POPULARITY
Categories
Mike Armstrong and Marc Fandetti discuss the GDP report showing a massive increase in GDP in Q3 and the guys try to explain how this came about. The economy avoided a recession in 2025, but many Americans are reeling. Car payments now average more than $750 a month. Ford and GM are running out of time to reinvent themselves. Holiday retail spending rose 4.2% this season.
Mike Armstrong and Marc Fandetti discuss the GDP report that showed the US economy grow by 4.3% in the third quarter, its fastest rate in years. How does the GDP report impact future Fed rate cuts? Will AI kill off entry-level jobs? Annual reminder to not get too caught in yearly forecasts.
Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss what is happening in markets this week. What is the latest on the Netflix, Paramount, Warner Brothers deal? the economy survived 2025, but many Americans are reeling. Mortgage rates are falling but owners still won't sell.
Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss the year the job market hit the wall. Martha Gimbel (Yale Budget Lab - Executive Director) joins the show to chat about how the labor market slowdown can be reversed in 2026. It's time for Financial Festivus! Chuck and Mike reveal the list of the most annoying economic stories of the year.
Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss the Santa Clause rally. 2026 housing outlook. US says price increases eased last month but data may be distorted and Americans aren't feeling it. Jobs could soon replace prices as the focus of anxiety. The Bank of Japan raised rates. Why you should care.
Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss why you can't trust anyone who gives you a market forecast. AI is the hot topic in tech earnings and a blind spot everywhere else. When did everything become 'K-Shaped'? When retirees go back to work is it a sign of a strong labor force or a recession? Will prediction markets make the stock market obsolete? What happened when the Wall Street Journal had AI run its office vending machine?
Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss CPI's pullback and the surprisingly strong slowdown in housing inflation that drove it. Micron jumps on rosy outlook as AI boom spurs memory chip demand. Oracle and Blue Owl split over data center rattles markets banking on AI boom. Wall Street gets a taste of blockbuster stock market debuts ahead. Heating costs to rise nearly 10% this winter. Instacart gets whacked with a report that the FTC is probing the company over AI pricing tool.
Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong love to chat about feuding billionaires. Warner is making demands from Larry Ellison in Paramount's bid for a takeover. Luke Kawa (Markets Editor - Sherwood News) joins the show to discuss Micron's guidance and AI's growing appetite for memory chips, OpenAI valuation report, CoreWeave's bonds, and if the rest of the market can pick up the slack during an AI downturn. What to do if you fear you're about to laid off this holiday season. Should more be done to tackle ghost jobs? A billion-dollar question hangs over the new AI search marketing industry.
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?Â
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.
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 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 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?Â
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.Â
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 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 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 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.
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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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!
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 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.
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.
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 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 what one bleak data point tells us about the labor market. Isaiah Moskowitz, Host Great American Heroes Podcast, stops by to share his experiences working with the DAV, why he feels so compelled supporting veterans, and why he started the Great American Heroes Podcast. Opendoor is an ‘AI company,' new CEO says. Garrett Barton, Circle K Franchise Business Consultant, joins the show to chat about his time in the Navy, how his injury led him to the DAV, and why Circle K has decided to donate to and partner with the DAV. Ford is considering scrapping the 150-EV.
Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss AI valuation fears grip global investors as tech bubble concerns grow. Jim Blake, Regional Manager for Eastern Propane, joins the show to share his experience in the military, how he got involved with the DAV, and how Eastern Propane gives back to those that served. Flight-cancellation plans prompt scramble across travel industry. Bob Barlow, President and Owner of MBA Mortgage, joins the show to share his story of joining the military, getting involved with the DAV, and what MBA Mortgage does to help serve those who served. Mark Voner and Dan Stack stop by to explain how the DAV has changed their lives of those who have served this country, why Mark feels so deeply connected to the DAV, and how Mark made it his mission to save the DAV when it needed it most.
Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss Jensen Huang's comments about China winning the AI race and why Chuck thinks that comment might have to pierced the AI bubble. Is China really going to win the AI race? US to reduce flight traffic by 10% at 40 airports due to the ongoing shutdown. Supreme Court's skepticism on Trump tariffs means uncertainty reigns. Builders are offering mortgage-rate discounts. Home buyers aren't biting.
Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong explain why you don't want tax payers backstopping the AI industry. UBS to liquidate funds with substantial exposure to First Brands. 'Jenga Tower' US economy teeters as middle class pulls back spending. Job cuts in October hit highest level for the month in 22 years. Paul LaMonica (Barron's) joins the show to chat about Robinhood.
Mike Armstrong and Marc Fandetti discuss how frequently 10% market pullback occurs. Third quarter earnings are indicating a divided economy. Federal Reserve signals December rate cut are not a foregone conclusion. Slump in cardboard sales is stoking fears of lackluster holiday shopping. Yum Brands will review strategic options for Pizza Hut, opening the door for a sale. First Brands' new management accuses founder Patrick James of fraud.
Mike Armstrong and Marc Fandetti discuss Michael Burry's short positions on Palantir and Nvidia. Wall Street CEOs flag high market valuations and pullback risks. Wall Street intensifies scrutiny of fraud after spate of loan losses. Have fraud cases highlighted systemic risks? Dan Griggs, OceanFirst Bank President, joins the show to share what he views is the biggest threat to the economy.
Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss this week's biggest economic events. Has the S&P 500 become to heavily weighted to the Magnificent Seven? Is the recent wave of layoffs a warning sign for the job market? USVI Gov Albert Bryan Jr joins the show to chat about how the islands are avoiding the wrath of tariffs. How the US economy defied doomsday predictions on tariffs.