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  • AI, Jobs & The Fed: What Today’s Economic Shifts Could Mean for Investors

    AI, Jobs & The Fed: What Today’s Economic Shifts Could Mean for Investors
    Feb 17 2026
    Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, and recent labor market data has continued to show relative resilience. In this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Jeff Lloyd connect fast-moving headlines on AI, jobs, interest rates, and retirement research to long-term investment and planning considerations. • Evaluate how AI is influencing financial services, real estate, and software companies—and how rapid innovation may contribute to sector volatility. • Assess rising cybersecurity and data breach risks as automation expands, while recognizing the ongoing role of human trust in financial decision-making. • Analyze the latest U.S. employment and wage trends alongside consumer spending patterns to better understand current economic conditions. • Connect labor market strength to potential Federal Reserve rate decisions and their possible effects on equity and bond markets. • Examine research indicating that individuals with written retirement plans often report higher confidence and greater retirement satisfaction. • Consider how disciplined, long-term investing approaches have historically helped investors navigate changing market cycles. Stay informed with balanced insights designed to provide perspective—not predictions—during rapidly evolving economic conditions. Listen and subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast to keep your investment and retirement planning conversations aligned with today’s shifting landscape.
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    34 Min.
  • Markets in Motion: AI, the Fed, and Shifting Leadership Across Stocks, Crypto, and Media

    Markets in Motion: AI, the Fed, and Shifting Leadership Across Stocks, Crypto, and Media
    Feb 10 2026
    Markets seem to be shifting quickly as artificial intelligence, monetary policy discussion, and sector leadership evolve. In this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Connor Miller provide educational context around the economic and market topics shaping today’s financial conversation. • Review recent advances in artificial intelligence, including new OpenAI releases and the emergence of autonomous agent networks often referenced in productivity discussions. • Discuss recent market volatility alongside sharp movements in gold, silver, and Bitcoin amid ongoing questions surrounding Federal Reserve independence. • Examine the nomination of Kevin Warsh as a potential Federal Reserve chair and his past work with Ben Bernanke, including widely cited views on the Fed’s balance sheet. • Describe the challenges facing Software-as-a-Service companies as AI innovation raises questions around competition and margins. • Compare growth and value stocks using commonly referenced valuation metrics, dividend yields, and price characteristics. • Explain what Federal Reserve balance sheet normalization refers to and how it is commonly linked to conversations about interest rates, mortgages, and housing activity. • Explore the scale and economics of Super Bowl advertising and sports betting as examples of evolving consumer attention and media fragmentation. • Summarize research frequently cited in retirement planning discussions regarding written plans and reported retirement satisfaction. Big-picture context can matter when headlines move fast. Listen and subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast for ongoing, educational conversations about markets, money, and retirement planning.
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    36 Min.
  • Markets in Motion: Dividends, Inflation, and Retirement Planning

    Markets in Motion: Dividends, Inflation, and Retirement Planning
    Feb 3 2026
    As markets continue to shift, long-term retirement planning often demands clarity rather than reaction. In this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Jeff Lloyd provide economic and market context to help listeners interpret today’s financial headlines with perspective. • Analyze how recent S&P 500 performance, Federal Reserve decisions, and earnings results seem to be shaping market sentiment. • Interpret an airline’s move away from unassigned seating as a reflection of broader consumer behavior and industry competition. • Track U.S. dollar movements and their historical relationship to gold, silver, and international markets. • Review the current health of the U.S. economy, including consumer spending, housing trends, inflation, unemployment, and stimulus considerations heading toward 2026. • Define what qualifies companies as dividend aristocrats and why payout consistency and discipline matter. • Compare which everyday expenses have risen with inflation and which categories have stabilized or declined. • Examine historical data showing how dividends have often outpaced inflation and demonstrated resilience during past market downturns. • Explore how income-focused investing, diversified portfolios, and retirement withdrawal frameworks like the 4% rule of thumb are commonly discussed together. • Revisit personal retirement checklists to assess whether professional planning guidance aligns with individual circumstances. Listen to this episode for a context-driven discussion focused on markets, income, and retirement planning. Subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast to stay connected to thoughtful conversations that span market cycles and economic environments.
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    33 Min.
  • Why Perspective Matters When Markets Get Loud

