated in Lake Zurich, tel…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels is expanding its global footprint. The company has announced more than 20 new properties in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. The new locations will expand Hyatt’s brand in several new regional markets, including Pe…

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John to talk about the latest on a bill to fund the government, the difference between a conforming loan and a nonconforming loan, the number of housing units authorized to start construction stagnating, and what the Fed cutting interest rates will mean for you. Segment …

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. World Business Chicago is hosting a weeklong conference this week called Future of Fintech Week. The event will focus on the future of finance technology in Chicago. Industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investors in FinTech will gather to focus on growing the sector l…

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Co-Founder and CEO of Wealth Management Group, joins Jon Hansen to talk about the Fed cutting rates earlier this week, what the Fed decision means for investors, why you should not fear investing when the market is high, and the importance of the labor market. Segment 2: Chris Geier, CEO, Sikich, tells Jon what their compa…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Chicago-based McDonald’s says its $5 value meal will stay on the menu until the end of this year. The meal’s include four items, including a choice of McChicken or McDouble, four-piece chicken nuggets, fries and a drink. A venture capital firm in Chicago that invests…

Segment 1: Greg McBride, Chief Financial Analyst, Bankrate, chats with John about the Fed cutting interest rates yesterday, why he was encouraged by the policy decision, how the market has been reacting to the rate cut, and the economy being in very good shape overall. Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins Jon to talk about Instagram m…

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins Jon Hansen to talk about what a Fed rate cut will mean for you and how the Fed typically acts during an election year. Terry also answers all of your financial questions. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/6462596/6462596_2024-09-18-213336.128.mp3 More with Terry Savage Recent Po…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. A new ranking puts the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in two of the top three spots. The schools finished number two and number three respectively in the Bloomberg Businessweek Best Business S…

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of the LaSalle Network, joins Jon Hansen to talk about Amazon telling employees to return to the office five days a week, and why some teens are losing faith in college. Segment 2: Dennis Rodkin, residential real estate reporter for Crain’s, joins Jon Hansen to talk about a number of recent stories incl…

Segment 1: Jennifer Gartenberg, CFP®, Managing Director, Wealth Advisor, Mesirow Wealth Management, joins Jon Hansen on Mesirow Monday to talk about the Fed meeting this week, what might happen with interest rate cuts, the costs of health care in retirement, what to know about long term care insurance, and the benefits of health savings accounts. S…

Segment 1: Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins Jon Hansen to talk about markets being nearing their all-time highs, the public being highly invested in stocks right now, why you should be careful when the market goes to extremes, gold being at at an all-time high, and to answer all of your financial questions. Se…

Chuck Fraelich, President, tag Outlet, talks to Jon Hansen on the Wintrust Business Lunch about their Chicago-based business, the history of their company, the lifestyle brand they are extremely proud of, the key product categories they sell, who they develop products for, their primary customer base, the importance of being a Chicago-based company…

Ryan Burrow has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. McDonald’s is extending its popular $5 summer deal into December in most markets, including Chicago. McDonald’s hopes the move continues to draw customers looking to make the most out of their money, with many feeling food prices have gotten too high. McDonalds also pla…

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins Jon to talk about market volatility, and what he expects the Fed to do with interest rates next week, what investors need to know about their portfolios in the current market. Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins Jon to talk about a tech billi…

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Co-Founder and CEO of Wealth Management Group, joins John to talk about the inflation data released today, how we are trending in the right direction on inflation, how the markets have been reacting to the data, what this will mean for Fed policy, how investors are assessing the last night’s debate, and why now is a great …

Ryan Burrow has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. The NFL saw a 12% increase in viewership during Week 1 of the regular season. An average of 21 million people watched each NFL game. In total 123 million Americans saw at least part of a game. The Chief’s Thursday night win over the Ravens was the most watched with 29.2…

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of the LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the ‘realistic’ labor report released last Friday, and why he thinks that believing in yourself isn’t as important as being motivated when looking for a job. Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, talks to John about the rise in ‘robo-rel…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Chicago-based TransUnion has been fined by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission for violating whistleblower protection laws. TransUnion is among seven companies that have agreed to pay fines over charges that involved employment, separation and other agreements …

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John to talk about the recent NAR settlement and how it is impacting buyers and sellers, and her takeaways from Friday’s August labor report. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Chicago not ranking in the t…

Segment 1: Jane Oates, Senior Policy Advisor and recent President, WorkingNation, talks to John Williams to break down the August labor report. What were Jane’s biggest takeaways from the report? Segment 2: Amy Danzer, Program Director, Printers Row Lit Fest, tells John everything we need to know about this weekend’s Lit Fest! Segment 3: Chris Glad…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Frequent-flyer programs of the top four U.S. airlines, including Chicago’s United Airlines, are being investigated. The Department of Transportation has launched the probe to determine whether the programs involve deceptive or anti-competitive practices by the airlin…

A new report shows Illinois, California and New Jersey have the highest concentrations of at-risk housing markets in the country. The report was compiled by ATTOM, a curator of land, property, and real estate data. The Special Housing Risk Report spotlights county-level housing markets vulnerable to declines, based on home affordability, underwater…

