Wintrust Business Lunch

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about her latest column and the stock market rallying to end the year. And, as always, she answers questions from listeners.

Craig Bolanos, Co-Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to analyze year-end market trends, the so-called Santa Claus rally, inflation and unemployment pressures, consumer confidence, and what data suggests for 2026. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7873938/7873938_2025-12-24-143038.64kmono.mp3

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about leadership, workplace culture, and how management decisions affect performance in both sports and business. The discussion shifts to changing work attitudes surrounding sick days and when workers should and shouldn’t push through illness. Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, breaks down […]

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to break down year-end economic trends, including inflation, unemployment, wage growth over the past 50 years, and why housing costs continue to squeeze renters and homeowners alike. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about major developments in Chicago tech and innovation. Topics […]

Segment 1: Jason Turner, Chief Investment Strategist for Wintrust Wealth Management joins John Williams to to break down year-end market trends, the rebound in AI stocks and what to expect from the Fed in 2026. Segment 2: Tim Paradis, Future-of-work & Trending Correspondent at Business Insider joins John to expand on his article detailing “the […]

Segment 1: Stephen Kates, CFP, Financial Analyst, Bankrate, joins John Williams to break down today’s inflation data and what that means for the economy as we head into 2026. Segment 2: Brandon Ewing, Director, Community Retail Branches, BCU, joins John to talk about their credit union, the difference between a credit union and a bank, the […]

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about four moderate House Republicans joining Democrats to force a vote on extending key Affordable Care Act subsidies, a new poll showing President Trump’s approval rating on the economy, and a reminder about fraud protection during the holiday season.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the latest jobs numbers, why he sees a weakening economy, AI’s impact on the job market, and to share his thoughts on the return of the office party, and why he believes in the importance of meetings. Also, the Bears! Segment […]

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about a new survey that shows nearly two-thirds of Americans have used a mobile wallet, the latest homeownership rate rose to 65.3% in the third quarter of 2025, and Zillow’s most viewed house in Illinois. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, […]

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Co-Founder and wealth advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John to talk about the possibility of the Dow reaching 50K, his concern over the labor market in 2026, why people should be excited about their 401(k) prospects in 2026, how many rate cuts does he see in the next year, why he’s watching AI […]

Segment 1: Jenna Fowler, Founder, Vagabond Botanical in LaGrange, joins Wendy Snyder to talk about the story behind her unique plant boutique, the way the business has grown organically, how she ended up opening a retail store, the types of services that are offered at the shop, and how her creative background influences the work […]

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for John Williams, to talk about what she expects from the Fed today, if they are likely to cut rates again soon, why economic data is unreliable because of the government shutdown, if she expects a year-end rally, the importance of taking your RMD right now, […]

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins Wendy Snyder to talk about the sacrifices you have to make if you want to be great. ‘Sometimes trying to be great is lonely.’ Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins Wendy Snyder to talk about how quality customer service in America seems to have […]

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins Wendy Snyder to talk about why first time homebuyers are getting older, why sellers are delisting their homes, and the U.S. leading the global billionaire increase. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells Wendy about Waymo’s expansion plans and if we’ll eventually see the driverless […]

Wendy Snyder steps in for John Williams on today’s Noon Business Lunch! Segment 1: Samantha Frontera, Co-Owner, The Holly House, a mother–daughter–built boutique that celebrates local artisans, meaningful moments, and the kind of small-town magic you can actually feel. Segment 2: Jospehine Lee, president of Uniting Voices Chicago, a nonprofit that provides music education and performance opportunities […]

Segment 1: Jeff Ostrowski, Analyst, Bankrate, joins John to talk about why first-time homebuyers keep getting older. Segment 2: Faron Daugs, CFP, Founder and CEO, Harrison Wallace Financial Group, to talk about what he expects from the inflation and consumer sentiment data released tomorrow, how people are still feeling the impact of inflation, if we will see some tariff […]

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about Medicare Open Enrollment ending, what you should know about ‘Trump accounts’ and how they will work, and why she always adheres to Warren Buffet’s advice that, ‘nobody ever got rich betting against America.’ Terry also suggests you visit her Year-End Planning Checklist.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the health of the labor market, how companies have job listings for positions that are never filled, and the issues that companies have with the amount of applicants who aren’t qualified. Also, Tom weighs in on the overall health of the […]

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about what we can expect from Cyber Monday this year. Ilcye also reminds you to spend your FSA balance, and the state of Florida looking to eliminate property taxes for residents. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Cameo scored a […]

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the markets bouncing back of late, what concerns her about the market moving forward, why consumer confidence has faltered, and if the Fed will cut interest rates again in December, and why Thanksgiving is a good time to have the ‘bills and wills’ conversation. Terry […]

