Small business reports, housing market, travel spending: Wealth!

On today's episode of Wealth!, Host Brad Smith breaks down key stories you need to know, from Thursday's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report to the state of small businesses. Wall Street is bracing for Thursday's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report. The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge is expected to show cooling inflation. The month-over-month CPI is projected to be 0.1%, down from August's 0.2%. The year-over-year reading is anticipated to drop to 2.3% from August's 2.5%. Meanwhile, Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is expected to have a month-over-month rate of 0.2%, down from August's 0.3%. The year-over-year core rate is projected to hold steady at 3.2%, unchanged from August. Winthrop Capital Management CIO Adam Coons notes that current inflation data is "making it difficult" for investors to anticipate the Federal Reserve's next move. While the recent jobs report exceeded expectations, he points out that revisions have trended downward, creating "a tough place" for the Fed. Although Coons supported the Fed's initial 50-basis-point cut, he believes that moving forward, the central bank will "play it safe" and implement just one 25-basis-point cut for the remainder of the year. Median job switchers see a 10% increase in pay, but their retirement savings rate often drops nearly 1%, according to a Vanguard report. Vanguard Investment Strategy Group head of retirement research Kelly Hahn encourages taking more ownership of your retirement planning to avoid losing the savings momentum. This means not only laying out your savings goals, but understanding what your employer is offering in terms of retirement plans and benefits. When switching jobs, Hahn emphasizes the importance of understanding how that retirement plan may change and whether it affects your savings goals. The NFIB Small Business Uncertainty Index hit a record high as small business owners report persistent inflation pressures and uncertainty around the upcoming election. NFIB Research Center executive director Holly Wade explains that uncertainty "hit an all-time high for our 50-year survey, and a lot of that has to do with the uncertainty around the election [and] what that means for small business[es] moving forward, what type of environment they'll be operating in. And they're facing a big tax hike, possibly at the end of 2025. So all of that is weighing on small businesses." Meanwhile, H&R Block unveiled its 2024 State of Women Small Business Report, which uncovers findings from over 6,000 applicants of its Fund Her Future Small Business Grant program. Jamil Khan, H&R Block chief strategy and small business officer, tells Yahoo Finance, "So interestingly, there's a really high level of optimism and confidence about the next year. When they think about the business, their financial position over the next year, they feel really good. Having said that, there's a little bit of a contrast. There's also some concerns around inflation, and over the next year, as you can see in the data here, 44% feel they may be forced to cut expenses and also will need to raise prices again. But despite that, there...

On today’s episode of Wealth!, Host Brad Smith breaks down key stories you need to know, from Thursday’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report to the state of small businesses.

Wall Street is bracing for Thursday’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report. The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge is expected to show cooling inflation. The month-over-month CPI is projected to be 0.1%, down from August’s 0.2%. The year-over-year reading is anticipated to drop to 2.3% from August’s 2.5%. Meanwhile, Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is expected to have a month-over-month rate of 0.2%, down from August’s 0.3%. The year-over-year core rate is projected to hold steady at 3.2%, unchanged from August.

Winthrop Capital Management CIO Adam Coons notes that current inflation data is “making it difficult” for investors to anticipate the Federal Reserve’s next move. While the recent jobs report exceeded expectations, he points out that revisions have trended downward, creating “a tough place” for the Fed. Although Coons supported the Fed’s initial 50-basis-point cut, he believes that moving forward, the central bank will “play it safe” and implement just one 25-basis-point cut for the remainder of the year.

Median job switchers see a 10% increase in pay, but their retirement savings rate often drops nearly 1%, according to a Vanguard report. Vanguard Investment Strategy Group head of retirement research Kelly Hahn encourages taking more ownership of your retirement planning to avoid losing the savings momentum. This means not only laying out your savings goals, but understanding what your employer is offering in terms of retirement plans and benefits. When switching jobs, Hahn emphasizes the importance of understanding how that retirement plan may change and whether it affects your savings goals.

The NFIB Small Business Uncertainty Index hit a record high as small business owners report persistent inflation pressures and uncertainty around the upcoming election. NFIB Research Center executive director Holly Wade explains that uncertainty “hit an all-time high for our 50-year survey, and a lot of that has to do with the uncertainty around the election [and] what that means for small business[es] moving forward, what type of environment they’ll be operating in. And they’re facing a big tax hike, possibly at the end of 2025. So all of that is weighing on small businesses.”

Meanwhile, H&R Block unveiled its 2024 State of Women Small Business Report, which uncovers findings from over 6,000 applicants of its Fund Her Future Small Business Grant program. Jamil Khan, H&R Block chief strategy and small business officer, tells Yahoo Finance, “So interestingly, there’s a really high level of optimism and confidence about the next year. When they think about the business, their financial position over the next year, they feel really good. Having said that, there’s a little bit of a contrast. There’s also some concerns around inflation, and over the next year, as you can see in the data here, 44% feel they may be forced to cut expenses and also will need to raise prices again. But despite that, there still is a lot of optimism about the next year and the future state of their business.”

Candy Valentino, business and wealth growth expert and author of “The 9% Edge: The Life-Changing Secrets to Create More Revenue for Your Business and More Freedom for Yourself,” joins Brad Smith to share strategies to help women build wealth. “It’s such an incredible time for women and wealth. So, we know right now that about 35% to 45% of the US wealth is controlled by women, and we’re going to grow that to over two-thirds by 2030. So it’s a really great opportunity for women to start understanding money,” she explains. She encourages more women to open their own businesses and start investing to build their wealth.

Consumers are becoming more confident, and many are expecting mortgage rates to fall over the next year. Yahoo Finance Senior Housing Reporters Claire Boston and Dani Romero break down the latest data from the Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index and the impact of falling mortgage rates on the housing market.

Amazon (AMZN) Prime Day is underway. Running from October 8 to October 9, the site is offering a wide array of deals and discounts across numerous product categories. Yahoo Finance Reporter Rachelle Akuffo analyzes the event, discussing three factors that lead to overspending during Prime Day: anticipation, scarcity, and the endowment effect.

Travel spending continues to rebound with experiences spending growing, according to GetYourGuide research. GetYourGuide CEO Johannes Reck explains, “We’ve seen a lot of traction in this space. Research indicates that it’s a $300 billion market a year, and that’s just the beginning of it. The market continues to grow, the market continues to expand. And if you add what people actually are doing on their weekends, it’s a $1.7 trillion market. So it’s one of these generational shifts where people spend less and less on physical goods and more and more on experiences.”

This post was written by Melanie Riehl