Segment 1: Elliot Richardson , Co-founder and President, Small Business Advocacy Council , joins John to talk about the challenges small businesses are facing when it comes to procuring affordable, quality health insurance and how the SBAC is focused on lowering the cost of health insurance. Segment 2: Scott Stein , Editor at Large, CNET , tells John about the next wave of wearables from big tech. Scott also explains why he is concerned about Meta’s smart glasses and facial recognition. Segment ...
Feb 19, 2026
Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about what seniors should know about this tax season. And, as always, Terry answers all of your financial questions. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7983126/2-18-26_Noon_Business_Lunch_Terry_Savage_what_seniors_should_know_this_tax_season_2026-02-18-193426.128.mp3 More with Terry Savage Recent Posts John Williams Do you want the DNC to come back to Chicago? .cls-4{fill:#000;} Mincing Rascals: The McSta...
Feb 18, 2026
Segment 1: Amy Schubert , Market leader, U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management , to talk about what we are seeing in the labor market right now, and what you can do to prepare for expected and unexpected job changes. Segment 2: Phillippe Weiss , President, Seyfarth at Work , joins John Williams to talk about why many bosses should consider ‘momentum milestones’ to maintain productivity throughout the year. Segment 3: Michael Miller , Economics Professor, Western Washington University and Professor...
Feb 17, 2026
Segment 1: Ilyce Glink , owner of Think Glink Media , and publisher of Love, Money + Real Estate on Substack, joins John Williams to talk about why existing home sales are decreasing, the reason why Gen Z and Alpha are putting their money in the stock market, and a new survey that shows many Americans are feeling financial stress. Segment 2: Sam Toia, President and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association , tells John why the Illinois Restaurant Association is applauding a judge ruling that sw...
Feb 16, 2026
Segment 1: Laura Ellis , chief strategy officer, executive vice president and president of residential sales at Baird & Warner talks about trends in a post-Super Bowl housing market. Segment 2: Emily Stewart , Senior Correspondent, Business Insider , talks about the corporate wellness boom permeating offices around the country. Segment 3: Landis Beverly, General Manager of new restaurant Caché 310 previews all that it has to offer from cocktails, meals, and how it’s prepared for Valentine’s ...
Feb 13, 2026
Segment 1: Jane Oates , policy advisor and former President of Working Nation, joins John Williams to discuss the January jobs report, the top sectors where jobs were created, and her forecast for the FED. Segment 2: Scott Stein , editor at large for CNET, joins John to discuss Samsung’s upcoming phone event, what most people want in a phone, and evolving AI features for phones. Segment 3: Mitch Lyons , founder of Mitch Lyons Wealth, joins John to talk about defensive posturing with finances and...
Feb 12, 2026
Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the release of the January jobs report and what that means for the economy moving forward, what we should expect from the CPI data released later this week, the impact of AI on the market and the economy. and making a return appearance already is money expert Dr. Bob Froehlich , who predicted the Dow would reach 50,000 by the end of 2025. Well, he missed it by one month. Dr. Bob told us about a mo...
Feb 11, 2026
Segment 1: Tom Gimbel , job expert and founder of LaSalle Network , joins John to talk about the importance of keeping your employees happy. Tom believes that if you hire great people, train them well, and treat them great, your business will be a success. Tom offers some tips for employers to make the work atmosphere great. Segment 2: Dennis Rodkin , residential real estate reporter for Crain’s , joins John Williams to talk about a number of his recent stories including advertising pioneer Albe...
Feb 10, 2026
Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John Williams to talk about the Dow reaching 50K, the overall health of the market, why he doesn’t think inflation will be a problem, how he expects the economy perform in the next quarter, what he expects from the jobs numbers this week, when he believes we’ll get another Fed rate cut, and why he remains extremely bullish on this year. Segment 2: Jim Dallke , Director of Communications, TechNexus Ventur...
Feb 09, 2026
Segment 1: Phillip Shaw , CFP, Senior Advisor, Goldstone Financial Group , joins Tom Gimbel to talks about why the market is soaring today, the market continuing to broaden out, the disconnect between the strong market and overall economic health, his thoughts on interest rates and Fed policy moving forward, and what we should know this tax season. Segment 2: Carl Prouty, “The Technologist” at Abt Electronics in Glenview, talks to Tom about the amazing items at Abt to enhance your Super Bowl vie...
