Noon Business Lunch

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the markets being down nearly 8% for the year right now, what to do with your estate plans if you are alone, and to answer all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about a new study that found workers who were most impressed by corporate speak don’t perform as well in their jobs.

Segment 2: Phillip Shaw, CFP, Senior Advisor, Goldstone Financial Group, joins John Williams to talk about the market volatility over the last couple of weeks, the broadening of the market in general, the importance of a diversified portfolio, his concerns about private credit, why he would be surprised to see an interest rate hike, if he’s worried about a possible recession, and why you should stay with your long-term financial plan at this point.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about the impact of the war in Iran on jet fuel prices, what this will mean for the price of airfare, what you should do if you think you have been a victim of a scam, and the money behind March Madness.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Uber investing over $1B in Rivian to help build out a robotaxi fleet, Northwestern getting $25M to turn university-led ideas into startups, and Chicago legal tech firm Relativity planning to go public.

Segment 3: Linda Moen, CEO, EFK Moen, joins John Williams to talk about Women’s History Month, the engineering workforce shortage and why recruiting more women into engineering is a key solution.

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John to talk about why the markets are down again, if he believes the Fed will raise interest rates, why the Fed would consider raising rates, the environment creating a tremendous buying opportunity, what’s going on with oil prices, if he’s worried about a recession right now, when he’s expecting another market rally, and what he’s telling investors right now.

Segment 2: Sheila Weinberg, Founder and CEO, Truth in Accounting, joins John to discuss Truth in Accounting’s Financial State of the Cities report for 2026. How good are Chicago’s finances?

Segment 3: Tim Paradis, Future of Work Correspondent, Business Insider, tells John about how vibe coding has turned into a real job.

Segment 1: Jack Ablin, Founding Partner & Chief Investment Strategist, Cresset Capital, talks to John about high energy prices, the Fed’s decision on keeping interest rates steady, and how companies are using AI to layoff employees.

Segment 2: Scott Stein, Editor at Large, CNET, tells John everything about what he saw at SXSW.

Segment 3: Chris Balke, Owner, All City Brick Staining, talks to John about their business and how they help customers transform and revitalize brick surfaces with their expert staining services. Chris explains who their biggest customers are, if there is a popular color right now, how long a typical job takes, how business is going right now, and why people prefer to use staining to enhance the look of their house.

Segment 4: Max Simon, Founder/CEO, Green Flower, joins John Williams to talk about their partnership with Joliet Junior College on a cannabis education program.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the unexpected Producer Price Index reading, the market not making big headlines, why it could be time to rebalance your portfolio, and why the Fed can’t cut interest rates. Terry also answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to explain why Gen Z wants to work in the office.

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about why 2026 is seeing a surge in individuals choosing to start their own businesses.

Segment 3: Michael Miller, Economics Professor, Western Washington University and Professor Emeritus at DePaul University, joins John to talk about the war in Iran and its impact on prices and the economy, inflation moving in the right direction, and how homeowners insurance makes a difference in affordability.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about the war in Iran, how the war is impacting the price of oil, and what to know about the U.S. Senate passing the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Chicago startup Chowbus raising $81M as it evolves beyond a food delivery startup to a restaurant services business, and Yourco raising $6M to build a workplace communications platform for deskless workers.

Segment 3: Aghfar Arun, Director, Hospitality, Bradford Allen, joins John Williams to talk about the rise of the luxury airport hotel and how the Hyatt Centric Chicago O’Hare is an example of this new trend.

Segment 1: Faron Daugs, CFP, Founder and CEO, Harrison Wallace Financial Group, joins John to talk about the war in Iran and how it’s impacting the economy and stock market, what the Fed will do with interest rates, and what he’s telling his clients right now.

Segment 2: Carl Prouty, “The Technologist” at Abt Electronics in Glenview, talks to John about why now is a good time to buy a new TV, a pizza oven that will help get you through March Madness, and the Abt Bracket Challenge! Carl also tells John about Abt’s new furniture department!

Segment 1: Tom Hainlin, National Investment Strategist with U.S. Bank, joins John to talk about how the war in Iran is moving markets, how high energy prices impact consumers in the U.S., and what he is telling clients about their portfolios during this market volatility.

Segment 2: Scott Stein, Editor at Large, CNET, tells John about all the things he’s excited to see at SXSW this year. Will AI be the talk of the town again?

Segment 3: Mitch Lyons, founder of Mitch Lyons Wealth, joins John to talk about stock market volatility, the importance of building a portfolio based on your risk tolerance, what income annuities can do for you, why now is not a time to pull money out of the market, and what you should now about taxes in retirement.

Segment 4: Mike Spriggs, Head of Consumer Insights at Fiserv, joins John Williams to break down Fiserv’s February Small Business Index.