    Why Perspective Matters When Markets Get Loud
    Jan 27 2026
    Market volatility, global headlines, and policy uncertainty continue to shape how investors experience 2026. In this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Jeff Lloyd focus on context, not commentary, to help listeners interpret today’s fast-moving financial narrative. • Frame rising investor anxiety amid market volatility and geopolitical uncertainty, highlighted by global discussions at Davos. • Contextualize geopolitical developments—including Arctic defense strategy, Greenland, Venezuela, and Middle East tensions—and their influence on markets and sentiment. • Illustrate how rapid headline shifts, from escalation risk to de-escalation, can move markets and emotions within a single trading day. • Outline how fiscal and monetary forces—policy stimulus, liquidity measures, tax dynamics, and regulatory discussions—may be shaping 2026 economic expectations. • Evaluate the role of interest rates and upcoming Federal Reserve meetings in current market narratives. • Review market drawdowns and recoveries since 2020, reinforcing long-term perspective alongside recent volatility. • Emphasize discipline and zooming out as recurring themes when navigating short-term uncertainty. • Examine artificial intelligence discussions through the lens of productivity, workforce evolution, and economic impact. • Compare assets often associated with perceived stability, including gold, utilities, energy, and companies with durable business models. • Revisit historical dividend trends and their role in income-focused investment conversations. • Explain how frequent reaction to news and emotional decision-making have historically influenced investor outcomes, referencing DALBAR research. • Note every day financial changes—such as the end of new penny minting—and their practical implications. Markets will keep changing, but perspective remains essential. Listen and subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast to follow Wes Moss and Jeff Lloyd as they provide structured, long-term context on the financial headlines shaping today’s investing conversations.
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    33 Min.
  • From Wall Street to Youth Sports: Markets, Money, and Modern Costs

    From Wall Street to Youth Sports: Markets, Money, and Modern Costs
    Jan 20 2026
    Gain clear, educational perspective on today’s highly talked-about market, inflation, and household finance trends in this episode of the Money Matters Podcast. Wes Moss and Jeff Lloyd connect economic data, market history, and real-world stories to help listeners evaluate financial decisions through a long-term planning lens. • Review the start of earnings season and explain why early results from major banks are drawing attention. • Analyze the latest inflation data and discuss how current trends may affect everyday household expenses. • Clarify how small-cap, mid-cap, and mega-cap classifications are evolving amid growing market concentration. • Examine rising youth sports costs, proposed tax incentives, and why Congress seems increasingly focused on family affordability. Also, connect youth sports economics with personal stories involving travel teams, car repairs, and the changing balance between recreational and elite competition. • Define the concept of the “Tomorrow Investor” while exploring long-term shifts in middle-class wealth and saving behavior. • Highlight national championship ticket prices and how event costs can reflect broader inflation pressures. • Assess the impact of the recent Verizon outage and review typical customer compensation practices following service disruptions. • Compare asset class returns from 1928 through 2025, including inflation, cash, housing, bonds, gold, and U.S. stocks. • Evaluate historical S&P 500 drawdowns, bear markets, and how often market volatility has occurred over time. • Break down the latest U.S. inflation report and discuss why some indicators are described as a “Goldilocks” scenario. • Track changes in average 30-year mortgage rates and what rate movement may signal for homebuyers. • Monitor legislative proposals to cap credit card interest rates and their potential impact on consumer affordability discussions. • Survey improvements in inflation-adjusted income, household net worth, and changes in America’s class structure. • Illustrate long-term growth in U.S. productivity, S&P 500 values, and dividend trends using historical data. This episode emphasizes context over commentary by pairing market history with real-life financial experiences. **Listen and subscribe to the **Money Matters Podcast to stay informed on markets, inflation, and long-term financial decision-making.
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    35 Min.
  • Market Context for 2026: What the Headlines Are Really Discussing

