Noon Business Lunch

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Co-Founder and wealth advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John to talk about the possibility of the Dow reaching 50K, his concern over the labor market in 2026, why people should be excited about their 401(k) prospects in 2026, how many rate cuts does he see in the next year, why he’s watching AI closely, what he expects from the Supreme Court decision on tariffs, and the noteworthy news of cryptocurrency.

Segment 2:  Mike Spriggs, Head of Consumer Insights at Fiserv, joins John Williams to break down Fiserv’s November Small Business Index. 

Segment 3: Steve Schnur, COO of CRG, joins John Williams to talk about the strength of Chicago’s industrial market and how it continues to defy national trends.

Segment 1: Jenna Fowler, Founder, Vagabond Botanical in LaGrange, joins Wendy Snyder to talk about the story behind her unique plant boutique, the way the business has grown organically, how she ended up opening a retail store, the types of services that are offered at the shop, and how her creative background influences the work she does at Vagabond Botanical.

Segment 2: Trevor Wagener, Chief Economist and Director of the Research Center at the Computer & Communications Industry Association, tells Wendy about how AI is changing everyday life in America and what we can expect from the technology and its impact moving forward.

Segment 3: Shirley Hood, Appliance Specialist, Abt Electronics in Glenview, gives Wendy some tips to make sure your appliances are running properly for the holiday season.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for John Williams, to talk about what she expects from the Fed today, if they are likely to cut rates again soon, why economic data is unreliable because of the government shutdown, if she expects a year-end rally, the importance of taking your RMD right now, and her year-end financial tips.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins Wendy Snyder to talk about the sacrifices you have to make if you want to be great. ‘Sometimes trying to be great is lonely.’

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins Wendy Snyder to talk about how quality customer service in America seems to have “cratered.”

Segment 3: Steve Bernas, President & CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois, joins guest host Wendy Snyder, filling in for John Williams, to talk about the 12 Scams of Christmas.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins Wendy Snyder to talk about why first time homebuyers are getting older, why sellers are delisting their homes, and the U.S. leading the global billionaire increase.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells Wendy about Waymo’s expansion plans and if we’ll eventually see the driverless technology in Chicago, what to know about growing Chicago meat stick startup Chomps, and Rivian seeing automation as a big piece of its business in the next decade.

Segment 3: Alison Costanzo, Executive Director, Lombard Historical Society, joins Wendy to talk about all the great holiday events at the Lombard Historical Society this season!

Wendy Snyder steps in for John Williams on today’s Noon Business Lunch!

Segment 1: Samantha Frontera, Co-Owner, The Holly House, a mother–daughter–built boutique that celebrates local artisans, meaningful moments, and the kind of small-town magic you can actually feel.

Segment 2: Jospehine Lee, president of Uniting Voices Chicago, a nonprofit that provides music education and performance opportunities for 4,000 CPS and Chicago-area students.

Segment 3/4: Carl Prouty, ‘The Technologist’ from Abt Electronics in Glenview, joins Wendy to talk about the hottest holiday gifts on the market.

Segment 1: Jeff Ostrowski, Analyst, Bankrate, joins John to talk about why first-time homebuyers keep getting older.

Segment 2: Faron Daugs, CFP, Founder and CEO, Harrison Wallace Financial Group, to talk about what he expects from the inflation and consumer sentiment data released tomorrow, how people are still feeling the impact of inflation, if we will see some tariff relief anytime soon, the disconnect between Main Street and Wall Street, why the market continues to get close to all-time highs, and what the Fed cutting interest rates would mean for the economy.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about Medicare Open Enrollment ending, what you should know about ‘Trump accounts’ and how they will work, and why she always adheres to Warren Buffet’s advice that, ‘nobody ever got rich betting against America.’ Terry also suggests you visit her Year-End Planning Checklist.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the health of the labor market, how companies have job listings for positions that are never filled, and the issues that companies have with the amount of applicants who aren’t qualified. Also, Tom weighs in on the overall health of the Chicago Bears!

Segment 2: Clem Martin from Christ the King Jesuit College Prep joins John Williams on this Marquette Bank Giving Tuesday to talk about how long the school has been around, the students who make up Christ the King, and the unique Corporate Work Study Program where kids can earn a portion of their tuition costs while gaining valuable, life-changing skills and experience through jobs at 80+ Chicago-area businesses and non-profit companies. Also, the 18th Annual King of Hearts Gala on January 30th is at the Fairmont Millennium Park hotel. Find more details about that here.

Segment 3: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John to talk about the good year for overall market performance, why we are seeing some volatility, why he is bullish on 2026, what continues to make Wall Street so optimistic, if he thinks the Fed will cut interest rates another quarter point, his forecast for the 2026 real estate market, and why he’s not worried about rampant inflation.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about what we can expect from Cyber Monday this year. Ilcye also reminds you to spend your FSA balance, and the state of Florida looking to eliminate property taxes for residents.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Cameo scored a win in court after a judge temporarily blocked OpenAI from using the word “cameo” in its app, fraud detection startup Fingerprint being named Chicago’s fastest growing tech company by Deloitte, and a Chicago water vending machine startup that aims to eliminate single use plastics raising $1M.

Segment 3: Bonnie Miske, Owner, Broken Oar Marina-Bar & Grill, joins John Williams to talk about how long they have been in business in Port Barrington, and what you need to know about their Arctic Winter Bar, which will be open through February 1st.