Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the newest inflation data, why the market jumped today, his concern over debt, the overall strength of the economy, the latest on the government shutdown, the forecast for food prices, his expectations for Fed rate cuts for the rest of the year, and why now is the perfect time to rebalance your portfolio.

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the newest inflation data, why the market jumped today, his concern over debt, the overall strength of the economy, the latest on the government shutdown, the forecast for food prices, his expectations for Fed rate cuts for the rest of the year, and why now is the perfect time to rebalance your portfolio.

Segment 2: Andrew Hayes, marketing and communications lead at World Business Chicago, tells John about the new ‘Sweet Home Chicago,’ promotion that encourages you to choose Chicago-made candy and snacks for your Halloween celebrations!

Segment 3: Alison Eichhorn, co-owner and co-founder of Runaway Cow, tells John about her vegan ice cream shop in Bridgeport and recently winning $15,000 in the South Side Pitch competition. Alison tells John about why she decided to open the ice cream shop, how confident she was about opening the shop, how they built the business, the challenges of opening a small business in Chicago, how business has been going since they opened a couple of years ago.

Segment 1: Michael Edwards, President and CEO, Chicago Loop Alliance, talks to John about Chicago Loop Alliance’s State of the Loop quarterly report for the 3rd quarter of 2025.

Segment 2: Abrar Al-Heeti, Senior Technology reporter for CNET, tells John about Waymo and DoorDash teaming up to deliver your food via Robotaxi, and OpenAI saying it is working with actors to crack down on celebrity deepfakes.

Segment 3: Faron Daugs, CFP, Founder and CEO, Harrison Wallace Financial Group, joins John to talk about the market paying attention to earnings, why markets are continuing to rise, why he believes the Fed might be a little cautious when it comes to interest rate cuts, the job market still being a cause for concern, the health of the economy overall, if we are seeing an impact of tariffs, what he expects from CPI data released being released tomorrow, and why it’s important to diversify his clients portfolios.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about why it is best to wait until you are 70 before taking Social Security (if you can!), what is going on with the price of gold, and to tell us what to know about Medicare Open Enrollment. And as always, Terry answers all of your financial questions. 

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about how many hours a week people should be working, if you need to be working more if you want to get ahead, and the rise of scammers preying on those looking for a job.

Segment 2: 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 talks about HBO max announcing another price increase, the easiest ways to watch your favorite sports teams, the best streaming services our right now, and the future of streaming. To request a Free Tech Check from Harvey, you can email: [email protected] or call 312-307-1700.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about her recent visit to SI Container Builds, who are doing remarkable things with used containers (40’x8′) and turning them into affordable housing. 

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about a French quantum company establishing its US headquarters in Chicago, Chicago startup BiomeSense raising $7 million in funding to develop technology that could make gut microbiome testing as routine as genetic testing, and Chicago’s Origin Ventures raising $140M for its 6th fund to make more AI investments.

Segment 3: John Manchester, co-owner, Windy City Sweets, join John Williams to talk about the great products they have for the Halloween season. John also talks a bit about how business has been and the impact that tariffs have had on their business.

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John to talk about how many interest rate cuts he expects before the end of the year, how the interest rate cuts could impact the economy, his concern over the banking system and credit markets, where he believes your money should be moved to, how the government shutdown is impacting the economy, if he believes the market is inflated, and the importance of investing discipline.

Segment 2: Shirley Hood, Appliance Specialist, Abt Electronics in Glenview, tells John about some of the hot appliances available from Abt right now. What should you be looking for if you are in the market for new refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, washer dryers, and small appliances.

Segment 3: Sarah Cox, Curator of Exhibits, Elmhurst History Museum, joins John to tell you everything you need to know about the new ‘World of Tomorrow: A Century of Progress‘ exhibit. Sarah explains why this World’s Fair in Chicago is often overlooked, and why you should know the history.

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 markets continuing to hold up despite economic uncertainty, if he thinks the market is a little bit stretched, earnings being strong, what the Fed is likely to do with rates, and what he’s telling his clients right now.

Segment 2: Abrar Al-Heeti, Senior Technology reporter for CNET, tells John about Walmart announcing a new partnership with OpenAI.

Segment 3: Dr. Joshua Baker, President of Midwestern University, joins John to talk about recently becoming the 10th president of Midwestern University, what he’s learned about the new role, how many students attend the university, where the student body comes from, what distinguishes Midwestern University from other schools, the programs that are in the most demand right now, the acceptance rate at the school, and the importance of leaning into a ‘student first’ mentality.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the delay in the Social Security cost-of-living increase announcement, and what to know about Medicare open enrollment. Terry has a three part series on everything you need to know here.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about labor market concerns, why hiring continues to remain flat, and the viral trend of ‘bed rotting.’ What does Tom make of the latest trend? Tom also stresses the need for stability from the government in order to keep the economy strong.

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about the impact small businesses are facing during the government shutdown and federal agencies cutting staff.

Segment 3: Dennis Rodkin, residential real estate reporter for Crain’s, joins John Williams to talk about Wisconsin dominating the list of hottest U.S. housing markets, why finding the top-selling real estate agent in your suburb just got easier, and how the North Shore mansion market bolsters Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s lakefront assessments.