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the importance of effective communication in the workplace. Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about the risks involved in rejecting job candidates who are ‘overqualified’ for a position. Segment 3: Longtime Chicago radio veteran Harvey Wells, Founder, Lower […]

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about the cost of Thanksgiving this year, home buyers seeing record discounts, and why you should always ask for a discount. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about EV startup Harbinger raising $160M to bring EVs to the medium-duty truck space, […]

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the likelihood we see an interest rate cut in December, why the stock market likes the idea of a rate cut, where people should be putting their money considering the volatility in the market, why consumer sentiment is down, his […]

Segment 1: Michelle Seiler, Real Estate Agent at Century 21, and President of the Addison Business Exchange, talks to John about the work that the Addison Business Exchange does, how the real estate market is doing in Addison, the impact interest rates are having on the real estate market, and why Addison is such a […]

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about why everybody is watching Nvidia earnings, why the market has dipped recently, the two big ‘ifs’ hanging over the market, and what to know about RMD time. Terry, as always, answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Ryan Messner, President of Long Grove's Historic Downtown Business Association, joins John Williams to talk about all the holiday festivities the town has planned for the upcoming holidays. Segment 2: Matt Schultz, LendingTree Chief Consumer Finance Analyst, talks with John about a new Lending Tree survey that shows Thanksgiving hosts are expected to spend an average of $487 […]

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about 53% of U.S. homes losing value in the past year, and some Chicago homeowners seeing a sizeable jump in their property taxes. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Rivian Automotive announcing a spin off company called Mind Robotics, […]

Segment 1: Brian Speers, Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch joins John joins John to break down retirement planning strategies across generations, from Gen Z just starting out to Baby Boomers watching their spending in retirement. Brian explains why tackling high-interest debt first, using Roth accounts early, and building long-term saving habits can make all the […]

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about maximizing your social security. And John and Terry are delighted to be joined by Laurence Kotlikoff, professor of economics at Boston University, president of Economic Security Planning, and a New York Times best-selling author for today’s special edition of the Noon Business Lunch. Terry, John, […]

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about a recent speech he gave to Google about the disconnect between executives, managers and HR/ recruiting when it comes to hiring. Tom says communication without fear is what separates the good companies from the great companies. Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at […]

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about the stock market being up a bit today, the latest on a possible end to the government shutdown, consumer debt being very high right now, and how ICE / Border Patrol activity is causing economic mayhem in certain areas of Chicago. Segment 2: Jim […]

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about what’s weighing on the market this week, how the government shutdown has been impacting the economy, his thoughts on the Supreme Court hearing on the Trump administration’s tariff power, why he thinks the Fed will cut rates again in […]

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John to talk about why the market is pulling back a bit today, how uncertainty is impacting the economy, if he expect the Fed will cut rates again before the end of the year, the government shutdown slowing down the economy, the SCOTUS hearing […]

Segment 1: Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the market being up by a few hundred points today, why she’s concerned about the strength of the market, the importance of having ‘chicken money’ right now, and what you need to know about RMD time. And as always, Terry answers all of […]

Segment 1: Phillip Shaw, CFP, Senior Advisor, Goldstone Financial Group, joins John Williams to talk about the stock market pulling back today, the impact of the government shutdown and the release of economic data, the latest on the administration’s trade deals, his concern about an AI bubble, the importance of getting a tax plan in order, and […]

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about the latest on the government shutdown, SNAP benefits, and the fight over the cost of Obamacare subsidies. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Cameo suing OpenAI for trademark infringement, and LinkedIn naming their top Chicago startups for 2025. […]

Segment 1: Paul Nolte, Senior Wealth Advisor and Market Strategist, Murphy & Sylvest, joins John to talk about monetary policy and Fed movement for the rest of the year, the market continuing to hit new highs, and where he suggests putting your money right now. Segment 2: Sarah E. Needleman, Leadership & Workplace Correspondent at Business […]

Segment 1: Jason Korinek, Executive Chef/Owner at Posto 31 in LaGrange Park, talks to John about where they are located in LaGrange Park, how long they have been in business, what the restaurant is most known for, how they use locally sourced products, the importance of making most of the items on the menu being […]

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about today’s policy decision by the Federal Reserve, the stock market hitting all time highs, and some of the economic areas that she’s concerned about. Terry also answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about Amazon announcing a new round of layoffs, and what corporate layoffs mean for the health of the economy. Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about how numerous surveys have shown that managers who spend more time in […]

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about the big stock market rally on Friday that continues today, the latest on a possible truce on China trade, the latest on the government shutdown and if their is an end in sight, and the impact of the SNAP program ending on November […]

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the newest inflation data, why the market jumped today, his concern over debt, the overall strength of the economy, the latest on the government shutdown, the forecast for food prices, his expectations for Fed rate cuts for the rest of the year, […]