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 Forecast for 2026.

Segment 1: Phillip Shaw, CFP, Senior Advisor, Goldstone Financial Group, joins John Williams to talk about the market rally to begin the year, why the market continues to perform so well, what he thinks of the situation in Venezuela and the impact on the market, the job market continuing to cool, what that means for interest rates moving forward, and what they are telling clients for 2026.

Segment 2: Matt Schultz, LendingTree chief credit analyst, joins John to break down Lending Tree’s Holiday Debt survey.

Segment 3: Jeff Wolfthal, Program development specialist, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, joins John to tell us everything we need to know about the nature museum’s Founders Day Celebration.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the outlook for the 2026 labor market, and how that will impact the economy overall.

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about 2026 being a year for a ‘union resurgence.’

Segment 3: Michael Miller, Economics Professor, Western Washington University and Professor Emeritus at DePaul University, joins John to talk about Tesla no longer being the the #1 seller of EVs worldwide, how the US economy compares to other parts of the world, why the stock market has been rallying in 2026, and if he’s surprised that tariffs haven’t had a big impact on the economy.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about why the market is rallying today and to break down the biggest 2026 real estate trends.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Groupon working on their rebound story, and Uber being in talks to acquire Chicago parking app SpotHero.

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John to talk about the spectacular market returns for the last few years, why he’s happy that the market is broadening, why it’s likely that interest rates will continue to fall, if there is any concern about inflation, the importance of a broad based portfolio, tariffs not negatively impacting the economy overall, and why he remains bullish on 2026.

Segment 2: Tom Appel, Publisher, Consumer Guide Automotive and host of the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast, joins John Williams to talk about Tesla sales falling and losing the title as the world’s biggest EV maker, what we should know about Chinese rival BYD, consumers wanting hybrid vehicles, the challenge of buying a new vehicle right now, and to answer all of your auto industry questions.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to answer listener questions and talk about the end of the year!

Segment 1 & 2: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about year-end reviews, starting 2026 off on the right foot, and how journaling you wins and losses professionally can help your career.

Segment 3: Paul Nolte, Senior Wealth Advisor and Market Strategist, Murphy & Sylvest, joins John to discuss inflation, market momentum, and what investors should realistically expect as the economy heads into the new year.

Segment 4: Michael Miller, Economics Professor, Western Washington University and Professor Emeritus at DePaul University, explains to John the Fed’s latest moves, wage growth versus inflation, and why the economy may be stronger than it feels for many Americans.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to unpack why 2025 has been so punishing for first-time home buyers, how soaring prices, tight inventory, all-cash offers and lagging new construction are reshaping the market for buyers.

Segment 2: Segment 2: Elliot Richardson, Co-founder and President, Small Business Advocacy Council, joins John to talk about Chicago’s City Council and what that means for new taxes, fees, and fines hitting small businesses, and the proactive steps City Hall should take in 2026.

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.