    Market Context for 2026: What the Headlines Are Really Discussing
    Jan 13 2026
    With markets, economic policy, and investing headlines moving quickly as 2026 begins, separating signal from noise matters more than ever. In this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Connor Miller provide structured context on widely discussed market and policy topics relevant to long-term financial decision-making. • Review early-2026 market and economic headlines, including federal policy activity and legislative developments affecting financial markets. • Examine institutional investor participation in single-family housing markets across the Southeast and related affordability discussions. • Analyze policy proposals that would limit large investors from purchasing single-family homes and the uncertainties surrounding their potential effects. • Explain the proposed design of Trump accounts, a child-focused savings framework often compared to features of IRAs and 529 plans. • Discuss how geopolitical developments involving Venezuela are commonly reflected in energy markets and global pricing narratives. • Describe characteristics frequently associated with later-stage bull markets using historical market cycle examples. • Compare current market conditions with long-term averages for bull-market length and performance for context. • Evaluate recent shifts in market leadership from a narrow concentration of stocks toward broader participation. • Assess how artificial intelligence is moving from conceptual narratives to practical corporate implementation across sectors. • Review discussions surrounding tax refunds, recent tax code changes, and their relationship to economic activity. • Outline recent Federal Reserve interest-rate decisions and how monetary policy is typically evaluated in portfolio discussions. • Summarize historical volatility patterns during midterm election years within the presidential election cycle. Listen to the Money Matters Podcast with Wes Moss and Connor Miller for educational discussions on markets, investing, and financial planning topics shaping today’s headlines. Subscribe to stay informed as economic narratives evolve throughout 2026 and beyond.
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    34 Min.
  • Mortgage Payoffs, Investing Trade-Offs, and Retirement Questions—Explained

    Mortgage Payoffs, Investing Trade-Offs, and Retirement Questions—Explained
    Jan 6 2026
    Searching for clear context around retirement planning, investing decisions, and household finance questions? In this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Christa DiBiase walk through commonly discussed financial planning scenarios using an educational, long-term framework grounded in real listener questions. • Examine how mortgage payoff considerations are often weighed against investing after-tax dollars in taxable brokerage accounts. • Explain how 401(k) providers typically track traditional and Roth contributions and why contribution records can matter over time. • Compare UGMA, UTMA, and 529 accounts by outlining ownership rules, flexibility trade-offs, and financial-aid considerations. • Describe how fund expense ratios and asset-based fees are commonly reflected in investment performance reporting. • Outline frequently discussed approaches to working with fiduciary financial planners, including hourly services versus ongoing advisory relationships. • Discuss how portfolio risk and asset allocation are often evaluated as investors approach retirement. • Illustrate how dollar-cost averaging is commonly referenced when investing lump sums amid market uncertainty. • Review dividend reinvestment options by distinguishing between automatic reinvestment and manual cash allocation decisions. • Clarify spousal IRA contribution rules that are often cited when one spouse has limited or no earned income. Listen to this episode of the Money Matters Podcast for a practical, educational conversation about retirement planning and investment decision-making. Subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast to stay connected to ongoing discussions focused on clarity, context, and long-term financial thinking.
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    33 Min.
  • Retirement Planning in Real Life: Rule of 55, Grandkids, and Going Global

    Retirement Planning in Real Life: Rule of 55, Grandkids, and Going Global
    Dec 30 2025
    Want clearer context around today’s most discussed retirement planning questions—without hype or shortcuts? In this episode of the Money Matters Podcast, Wes Moss and Christa DiBiase address listener questions and planning scenarios that illustrate how retirement income, investing decisions, and lifestyle priorities are commonly evaluated over time. • Explore how holiday traditions and intentional rest are often discussed as elements of lifestyle planning throughout retirement. • Review early retirement scenarios by outlining how asset allocation, withdrawal considerations, and legacy goals are typically framed in planning conversations. • Compare alternatives to 529 plans for grandchildren by discussing custodial Roth IRAs, joint accounts, and UTMA accounts, along with commonly referenced considerations. • Clarify how financial advisors are frequently described beyond investment selection by addressing coordination, decision-making support, and long-term planning oversight. • Explain how the Rule of 55 is commonly referenced when discussing early access to retirement accounts and retirement timing considerations. • Illustrate an international retirement example through “Almost Free Freddie,” reviewing how cost-of-living assumptions, pensions, VA income, and rental properties are often evaluated. • Discuss the role of small- and mid-cap stocks within diversified portfolios and how companies may evolve across market cycles. • Reassess the “happy retiree” home-value benchmark by placing housing inflation and mortgage status into broader retirement planning context. Designed to provide clarity, perspective, and education—not predictions—this episode adds structure to complex retirement topics. Listen to the Money Matters Podcast and subscribe for ongoing discussions centered on retirement planning, investing principles, and long-term financial decision-making.
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    37 Min.