Feb 06, 2026
Segment 1: Julianne Olivo, Director of Public Relations, Brookfield Zoo , joins John to talk about how you can celebrate the season of love at the zoo! Julianne talks about the annual Name a Cockroach fundraiser, the ROAR-mantic Rhythms Jazz Dinner , the Glow Wild: A Lantern Festival of Hope , and much more! Segment 3: Craig Bolanos , Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners , joins John Williams to talk about what we should know about new Trump Accounts. Craig also explains why the...
Feb 05, 2026
Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about how powerful business leaders need to call out social evils that are negatively impacting the world, what’s going on with the housing market right now, and if buying a house is still a good use for your money. And as always, Terry answers all of your financial questions. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7957087/2-4-26_Noon_Business_Lunch_Terry_Savage_housing_market_update_2026-02-04-190427.128.mp3...
Feb 04, 2026
Segment 1: Tom Gimbel , job expert and founder of LaSalle Network , joins John to tell us the best way to apply for a job in 2026. What do you need to do to enhance your accomplishments and help you stand out? Segment 2: Phillippe Weiss , President, Seyfarth at Work , joins John Williams to talk about the rise in deepfakes and how that is leading to an increase in harassment cases. What do employers need to do to protect themselves? Segment 3: Andrei Turea, Co-owner & CEO, Green Attic Roofin...
Feb 03, 2026
Segment 1: Ilyce Glink , owner of Think Glink Media , and publisher of Love, Money + Real Estate on Substack, joins John Williams to talk about affordability and what that term actually means, and why more people are struggling to pay their mortgage. Segment 2: Jim Dallke , Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative , tells John about a startup called When raised $10M to help employers with health care transition of their employees, Amazon closing its Fresh grocery and Go conven...
Feb 02, 2026
Segment 1: Tom Fortino , Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group , and host of “ The Alpha Wealth Hour ” on WGN Radio, joins John to talk about President Trump’s pick for the new Chairman of the Federal Reserve, why the market has taken a bit of dip, what’s going on with gold prices, why tax refunds are going to be larger this year, and what other tax rules you need to know for 2026. Segment 2: Faith Anderson (CEO) and Fiona McEntee (COO), Co-founders, Nouvie , tell John about their NA sparkli...
Jan 30, 2026
Segment 1: Albert Friedman, Chairman and CEO, Friedman Properties , joins John Williams to talk about the work they do, the importance of preserving historical landmarks, why hospitality is a critical component of their business, the role that art and culture play in development, the various type of properties they own, the biggest challenges they face in their business, and what people need to know about what’s going on in the Loop’s ‘cultural stadium’ Segment 2: Scott Stein , Editor at Large, ...
Jan 29, 2026
Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the S&P reaching an all-time high, the possibility of a government shutdown, earnings continuing to be strong, what will likely happen with the Fed and interest rates, and why consumer confidence is so low. Also joining Terry and John today is Erik Norland , Executive Director and Senior Economist of CME Group , who gives us all the details about the price of gold. https://serve.castfire.com/a...
Jan 28, 2026
Segment 1: Mitch Petterson , GM Emergency Services Outreach Leader, joins John to give us the ABC’s of winter driving safety. Segment 2: Phillip Shaw , CFP, Senior Advisor, Goldstone Financial Group , joins John Williams to talk about what he expects the Fed to do with interest rates this week, his general outlook for interest rate cuts this year, why he’s watching tech earnings, the great GDP numbers we have seen recently, why gold is rising right now, and the great negotiating tool that tariff...
Jan 27, 2026
Segment 1: Paul Nolte , Senior Wealth Advisor and Market Strategist, Murphy & Sylvest , joins John to talk about the numbers he is looking at this week, if he expects there will be any move on interest rates this week, his thoughts on the price of gold, the status of tariffs, and the sectors he’s most positive on moving forward. Segment 2: Jim Dallke , Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative , tells John about how weather sometimes impacts Chicago’s ability to raise VC fu...
Jan 26, 2026
Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John Williams to talk about the highs and lows of the stock market this week, why it’s healthy to see a market pullback from time to time, what he expects to happen with interest rates in 2026, how taxes are impacted the economy, what is going on with the housing market, and his concern over the amount of debt we are carrying. Segment 2: Emily Stewart , Senior Correspondent , Business Insider, joins John...
Jan 23, 2026
Segment 1: Michael Edwards, President and CEO, Chicago Loop Alliance , talks to John about Chicago Loop Alliance’s State of the Loop quarterly report details for the 4th quarter of 2025 . Segment 2: Scott Stein , Editor at Large, CNET , tells John about how Apple may be making an AI wearable pin for 2027, and why Starlink expansion is raising concerns. Segment 3: Michael Miller , Economics Professor, Western Washington University and Professor Emeritus at DePaul University, joins John to talk ab...
Jan 22, 2026
Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about President Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, how Trump’s remarks about Greenland has impacted the stock market, what’s going on with the price of gold, and her recommendations for your portfolio. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7927498/1-26-26_Terry_Savage_Trump_economic_speech_in_Davos_Greenland_market_impact_gold_diversify_portfolio_2026-01-21-194138.128.mp3 More with Terry Sa...
Jan 21, 2026
Segment 1: Tom Gimbel , job expert and founder of LaSalle Network , joins John to tell us his final thoughts on the Bears season, the leadership that Ben Johnson showed throughout the year, and what you should know if you are negotiating for a new job. Segment 2: Phillippe Weiss , President, Seyfarth at Work , joins John Williams to talk about the importance of good leaders holding themselves accountable for their own oversights and missteps. Segment 3: Jack Ablin , Founding Partner & Chief ...
Jan 20, 2026
Segment 1: Craig Bolanos , Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners , joins John Williams to explain why he believes 2026 will be a good year for the market, the attacks on Fed independence, the streak of positive economic data, the importance of a diversified portfolio, and what he’s telling his clients right now. Segment 2: Carl Prouty, “The Technologist” at Abt Electronics in Glenview, talks to John about the latest technology and gadgets that will help keep you on track so you c...
Jan 16, 2026
Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John Williams to talk about the green on the market screen today, why he’s encouraged that the market is broadening out, the numbers on the economy being positive, and the importance of diversifying your portfolio. Segment 2: Scott Stein , Editor at Large, CNET , tells John about Google and Apple partnering on AI, and the status of X’s Grok AI. Segment 3: Heather Haddon , Reporter, The Wall Street Journa...
Jan 15, 2026
Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the economy and the market expectations for 2026. Terry and John are joined by the always engaging money expert Dr. Bob Froehlich , who gives his annual prediction for where he predicts the Dow will close at the end of the year. Dr. Bob also shares his thoughts on inflation, interest rates, spending, the overreaction regarding tariffs, the general health of the economy, and where he predicts the D...
Jan 14, 2026
Segment 1: Tom Gimbel , job expert and founder of LaSalle Network , joins John to talk about the importance of good leadership, how good leaders are able to successfully manage talent, the controversy surrounding Bears coach Ben Johnson using profanity in the locker room, and the labor and business stories that he’s paying attention to in 2026. Go Bears. Segment 2: Dennis Rodkin , residential real estate reporter for Crain’s , joins John Williams to talk about the general outlook on residential ...
Jan 13, 2026
Segment 1: Faron Daugs , CFP, Founder and CEO, Harrison Wallace Financial Group , joins John to talk about his expectations for the market for 2026, President Trump’s call to cap credit card rates for one year at 10%, the Department of Justice opening a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, his outlook for Fed policy this year, the president now wanting to address affordability, Segment 2: Jim Dallke , Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative , tells...
Jan 12, 2026
Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about 2025 stock market performance and what to expect from the market in 2026. Also joining the show this week is James Stack , Founder and CEO, Stack Financial Management , who tells John and Terry why he believes the market is overvalued. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7908497/1-9-26_Noon_Business_Lunch_Terry_Savage_Jim_Stack_Is_the_market_overvalued_2026-01-09-194337.128.mp3 More with Terry Savage...
Jan 09, 2026
Segment 1: Brad Henderson , CEO, P33 , joins John Williams to talk about why he’s excited about Chicago’s tech landscape in 2026. Segment 2: Scott Stein , Editor at Large, CNET , tells John about the best things he saw at CES 2026. Segment 3: Mitch Lyons, founder of Mitch Lyons Wealth , joins John to talk about retirement planning and what you need to know about Roth IRA conversions. Segment 4: Ted Rossman , Bankrate.com Senior industry analyst, joins John to talk about Bankrate’s Interest Rate ...
Jan 08, 2026
