The Opening Bell

On August 25th, 2017 Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers: The Federal Reserve Chair, Janet Yellen, speaks today at the Jackson Hole Fed Meeting and the President of the ECB, Mario Draghi speaks later in the day as well A former Volkswagen Engineer is sentenced today in the VW emissions scandal  

The year is inching to an end and the economy is questioning if there will be another interest rate hike before December. Steve and Paul Nolte (SVP and Sr. Portfolio Manager at Kingsview Asset Management) discuss the international meeting in Jackson Hole, WY and how bankers plan to unwind stimulus from the economy. Rick Seaney is enjoying  a vacation, and in his spot, Steve looked into the business of ice cream with Chip Graeters (Chief of Retail Operations at Graeters […]

Automated payment management seems like a relatively new thing, but in fact, Chuck Garcia (Director of Commercial Deposits and Treasury Management at Associated Bank) shared with Steve the 40 year history behind automated payments. The Associated Bank Thought Leader detailed the pros and cons of the Automated Clearing House (ACH) and how it continues to evolve in the digital age.    

On August 23rd, 2017 Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers: The Labor Department’s bureau of labor statistics release the weekly unemployment claims report Freddie Mac releases weekly mortgage rates National Association of Realtors releases existing home sale figures for July  

Sitting in for Steve Grzanich, Dave Plier discussed the business world by discussing an industry he is familiar with, the world of retail. Dave talked with Robin Wigglesworth (US Market Editor at Financial Times) about the most impactful closings since the 2008 recession. Dave then turned his attention to the operational side of the business world by inviting Rosanne Thomas (Author of “Excuse My: The Survival Guide to Modern Business Etiquette“) to break down the mixing of the multi-generational workforce […]

The excitement of the eclipse is finally here, and Steve Grzanich is experiencing it first hand. Broadcasting LIVE from West Frankfurt, IL (just outside of Carbondale, IL) Steve previewed being in the path of totality for the solar eclipse today with Michelle Nichols (Master Educator at The Adler Planetarium) about the significance of this astronomical event. Steve Mitchell (Director of Economic Development at the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce) then discussed the economic impact this eclipse will have on Southern, IL […]

The big market focus for the week was the beginning of the re-negotiations for NAFTA. Unfortunately this process is very long and Paul Nolte (SVP & Sr. Portfolio Manager at Kingsview Asset Management) will keep his eyes open to how it develops. Rick Seaney (CEO of FareCompare.com) then questioned whether the basic fare airline tickets are really worth the price.  

On August 17th, 2017 Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers: The US Department of Labor releases weekly jobless claims Federal Reserve releases industrial production for July Freddie Mac releases weekly mortgage rates Walmart leads the big box retailers that report earnings today  

In recent weeks, there has been plenty of focus on the United States and North Korea, but there is major concern for the situation down in Venezuela as well. Steve checked in with Patrick Gillespie (Reporter at CNNMoney) about his recent trips down to South America to gauge the severity of the economic pinch the population is experiencing. Caitlin McNeily (Organizer of 100 Women Who Give A Damn) then touched on the decision to better her community through 100 small […]

On August 15th, 2017 Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers: The US Department of Commerce releases retail sales data for July, and a report on business inventories for June National Association of Home Builders releases it’s housing market index for August The US Treasury Department shares data on international money flows for June Home Depot report earnings today