Economic Insights by Nationwide

As part of our ongoing retirement planning series examining the unique opportunities and challenges facing different generations, we're turning our attention to Generation X. After exploring retirement lessons from Baby Boomers and the Great Wealth Transfer, we're now focusing on Gen X, with upcoming episodes dedicated to Millennials and Gen Z.

Generation X is entering its peak retirement planning years, but many are facing a retirement landscape that looks very different from the one their parents experienced. Between rising costs, economic uncertainty, caring for aging parents, supporting college-age children, and the decline of traditional pensions, many Gen Xers are asking the same question: Is it too late to catch up?

In this episode of Economic Insights by Nationwide, host Brian Kirk is joined by Tom Duncan and Dee Dee Chadwick of Nationwide's Advanced Consulting Group to discuss what's keeping Gen X up at night about retirement. Together, they explore retirement readiness, common savings gaps, healthcare planning, longevity risk, retirement income strategies, and the practical steps Gen Xers can take now to improve their financial outlook.

They also discuss why working with a financial professional may help simplify complex retirement decisions and provide the confidence needed to navigate an increasingly uncertain financial future.

Whether you're just starting to plan or reassessing your retirement strategy, this conversation offers actionable insights to help close the gap and prepare for what's ahead.

Topics discussed: Retirement planning, Generation X, retirement readiness, retirement savings, healthcare costs, retirement income, financial planning, longevity risk, Medicare, Social Security, retirement strategies, financial advisors, economic uncertainty, and retirement confidence. [NFM-25780AO]

Key Moments:

04:21 Retirement readiness statistics reveal major planning gaps

06:25 Risks of inflation, healthcare costs, and market losses

07:31 Understanding longevity risk

08:39 Why many Gen Xers feel behind on retirement savings

10:47 The sandwich generation challenge

13:07 Can Gen X still catch up?

15:46 Most important planning considerations for Gen X

16:48 Healthcare planning before Medicare

20:06 Avoiding costly retirement withdrawal penalties

22:49 Social Security timing considerations

23:54 Why many Gen Xers may need professional guidance

24:48 How financial professionals help reduce uncertainty

28:22 Finding the right financial advisor

34:17 Final retirement planning advice for Gen X

36:32 Key takeaways and closing thoughts

Rising oil, gasoline, and diesel prices are creating new challenges for consumers, businesses, and policymakers alike. As geopolitical tensions disrupt global energy markets, questions are mounting about the potential impact on inflation, consumer spending, economic growth, and the future path of Federal Reserve policy.

In this episode of Economic Insights by Nationwide, host Brian Kirk is joined by Kathy Bostjancic, Nationwide's Chief Economist, and Oren Klachkin, Financial Market Economist, to examine what's driving the recent surge in energy prices and why it matters for the broader economy. Together, they discuss global oil supply disruptions, the role of refining capacity, the effects of higher fuel costs on households and businesses, and the growing challenges facing policymakers as they work to bring inflation back toward the Federal Reserve's 2% target.

The conversation also explores how higher energy costs could influence food prices, supply chains, consumer behavior, labor markets, and interest rate decisions in the months ahead.

Whether you're interested in inflation, financial markets, Federal Reserve policy, or the economic outlook, this episode provides timely insights into one of the most important forces shaping today's economy.

Topics discussed: Energy prices, oil markets, gasoline prices, diesel prices, inflation, Federal Reserve policy, interest rates, consumer spending, economic growth, supply chains, labor markets, tariffs, artificial intelligence investment, and the U.S. economic outlook. [NFM-22911AO]

Key Moments:

00:52 What's driving higher energy prices?

02:24 Refining capacity challenges and fuel costs

03:57 Why energy prices act like a tax on the economy

04:46 The impact on household budgets and consumer spending

05:23 Diesel prices, supply chains, and food inflation

06:18 Business costs and corporate profitability

08:13 Energy's contribution to inflation

09:46 Tariffs and AI as additional inflation drivers

10:50 Can the Fed fight energy-driven inflation?

