Segment 1: Jack Ablin, Founding Partner & Chief Investment Strategist, Cresset Capital, talks to John about how the market has been performing this week, his outlook for the market for the new few months, why he doesn’t see a credit crisis on the horizon, the overall health of the consumer, if he’s concerned about the federal deficit, his thoughts on a tenuous labor market, and what he would tell investors right now.

Segment 2: Emily Stewart, Senior Correspondent, Business Insider, joins John to talk about why this summer might be the ‘summer of staycations.’

Segment 3: Mike Abt, Co-President of Abt Electronics, joins John this Earth month to talk about Abt’s recycling center and green initiatives.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about why Tax Day is her least favorite day of the year, how rising gas prices are impacting all aspects of the economy, why the stock market is still nearing all-time highs despite the war with Iran, and to answer all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Steve Alexander gives John an update on today’s market movement.

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, tells John what businesses can learn from the failing U.S.-Iran ceasefire. Philippe says that cease-fire between the Trump administration and Iran offers a vivid, real-world case study in the complexities of negotiation—and the costly consequences of misalignment.

Segment 3: Michael Miller, Economics Professor, Western Washington University and Professor Emeritus at DePaul University, joins John to talk about the relative number of hours worked by American labor declining, the Fed’s effort to keep inflation down near 2%, and why the Fed looks at ‘core inflation’ when setting policy.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about consumer sentiment being at its lowest level ever, the concern over inflation, the most lucrative mountain towns in which to own an Airbnb, and why the markets have remained mostly resilient despite the war in Iran.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about the University of Chicago getting a $50M donation to recruit AI experts, and the state of VC funding in the Midwest.

Segment 3: Kelly Clancy, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants’ Managing Partner and Divisional Supervisor for The Oakville Grill & Cellar, 167 Events and RPM Restaurants, joins John Williams to talk about Lettuce Entertain You’s sustainability efforts.

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about today’s hot inflation report, the three signs that the economy and markets are rebounding, the alarming rate of people taking early withdrawals from their 401k plans, why people should stay excited about the energy sector of the market, and why it could be a good time to rebalance your portfolio.

Segment 2: Mark Steber, Chief Tax Officer of Jackson Hewitt Tax Services, joins John Williams to talk about what we need to know as we approach the April 15th tax deadline.

Segment 3: Jeff Morse, Co-owner, Partners in Crime bookshop, joins John to talk about why he decided to open this bookshop, why they have a focus on the romance and mystery genres, the importance of creating a welcoming space for customers, the passion they see from Chicago book lovers, and how business has been going since they opened in February.

Segment 1: Stephen Kates, CFP, Financial Analyst, Bankrate, joins John Williams to preview tomorrow’s release of CPI data and talk about how sticky inflation is impacting homeowners.

Segment 2: Scott Stein, Editor at Large, CNET, tells John about Artemis II astronauts using iPhones to capture stunning space images, and what we should know about Anthropic’s new AI model.

Segment 3: Aki Ito, Chief Correspondent at Business Insider, joins John Williams to talk about how many workers are taking a pay cut to stay employed.

Segment 4: Maran Nalluswami, Chief Strategy Officer, Synchrony, joins John to talk about the company’s Chicago footprint and why they were just ranked #1 on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in the U.S.

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.