Noon Business Lunch

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about how the ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran is impacting the markets, the gamesmanship going on in the financial markets right now, and the importance of revaluating your exposure to the market. Terry also answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the positive ways that AI can be used in business, and what you can do to improve communication at work.

Segment 2: Tim Coffey, President & CEO, OMI Industries, joins John to talk about their chemical company, their consumer line called Fresh Wave, their recent feature on NBC News that spotlighted their relationship with a local charity Horizons for Youth.

Segment 3: Jessica Smart, President and CEO, Clearbrook, joins John to talk about their mission to support children and adults impacted by intellectual/developmental disabilities, the types of services they provide, how they are funded, and their annual fundraiser, and The Shining Star Ball.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about a new survey that shows half of Americans in debt say that financial stress impacts their daily lives, how many people are turning to AI to get financial advice, and why we need more 401k access.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Chicago VC firm Corazon Capital raising $100M for its latest fund that focuses on AI for the consumer, and the founder of Grubhub being behind a roadside assistance startup that aims to take on AAA.

Segment 3: : Mike Spriggs, Head of Consumer Insights at Fiserv, joins John Williams to break down Fiserv’s March Small Business Index. 

Segment 1: Mark Hamrick, Washington Bureau Chief and Senior Economic Analyst for Bankrate.com, joins John Williams to talk about the better than expected March employment report. And what are the expectations for interest rates and Fed policy?

Segment 2: Colleen Ceh Becvar, Co-Founder, Trinity Advocacy Group, joins John Williams to talk about how they help seniors with no family to make an estate plan, financial plan or a care plan.

Segment 3: Beth Swanson, CEO, A Better Chicago, joins John to break down their 2026 State of Chicago Youth Report. Beth also talks about the launch of the ‘Every Day Counts‘ initiative to combat chronic absenteeism.

Segment 1: Tom Hainlin, National Investment Strategist with U.S. Bank, joins John to talk about why the market remains volatile, the reaction of the market to President Trump’s speech last night, tax refunds helping consumers, why it’s an opportunity for investors to take advantage of the broadening market, and his overall opinion on the strength of the economy for 2026.

Segment 2: Patrick Talty, CEO, Indiana Sports Corp, talks to John about what their organization does, what it takes to bring big events to Indiana, why they believe Indianapolis is uniquely prepared to host these type of events, and what Indianapolis has planned for Illinois fans that will be coming to the city to root on their Illini basketball team.

Segment 3: Longtime Chicago radio veteran Harvey Wells, founder, Lower Tech Bills, talks to John about how he helps customers lower their internet, cell phone, and television costs. Harvey tells John about how streaming services are taking over sports distribution, what you need to do to watch your favorite Chicago sports teams, and Netflix announcing a rate increase. Call or text Harvey for a FREE tech check.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about why the market is starting the month on a positive note, why she is urging investors not to panic, and the importance of planning and revising your exposure to the market. Terry also answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the difficulty college graduates are having finding a new job.

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about salary growth cooling and the clear shift in the trajectory of wage growth over the last few years.

Segment 3: Faron Daugs, CFP, Founder and CEO, Harrison Wallace Financial Group, joins John to talk about why the market is soaring today, when he thinks the market and economy will return to a more stable environment, why this could be an opportunity for the long-term investor, the importance of being diligent in diversifying your portfolio, the market broadening out, and the likelihood the Fed will hike interest rates.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about Cook County property taxes growing at twice the rate of inflation over the past three decades, Illinois residents paying lower than average commission rates to sell their homes, what we should know about current mortgage rates, and why the stock market continues to struggle.

Segment 2: Amanda Hoover, Senior Correspondent, Business Insider, tells John Williams about how the AI-driven rise in freelance work is creating new opportunities for women in the workforce.

Segment 3: Katie Anderson-Tedder, Co-owner, Anderson’s Candy Shop, joins John Williams to talk about all the great products they have available for Easter!

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the uncertainty in the market, how he hasn’t seen any economic data that would mean a recession is looming, when he thinks we might fully recover from the war in Iran, if he thinks the Fed is making the right policy decisions, why he expects more rate cuts at the end of the year, and what he’s telling investors right now.

Segment 2: Tom Appel, Publisher, Consumer Guide Automotive and host of the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast, joins John Williams to talk about rising car prices and interest rates, how much the war in Iran is impacting the auto industry, and to answer all of your automotive questions.

Segment 1: Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John Williams to talk about the market whipsaw, the fundamentals of the market still being strong, why he doesn’t see an interest rate hike coming, if there he thinks the market will bounce back once the war in Iran ends, and how much people make on social security.

Segment 2: Scott Stein, Editor at Large, CNET, tells John about the Federal Communications Commission banning all foreign-made Wi-Fi routers, saying they pose “unacceptable risks” to national security, and OpenAI discontinuing Sora.

Segment 3: Brad Feldman, Senior Managing Partner, Interra Realty, to talk about Chicago’s multifamily investment landscape, the large appetite in the city for these types of investments, the market being strong overall, Chicago having good value for renters and good opportunity for investors, why Rogers Park, Hyde Park, and Logan Square are good areas for investment, the shortage of housing in Chicago, and what the city needs to do to be more pro-business and pro-development.

Segment 4: Patrick Nerja, owner of Neighborsgrid, joins John Williams to talk about the inspiration for starting their business that specializes in authentic Chicago sports gear from the 80s and 90s, when they decided to open a brick and mortar shop, and some of the hottest selling items a the store.