Our central bank finds itself in a tough spot as inflation ticks higher and the Treasury Secretary tries unsuccessfully to suppress bond yields leading many to wonder if Fed policy matters much these days. With the FOMC decision on interest rates set for this week, Liz Thomas of SoFi drops in with her perspective, and the most important indicators to watch through the balance of this year. Plus, stocks have almost never been this expensive, historically speaking, but they are looking like a bargain into the future. Does the forward P/E ratio outweigh CAPE ratio? That’s the bet we are making as investors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Subscribe to Value Add by Investopedia on Substack: https://investopedia.substack.com/   Private capital has been transformed into a $40 trillion asset class by financial innovators from Michael Milken to Leon Black, and now underpins a wide swath of global industries. William D. Cohan, author of the newly released book, “Money to Burn: The Unvarnished Truth About Leon Black, Apollo, and the Rise of a New Wall Street”, describes how we got here, and what dangerous roads private markets and creative financing might lead us down given the immense leverage these firms use to securitize nearly every asset class. Plus, margin debt is spiking just in time for a seasonal stock market swoon. Look out below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rising oil prices, inflation everywhere and creeping Treasury yields are not enough to stop this bull from charging higher around the world. Global stock indices are at all time highs as investors hold on to hopes that rising earnings will keep on rising. Jay Woods of Freedom Capital Markets tells us what could go wrong, or keep going right in the last few months of the year. Plus, the Pentagon is becoming an oil investor, trading the khakis for the pinstripes in Venezuela. Why that won’t help prices at the pump, but will reshape foreign policy forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The national debt topped $40 trillion and with more spending on the way, the U.S. is forced to eat a lot of its own cooking by buying back Treasuries. At what point does the math stop ‘mathing’ in this yield curve control experiment? Jon Erlichman drops in with some good, bad and unbelievable market statistics and astounding compounding revelations that will keep us investing forever. Plus - all eyes on Nvidia this week as the chip giant reports results and tries to assuage investors that all this spending isn’t just circular - it’s sustainable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The classic economic indicators tell us that the economy is hanging in there despite tariffs and sticky inflation. The “Real Feel” of the economy paints a different picture as more Americans are being left behind and finding their version of the so-called ‘American Dream’ out of reach. NBC News Chief Business Correspondent, Christine Romans, joins the show with her diagnosis, and parenting advice for the future generation of investors. Plus, the relentless bull keeps running on strong earnings and promises of future spending. But, crafty financing and new lending products may be spiking the punch. What could go wrong? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new era of financial education is being driven by dynamic fin-fluencers who are spreading the power of investing, compounding, and building real generational wealth for their generation and their communities. Ross Mac and Marc Russell join The Express from inside Invest Fest, the largest wealth festival in the world, to share their recipe for long-term wealth building success. Plus, markets pierce record highs yet again, but the same old vulnerabilities are bubbling, and they are getting bigger. Which ones might pop first? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the economy headed towards a recessionary cliff as inflation and dwindling economic confidence pull against productivity gains and capex spending? Mark Zandi, Chief Economist of Moody’s Analytics shows us the possible pathways for the economy and households, and what to brace for. Plus, the Fed did nothing and said even less, driving long bond yields to multi-year highs and causing investors to wonder if the Fed Chair Warsh’s task forces are really here to help.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the echoes of the Dot-com bubble bursting and the ashes of the Great Financial Crisis still simmering in their psyches, many Gen-Z investors have taken a cautious and unique approach to investing for the long term. Mary Esposito, the personality behind “Money with Mary”, shares her investing strategy and how she has navigated becoming an Instagram star and small business operator in her early 20’s. Plus, a new round of tariffs and a spike in energy prices is putting the Fed and new Chair Kevin Warsh on inflationary defense as the bond vigilantes circle.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The summer winds have blown a bear market into semiconductor stocks as pricing has come under pressure. What do investors need to hear from chipmakers and AI superscalers this week to regain their confidence? The latest results of the Investopedia Sentiment Survey are in, and we are still trying to hang on to the bull. Plus, our credit card and travel rewards and loyalty points aren’t getting as far as they used to. Peter Greenberg, the Travel Wizard, says, ‘get used to it’, and offers insider tips for the smart traveler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the U.S. government making direct investments into public companies and the introduction of Trump accounts that will bring millions of new investors into the stock market, what happens when the next bear market arrives? Eric Balchunas of Bloomberg Intelligence wonders if the next government bailout will be in the stock market, which may be becoming too big to fail. Plus, the Space X IPO and the pending listings of Open AI and Anthropic are ushering in a new wave of highly leveraged and volatile ETFs. Handle with care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices