The Financial Exchange Show

Estate planning attorney Todd Lutsky of Cushing & Dolan joins the show for his weekly listener call-in segment and discusses the best ways to protect assets through estate planning. What are the top factors to consider when going through this process?

Chuck Zodda and Marc Fandetti discuss Micron earnings coming under the spotlight after Broadcom and Oracle debacles. Mike Simonsen (Compass Chief Economist) joins the show for a conversation with Chuck about the housing markets outlook for 2026. Warner rejects Paramount's hostile bid, saying Netflix deal still superior.

Chuck Zodda and Marc Fandetti discuss white-collar workers seeing their security slip and fears of AI and layoffs rise. Oil rallies as geopolitical risks mount from Russia to Venezuela. Todd Lutsky joins the show to chat about choosing the right asset protection plan for you.

Mike Armstrong and Marc Fandetti discuss how the Fed is positioned heading into 2026. Ford takes $19.5B hit in Detroit's biggest EV bust. October retail sales fell flat. The eerie parallels between AI and dotcom mania. Zillow has a new challenger for real estate listings, Google.

Mike Armstrong and Marc Fandetti discuss the return of jobs data and the death of the Sahm rule. Productivity is about to slump -- can AI come to the rescue? Is rent control going to become a national burden? 

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss improving housing affordability in 2026 without a market crash. Corey Adams (Robert Half) joins the show to share his insights into job hopping in 2026. There is still time to maximize the 0% capital gains bracket for 2025. Four new jobs that may be in our AI future.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss what's really going on in the job market and if we will get some answers on Tuesday. What can break investor skepticism of AI spending? The stock market is rotating out of Big Tech. Is this a good thing? Why everyone got the Trump tariffs wrong. Should you freak out about a possible recession? The bond market will not be fooled...oh really?

Chuck Zodda and Paul Lane discuss how Disney went from AI skeptic to OpenAI investor. Mary Burke (Federal Reserve Bank of Boston) joins the show for a wide ranging interview that covers the beige book, AI impacts on hiring, tariff concerns, and surging beef prices. Ford's car of the future. Paul LaMonica (Barron's) joins the show to chat housing.

Chuck Zodda and Paul Lane discuss Broadcom shares sinking despite record revenue. How resilient will the US consumer be without a job? AI shopping could drive $263B in holiday sales. Fiber is shaping up to be the next grocery obsession. Is silver the next gold?

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss the important questions for the Fed heading into the final months of Jerome Powell's tenure. The Fed will help drive a 10% gain for stocks in 2026, says one of Wall Street's most accurate forecasters, Tom Lee. Is the affordability crisis overblown? The rising prices of beef have Chuck worried. Are movie theaters soon to be a relic? 

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss the Fed's fractured rate cut vote signals trouble ahead for future cuts. Oracle shares tumble as AI spending ramps up. Chuck is stunned by Disney's decision to sell its soul to OpenAI. 

Chuck Zodda and Paul Lane discuss China's access to powerful Nvidia chips comes at a 'critical moment.' China's DeepSeek uses banned Nvidia chips. Why the AI boom is not like the dot com boom. 53% of investors with RMDs for 2025 still haven't taken it. Instacart is finding themselves in hot water over same store pricing. Could SpaceX launch the highest IPO ever in 2026?

Todd Lutsky shares when he believes it is time to update your estate plan, how taxes work on irrevocable trusts, and understanding marital deductions.

Chuck Zodda and Paul Lane explain how rate cuts by the Federal Reserve impact average Americans. Why this may be the last rate cut for awhile. Warner Brothers' bidders brace for a fight that will last months. Todd Lutsky joins the show to explain how to know when it is time to update your estate plan.

Mike Armstrong and Paul Lane discuss Home Depot sharing a cautious outlook for 2026. Alex Gailey (Bankrate) joins the show to chat about many home buyers finding themselves on the outside looking in due to too high prices and/or too much competition. Married couples need to make sure they are planning together. 401(k)s are minting a generation of moderate millionaires. What is the worst Christmas song?

Mike Armstrong and Paul Lane discuss Nvidia getting approval to sell H200 AI chips to China. Why Oracle's earnings is a key moment for AI stocks. Job openings in October rose to 7.7m. Sam Altman's spring to correct OpenAI's direction and fend off Google. Paramount ramps up pressure on Netflix. Options traders brace for wild stock trading off Fed rate cut decision.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss reasons why investors are feeling good about stocks again. Is AI making us dumb? America gets retirement wrong. Can Vanguard fix that? Could paper checks be on the way out? States are raking in billions from slot machines on your phone.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss what to expect in markets this week, from Fed rate decision to Oracle and Broadcom earnings. Paramount Skydance launches hostile big for Warner Brothers. The year of America's cranky consumer. Will Australia's 16-under social media ban come to the US?

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss Meta changing course and now targeting areas dominated by Apple. Do we have another ridiculous name for the current state of the economy? Americans' affordability crisis isn't tariffs' fault — it's something much, much deeper. Should Walmart really be trading like a tech company? Paul LaMonica (Barron's) joins the show to chat about Waste Management.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong have major bones to pick with the release of the delayed CPE report and those that claimed today would be make of break for markets. Is 2% inflation still the right level to have? What will Netflix do with Warner Bros. movie studio and how do they handle HBO? Studios are already pushing back on Netflix's purchase of Warner Brothers. What you need to know when doing your portfolio year-end review.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong explain why Friday is not a make or break day for the stock market. Ted Rossman (Bankrate) joins the show to share the results of a recent holiday tipping survey. Three year-end strategies that can cut your 2025 tax bill. Rising holiday scams to be aware of. Weight loss drugs for cats?

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss markets viewing weak jobs data as good news and why that's a problem. The stock market rode AI to record highs. What could knock it down? Marc Benioff makes interesting claims about how Salesforce is using AI. Bond investors warned US Treasury over picking Kevin Hassett as Fed Chair.

Chuck Zodda and Marc Fandetti discuss home prices inching up and what parts of the country will be most impacted. Can the home affordability crisis be solved? Anthropic taps IPO lawyers as it races OpenAI to go public. Waymo's self-driving cars are suddenly behaving like New York cabbies.

This week, Todd Lutsky explains how trusts help you avoid estate taxes and managing cash gifts to children.

Chuck Zodda and Marc Fandetti discuss today's ADP jobs report and if the results mean the Fed is more likely to cut this month. Will the Fed act fast enough as potential trouble is brewing in a key corner of the financial market. Todd Lutsky joins the show for his weekly segment, Ask Todd. This week, Todd explains how trusts can help with estate taxes.

Mike Armstrong and Marc Fandetti break down how diversified the S&P 500 really is. OpenAI declares ‘Code Red' as Google threatens AI lead. Washington must break its promise on Social Security. How sticky is US inflation? The end of the slop bowl era.

Mike Armstrong and Marc Fandetti discuss the divided Fed can't agree the future of rate cuts. Why Kevin Hassett is winning the Fed Chair race before it has ended. Here's why everyone's talking about a ‘K-shaped' economy. Bitcoin rout picks up steam as investors fret over a new ‘Crypto Winter'. World economy surprisingly resilient to tariffs, OECD says. Costco files suit against Trump admin over tariffs.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss American consumers losing patience with high car prices. Private credit 'hysteria' will get very real next year. People are ordering smaller pizzas with fewer toppings. Does this mean anything? Americans brace for a surge in healthcare costs. Do we need to Uberize the power grid for AI?

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss what to expect in markets this week. Why Wall Street says December may not deliver a Santa Claus rally. Shoppers, drawn by steep discounts, power through Black Friday. Gen Z shoppers aren't spending like retailers need them to. Fed's beige book shows K-Shaped split deepens among consumers. Trump says he has made his choice to lead the Fed.

Chuck Zodda and Paul Lane discuss Thanksgiving travel set to bring a big test for airlines. What happened to all the great Black Friday deals? Sellers are taking their homes off the market at the fastest pace in nearly a decade. Looming US power crunch to impair AI abilities, Schneider says. Peloton's New AI-powered bikes and treadmills get off to slow start.

Chuck Zodda and Paul Lane discuss how a divided Fed could come to the decision to cut rates in December. Consumer confidence continues to decline as retail growth cools. Grim retail sales data fuels concerns about health of US economy. Google, the Sleeping Giant in Global AI Race, Now ‘Fully Awake'. How much will Thanksgiving dinner cost? It depends on whom you ask.

Mike Armstrong and Paul Lane share the dumb story of the day...how the S&P 500 could hit 8,000 in 2026. Home sellers who set prices too high and paying the price. Cash can feel safe, but it doesn't grow your wealth, portfolio strategist says. Are you excited to buy a car on Amazon? Turkeys might be cheaper this Thanksgiving, but everything thing else on the table is more expensive.

Mike Armstrong and Paul Lane discuss retail sales finally land but uncovers some red flags. Don't trust American consumers when they say they are going to reign in spending. Powell's allies provide opening for December rate cut. Why Google's soaring stock is defying fears of an AI bubble. Poll finds Massachusetts voters are eager for a change in rent control.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss the AI bubble causing an 'everything bubble'. Blue Owl is the sum of all investors fears. Is the real poverty line $140,000? How spouses retiring at different times can avoid money clashes. Trump claims California's $20 fast food minimum wage hurts businesses. Is that true? An AI toy bear speaks of sex, knives, and pills, a consumer group says.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss the wild week of harsh volatility tests support levels across stocks. The AI boom is driving the economy. What happens if it falters? The Fed is fixated on AI, but not ready to make a Greenspan-size bet. US inflation traders to use untested fallbacks for missing CPI. Americans are on a year-end shopping spree. What do CEOs really think about tariffs?

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss global brokerages split on Fed's December rate decision. Treasury yields slide after Fed's Williams suggests Fed could cut again in December. Do comparisons to the dot com bubble hold any water? Bitcoin heads for its worst week since the crypto collapse of 2022. Paul LaMonica (Barron's) joins the show to chat about Deere and its wild ride this year.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong dissect the wildest trading day since the tariff shock and how it is testing dip buyers nerves. Did Google just position itself at the head of the AI table? Big tech's debt binge raises risk in race to create an AI world. The AI boom has found another gear. Why can't people shake their worries? Amazon cuts thousands of engineers in its record layoffs. Is a global housing bubble about to burst?

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss the strongest buyer's housing market in over a decade. The American middle class is shrinking. Is that such a bad thing? Blue Owl money machine sputters in face of private credit cracks. Buffett's Alphabet blessing puts valuation paradox in focus. Teens seek mental-health help from Chatbots. Yikes!

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss the delayed September jobs report that beat expectations. After the shutdown, the Labor Dept. says some data is gone for good. Would the Fed push back its meeting by a week to possibly fit in a rate cut. Nvidia's strong results show AI fears are premature. Walmart reports strong sales growth and raises outlook. What are the best grocery stores in New England?

Chuck Zodda and Marc Fandetti discuss Target's earnings report showing soft demand. Is Target becoming the next Macy's? Lowe's gets a boost from pro builders. Nvidia earnings are a massive test for markets. Are investors fleeing tech stocks for dividend payers? New Social Security scam uses ‘high pressure' scare tactics. What to watch for. 

Chuck Zodda and Marc Fandettil express their concern for the labor market, private credit market, and AI spending. Wall Street faces a critical test from Nvidia and delayed jobs data. Todd Lutsky joins the show for his weekly segment, Ask Todd. This week, Todd explains the differences between revocable trusts and wills.

This week, Todd explains the similarities and differences between a revocable trust and a will. Todd also takes questions from the audience about depositing Social Security checks into a trust and managing real estate when heading to a nursing home.

Mike Armstrong and Marc Fandetti discuss private credit's exposed cracks in the foundation. Blue Owl plunges to 2023 low after blocking exit from fund. US probes firms that borrowed $400M from private credit giant HPS. What happens when housing supply is driven by markets and not Main Street. Cheaper coffee and tomatoes won't fix the inflation problem. AI is making us rich and unhappy.

Mike Armstrong and Marc Fandetti discuss the market rout intensifying, sweeping up everything from tech to crypto to gold. Other than sentiment, what is driving the market sell off? Home Depot cuts outlook as home improvements slow down. Fed's Waller calls for December rate cut to bolster labor market. Americans could see a big sticker shock for turkeys this Thanksgiving.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong wonder if we will get the usual Santa Claus rally this year. The White House hunts for ways to lower the cost of living...they can't. Sarah Foster (Bankrate) joins the show to chat about the tale of two job markets. Disney and YouTube TV reach a deal, ending the 15-day standoff. Tim Cook could step down as Apple CEO next year. Forgotten 401(k) accounts are costing Americans billions. Layoff tactics keep changing, and the blunders keep coming.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss what to expect in markets this week. Nvidia helped spark the AI rally. Its earnings could revive it. Those wishing for a drawn out bear market have forgotten how much pain comes with a bear market. Blue Owl private credit fund merger leaves some investors facing a 20% hit. You can't eliminate volatility, you can only transfer it.

Mike Armstrong and Paul Lane explain what the 'K' shaped economy is, and why it is a problem. What does our Michael Burry obsession say about us? Fewer burritos, more bargains: Consumers flash holiday warning signs. Here are the new 401(k) and IRA contribution limits for 2026. Here's how Robinhood will deliver bags of cash to your doorstep safely. Paul LaMonica (Barron's) joins the show to chat about Circle and crypto's recent wild ride.

Mike Armstrong and Paul Lane discuss investors dumping tech shares as shutdown relief evaporates. What is going to shift sentiment back in the positive direction? Are we headed for a repeat of the dot com era? Markets no longer view the December rate cut as a sure bet, with Fed officials casting doubts. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon to retire in January after nearly 12 years leading retailer. U.S. to cut tariffs on bananas, coffee and other goods from four countries. Nearly 900,000 new homeowners are underwater on their mortgages, signaling a troubling shift in the housing market. Amazon and Microsoft back effort that would restrict Nvidia's exports to China.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss Disney saying film studio expenses weigh on current quarter. Streaming prices are soaring, and consumers are still paying. The Nasdaq whale's Nvidia sale smells desperate. Sundar Pichai is Google's AI wartime CEO after all. Toyota doubles down on hybrids in the US. Michael Burry shuts down Scion.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss Trump signing the spending bill and ending the government shutdown. Is another shutdown on the horizon? There is no inflation data to report today. What are experts saying about inflation right now? The IRS announces 2026 401(k) contributions and savings cap. Boston Fed President advocates holding rates steady. There is a new phone scam targeting utility bills.

Chuck Zodda and Paul Lane discuss why you should treat the stock rally with skepticism. Luke Kawa (Sherwood News) joins the show for a discussion on AI valuations. Car loan delinquencies hit record for riskiest borrowers. Airline problems will linger even if shutdown ends. Will a 50-year mortgage make homes more affordable?