11:42 Why monetary policy has limits during supply shocks

14:46 Outlook for interest rates and Fed policy

15:57 Key economic indicators to watch

16:12 Labor market risks and consumer resilience

17:10 Consumer spending and savings trends

The Federal Reserve raised rates in September, providing fresh insight into how policymakers are thinking about inflation, interest rates, and the path of the economy. While the decision itself is important, investors are also parsing the details of the statement and Chair Warsh's comments for clues about what comes next. Nationwide's Brad Beman (Investment Leader and Head of Fixed Income) and Oren Klachkin (Financial Market Economist) provide their analysis and outlook, how the markets are reacting, and the factors that are driving bond yields higher. [NFM-22911AO]

Ben Ayers and Daniel Vielhaber unpack the August employment data and discuss how labor shortages, immigration trends, and artificial intelligence are reshaping the workforce. They also share their outlook on what recent labor market developments could mean for the Federal Reserve's next policy decision. [NFM-22911AO]

Nationwide economists Ben Ayers and Daniel Vielhaber discuss one of the biggest consumer spending seasons of the year: back-to-school shopping. Every August, American families head to stores and websites to purchase everything from pencils and backpacks to laptops, tablets, dorm furnishings and clothing. This year, consumers are balancing those purchases against higher prices, economic uncertainty, and ongoing concerns about household budgets. Yet despite those pressures, spending on both K-12 and college students is expected to reach record levels. Ben and Daniel share their thoughts on what all this says about consumer confidence, inflation, credit usage, retail trends, and the broader health of the U.S. economy. [NFM-22911AO]

Kathy Bostjancic (Nationwide's Chief Economist) and Mark Hackett (Nationwide's Chief Market Strategist) discuss the impact that AI investment is having on the economy and financial markets, how investor sentiment is shifting, and whether the rapid acceleration in investment could be setting the stage for an AI-driven bubble. [NFM-25266M3]

The latest inflation readings suggest price growth may be moderating, offering some potential relief for the Fed and their decisions on monetary policy. Nationwide Senior Economist Ben Ayers and economist Daniel Vielhaber examine whether cooler inflation is reducing pressure on the Federal Reserve and what that could mean for interest rates, economic growth and financial markets in the months ahead. [NFM-22911AO]

As we continue our five-episode series on retirement and investment strategies across different generations, this episode focuses on Baby Boomers—many of whom are already retired or preparing for retirement. Another major trend is increasingly reshaping the financial landscape: The Great Wealth Transfer. According to research from Cerulli Associates, an estimated $124 trillion in wealth is expected to be transferred between 2024 and 2048, with approximately $79 trillion coming from Baby Boomer households. Tom Duncan (Senior Director of Advanced Consulting Group) and Ben Ayers (Nationwide AVP and Senior Economist) discuss what these trends mean for retirees, investors, families, and future generations. [NFM-25266AO]

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh led his second FOMC policy meeting this week. As expected, the committee kept the federal funds rate unchanged at 3.5% to 3.75%. In his press conference, Warsh briefly discussed the current state of the economy and responded to several questions regarding the debate within the FOMC on potential rate hikes. Nationwide's Chief Economist Kathy Bostjancic and Head of Enterprise Portfolio Management Leo Svoboda share their reaction to his statement and press conference responses, the market's reaction, the 10-year Treasury yields, shape of the yield curve, AI-related debt issuance, and their outlook for future rate announcements from the Fed. [NFM-22911AO]

Agriculture is an important sector of the U.S. economy, and farmers continue to face a challenging mix of market, financial, and weather-related pressures. Nationwide economists Ben Ayers and Daniel Vielhaber discuss the outlook for farm income, crop production, and agricultural markets and what these trends could mean for food prices and consumers. [NFM-22911AO]