Pete the Planner's predictions for housing, higher ed, energy and a potential tariff mess

We’re in the midst of the holidays—always a good time for reflection. And this week that means holding Pete the Planner accountable for bold predictions he made in January about the economy and U.S. fiscal policy in 2025. Pete hit a bunch of these out of the park—especially those related to Trumponomics—and he whiffed on several others. Because he’s a big-hearted guy not afraid of making mistakes, Pete this week presents his predictions for 2026, including positive portents for nuclear energy, his advance whiff of a stale housing market and a tough prognosis for higher education. His pick for the biggest story of 2026 might require some advance explanation. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide soon whether President Trump’s emergency tariffs levied earlier this year are invalid. If the justices find that the president exceeded his authority by using emergency powers to impose tariffs on nearly every U.S. trading partner—which, to review, were paid by the companies that imported the products, not the countries or companies from which they came—the importers could be entitled to big refunds. As The Washington Post has reported, unwinding almost a year of Trump’s core economic policy likely could have serious consequences for the government’s finances and on the bottom linesof companies throughout the U.S. economy. It’s impossible to know how much money ultimately would be in play, but estimates of how much the U.S. had collected in emergency tariffs were close to $90 billion when the court heard arguments in early November.

Pete the Planner on Humor, Habits and the Psychology of Money

On this episode of Off the Record, host Nate Feltman sits down with Peter Dunn, better known as Pete the Planner, one of America’s most trusted voices on personal finance. Dunn shares how a sixth-grade stock market contest launched his career, how he blends comedy and financial coaching to help people build better habits, and why the psychology of money matters more than math. He opens up about building Your Money Line, a fast-growing financial technology company using AI to deliver personalized advice to more than 800,000 people, and how leading a startup taught him hard-earned lessons about leadership, responsibility and giving back. A former columnist for USA Today and author of 10 books, Dunn discusses his national media presence, his roots in Indianapolis, and why financial wellness is critical in today’s workplace.

Let’s be honest: most New Year’s resolutions don’t make it to Valentine’s Day.

So instead of pretending this year will be different, we’re drafting financial resolutions that actually survive real life.

In this episode, we run The Financial Resolution Draft—fantasy-football style—selecting the smartest, most realistic financial moves for three life stages: your 20s, your 40s with kids, and your 60s nearing retirement.

No vague goals. No financial TikTok nonsense. No personality changes required.

Just one system per life stage that reduces stress, works with the money you already make, and doesn’t fall apart the first time something goes wrong.

Because if your resolution needs motivation, it’s already dead.

In this week’s episode, Pete breaks down the ten biggest financial mistakes Americans are making right now — from investing too little and too late, to overspending on housing, to making car decisions that haunt their budgets for years. With the economy shifting under everyone’s feet, these missteps are more common (and more costly) than ever.

Pete walks through why these mistakes happen, what they really cost you over time, and the simple, practical changes that can keep your financial life from drifting off-course. If you’ve ever wondered whether your biggest threat is debt, bad timing, or Future You procrastinating… this is the episode to reset your path.

Bite-sized, honest, and packed with clarity — this is your roadmap to avoiding the pitfalls that hold most households back.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, we tackle a classic early-retirement temptation: what happens when you want out of the workforce before 59½, but almost all your money is locked inside qualified retirement accounts?

A listener from Dayton writes in with solid savings, a paid-off home, and a serious case of “I can’t do this job anymore.” The problem? He wants $80,000 a year in retirement income, but he’s only 54 — and bridging those five and a half years before penalty-free withdrawals is tougher than people think.

We break down his real numbers, explore strategies like 72(t) distributions and Roth conversion ladders, and explain why early retirement is often less about “Can I quit?” and more about “Can I cash-flow the gap years without blowing up my future?”

If you’ve ever dreamed of early retirement (or Googled ‘how bad is the 10% penalty really?’), this episode is for you.

Pete and Kristen read a listener email who seems to indicate they greatly regret their recent home purchase

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, Pete, Damian, and Kristen dive into one of the most universal workplace mysteries: why everyone treats HR like a certified financial planner… even though HR can barely tell you which parking pass to choose without checking a binder.

Open enrollment, confusing benefits forms, retirement questions—employees fire all of it straight at HR hoping for guidance, clarity, or honestly just someone to make the decision for them. And while HR can walk you to the forms, they definitely cannot walk you through your medical history, risk tolerance, or whether your spouse is accident-prone.

In this episode, we break down:

Why HR gets stuck with financial questions in the first place

The top “Please do not ask HR this” questions (yes, including the 401(k) ones)

What HR is actually allowed to help you with

How to get real answers without putting your HR team in legal jeopardy

If you’ve ever stared at a PPO vs. HDHP page like it was ancient hieroglyphics—or asked HR which investments you should pick—this one’s for you. And for HR professionals everywhere: you’re welcome.

As the calendar barrels toward its final pages, Pete sits down for a solo episode to talk about the strange, sloppy, wonderful chaos of the year’s final weeks. From an economy that can’t decide what mood it’s in, to holiday spending that threatens to turn December joy into January regret, Pete breaks down what Americans are really wrestling with right now — and how to keep your financial head on straight while everything else gets weird.

In classic Pete fashion, he mixes practical advice with self-deprecating humor, heartfelt reminders, and a gentle nudge toward sanity. If you're feeling behind on your goals, confused by the markets, or tempted to buy your nephew a $400 gaming headset “because it’s the holidays,” this is your permission to slow down, reset, and approach the end of the year with clarity instead of chaos.

A funny, grounding, down-to-earth episode for anyone trying to finish the year strong — or at least finish it without crying into their January bank statement.

On this week’s episode of The Pete the Planner Show, Pete tackles what might be the most misguided “solution” to housing affordability ever pitched: the 50-year mortgage. On the surface, it sounds like a clever way to make homes more affordable — smaller payments, easier approval, and a chance for more people to buy. But dig a little deeper, and it’s clear this “innovation” is really a long-term financial trap. Pete breaks down the math, explores who really benefits, and explains why stretching your loan to half a century could make you the bank’s favorite customer — and your future self’s worst enemy.

This week, Pete is joined by veteran podcaster and political enthusiast Chris Spangle to wrestle with the myth and the muscle of willpower. Why do we think it’s the key to every success story—money, fitness, food, or habits—when in reality, it often lets us down? Pete and Chris explore how environment, emotion, and even exhaustion can overpower our best intentions. From political discipline to personal finance, from calorie tracking to credit card restraint, they break down what really drives behavior—and why relying on sheer willpower alone is like trying to bench press your way out of bad decision-making.

Funny, honest, and occasionally self-incriminating, this episode will make you rethink how you “control yourself” and maybe show a little more grace when you can’t.