Segment 1: Elliot Richardson, Co-founder and President, Small Business Advocacy Council, joins John to talk about the challenges small businesses are facing when it comes to procuring affordable, quality health insurance and how the SBAC is focused on lowering the cost of health insurance.

Segment 2: Scott Stein, Editor at Large, CNET, tells John about the next wave of wearables from big tech. Scott also explains why he is concerned about Meta’s smart glasses and facial recognition.

Segment 3: Faron Daugs, CFP, Founder and CEO, Harrison Wallace Financial Group, joins John to talk about today’s market pullback, why a market breather shouldn’t set off any alarm bells, how geopolitical events always make the markets uneasy, the concern in the labor market right now, inflation slowing, why he thinks tariffs will eventually close the U.S. trade deficit, and what he’s telling his clients right now.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about what seniors should know about this tax season. And, as always, Terry answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Amy Schubert, Market leader, U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, to talk about what we are seeing in the labor market right now, and what you can do to prepare for expected and unexpected job changes.

Segment 2: Phillippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John Williams to talk about why many bosses should consider ‘momentum milestones’ to maintain productivity throughout the year.

Segment 3: Michael Miller, Economics Professor, Western Washington University and Professor Emeritus at DePaul University, joins John to talk about why many Americans believe we are in a recession when data proves otherwise. Michael also talks about how you may pay a high price for picking the wrong major.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, and publisher of Love, Money + Real Estate on Substack, joins John Williams to talk about why existing home sales are decreasing, the reason why Gen Z and Alpha are putting their money in the stock market, and a new survey that shows many Americans are feeling financial stress.

Segment 2: Sam Toia, President and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, tells John why the Illinois Restaurant Association is applauding a judge ruling that swipe fees can no longer be charged on sales tax or gratuities.

Segment 3: Shay Keller and Leah McCarthy, Instructors, Solae, join John to talk about their hot sculpt, and Pilates studio that recently opened in Northbrook.

Segment 1:  Laura Ellis, chief strategy officer, executive vice president and president of residential sales at Baird & Warner talks about trends in a post-Super Bowl housing market.

Segment 2: Emily Stewart, Senior Correspondent, Business Insider, talks about the corporate wellness boom permeating offices around the country.

Segment 3: Landis Beverly, General Manager of new restaurant Caché 310 previews all that it has to offer from cocktails, meals, and how it’s prepared for Valentine’s Day.

Segment 1: Jane Oates, policy advisor and former President of Working Nation, joins John Williams to discuss the January jobs report, the top sectors where jobs were created, and her forecast for the FED.

Segment 2: Scott Stein, editor at large for CNET, joins John to discuss Samsung’s upcoming phone event, what most people want in a phone, and evolving AI features for phones.

Segment 3: Mitch Lyons, founder of Mitch Lyons Wealth, joins John to talk about defensive posturing with finances and how to combat the fear of running out of money after retiring.

Segment 4: Ted Rossman, principal analyst at Bankrate, joins John to talk about how often partners share their finances with each other and the value of having joint accounts.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the release of the January jobs report and what that means for the economy moving forward, what we should expect from the CPI data released later this week, the impact of AI on the market and the economy. and making a return appearance already is money expert Dr. Bob Froehlich, who predicted the Dow would reach 50,000 by the end of 2025. Well, he missed it by one month. Dr. Bob told us about a month ago that he expects the Dow to hit 57,067 by the end of 2026. Is he sticking to that prediction as the Dow sits a bit over 50K right now. Dr. Bob also talks about AI and how it will be a boom to the economy.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the importance of keeping your employees happy. Tom believes that if you hire great people, train them well, and treat them great, your business will be a success. Tom offers some tips for employers to make the work atmosphere great.

Segment 2: Dennis Rodkin, residential real estate reporter for Crain’s, joins John Williams to talk about a number of his recent stories including advertising pioneer Albert Lasker’s Lake Forest mansion selling for first time since early ’90s, Tom Souleles, vice chairman of the private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners, selling his Lincoln Park home for the full $6.5 million asking price, and the Bruce Goff exhibit at the Art Institute.

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John Williams to talk about the Dow reaching 50K, the overall health of the market, why he doesn’t think inflation will be a problem, how he expects the economy perform in the next quarter, what he expects from the jobs numbers this week, when he believes we’ll get another Fed rate cut, and why he remains extremely bullish on this year.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about another well funded tenant moving into the Chicago quantum park, Chicago VC firm SNAK Ventures raising $50M, and a new Chicago VC fund investing in startups that participate in the prestigious Silicon Valley accelerator Y Combinator.

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

Segment 1: Phillip Shaw, CFP, Senior Advisor, Goldstone Financial Group, joins Tom Gimbel to talks about why the market is soaring today, the market continuing to broaden out, the disconnect between the strong market and overall economic health, his thoughts on interest rates and Fed policy moving forward, and what we should know this tax season.

Segment 2: Carl Prouty, “The Technologist” at Abt Electronics in Glenview, talks to Tom about the amazing items at Abt to enhance your Super Bowl viewing experience, and the products to help you combat winter cold.