Segment 1: Jason Turner, Chief Investment Strategist for Wintrust Wealth Management, joins John to talk about today’s job data, employment gradually cooling, why the data is not panic inducing, inflation slowly moving towards the Fed’s target, and what the labor data will mean for Fed policy later this month. Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, …

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about market volatility recently and what you should be aware of if you are close to retirement. Terry also answers all of your financial questions. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/6258984/6258984_2024-09-04-210624.128.mp3 More with Terry Savage Recent Po…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. United States Steel says thousands of job cuts could happen if its acquisition by Nippon Steel is blocked. U.S. Steel operates facilities in northwest Indiana. The company says without the support of Nippon, it would have to pivot away from blast furnaces, a move tha…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Foxtrot’s comeback begins this week in Chicago. Crain’s reports the company is reopening its Gold Coast store at 23 W. Maple this Thursday. The Old Town location is expected to be the second of the Chicago stores to reopen later. Foxtrot abruptly closed all of its lo…

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of the LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about what we can expect from Friday’s August labor report, his thoughts on how the economy is doing in general, and what you need to consider if you are looking for a job this fall. Segment 2: Longtime Chicago radio veteran Harvey Wells, Founder, Lower Tech Bi…

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, talks to John about the economy getting better across the board, how many Fed rate cuts does he expect before the end of the year, why he remains pretty bullish, the positive impact that lower rates will have on the economy, inflation continuing to come down, and…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. The City of Chicago has cut the ribbon on O’Hare Airport’s Northeast Cargo terminal following the completion of phase III of the project. The new terminal adds an additional 130,000 square feet of cargo storage and two more plane parking spaces. A new ramp can also h…

Segment 1: Robert Bruno, professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the director of the Project for Middle Class Renewal, a research-based initiative tasked with investigating labor policies in today’s economy, joins John to talk about the state of labor in 2024 and how would labor fare under each…

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about markets continuing to stay strong and the latest news on Social Security clawbacks. Terry also answers all of your financial questions. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/6082435/6082435_2024-08-28-211735.128.mp3 More with Terry Savage Recent Posts Win…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. CDK Global, the suburban software firm that serves U.S. car dealerships, says the cyberattack that impacted its operations earlier this year does not appear to have involved the theft of dealership employee or consumer data. The Hoffman Estates-based company was hit …

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about unemployment rising, the difficulty some people are going to have finding a job, and his thoughts on a new law in Australia that give employees the right to ignore work calls after hours. Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, talks to John about ho…

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John to talk about the Dow Jones hitting a record high today, Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s recent comments on likely Fed policy decisions, why some economists remain bearish about the market, the likelihood we see a recession, Tim Walz not having a brokerage account and hav…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. A new robotics center at Northwestern University has been awarded $26 million from the National Science Foundation. The funding will help launch a new engineering program to develop dexterous robot hands with the ability to assist humans with manufacturing, caregivin…

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Co-Founder and CEO of Wealth Management Group, joins John to talk about how the market is reacting to Jerome Powell’s comments about interest rate cuts today, why we should be patient during market swings, the recent revision to the jobs data, the economy definitively slowing, where he sees mortgage rates down the road, an…

Segment 1: Greg McBride, Chief Financial Analyst, Bankrate, chats with John about a new Bankrate study that shows ATM fees have reached a 26-year high while overdraft fees inch back up, too. Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John to talk about former President Trump sharing AI-generated Taylor Swift images, and Ford shifting its EV…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. The Instagram account of McDonald’s was hacked Wednesday as part of a scam involving cryptocurrency. Bloomberg reports it involved the blockchain platform Solana and a coin named after the McDonald’s mascot Grimace. A screenshot showed a post that suggested participa…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. There’s a report that KKR & Co. is in talks to buy The Parking Spot, the Chicago-based owner and operator of parking facilities near airports. Bloomberg reports the talks are in an advanced stage. The proposed deal is valued at about $1.4 billion. It could be announc…

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the importance of long-term care insurance, the stock market being relatively flat after a week of gains, and why you need to know about short term ‘gap’ insurance policies. Terry also answers all of your financial questions. https://serve.castfire.c…

Dave Schwan has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. UAW members around Belvidere, near Rockford, may file grievances against automaker Stellantis. The company committed to investing nearly $5 billion last year to retool the Belvidere plant for production of a new midsize truck. It was part of the agreement to end last ye…

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about how the definition of a bad manager varies, why some people don’t move jobs when they have a bad manager, and why he believes office friendships are extremely important. Segment 2: Michael Edwards, President and CEO, Chicago Loop Alliance, joins John Williams…

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. A new dining and entertainment concept is in the planning stages near Chicago’s Magnificent Mile with a magic theme. Crain’s reports an entity led by venture capitalist and former Allscripts CEO Glen Tullman has signed a lease at 100 E. Ontario. That’s the space wher…

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John to talk about Kamala Harris’ economic plan, how inflation is being felt in various cities, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City hosting dozens of central bankers, policymakers, academics and economists from around the world at its annual economic policy sympo…