Is the economy booming, breaking, or just behaving badly? In this episode, Jake McClure makes the case that the answer is yes to all of the above. He walks through a housing market where prices are falling even as sales pick up, explains why high interest rates are doing more than just scaring off buyers, and digs into the strange reality of a commercial real estate slump happening alongside a full‑blown construction surge in data centers, factories, and power infrastructure.

Along the way, the conversation connects the dots between AI’s growing appetite for chips, rising costs for everything from computers to chicken sandwiches, and what a shrinking labor pool means for wages, automation, and productivity. You will also hear how consumer behavior is shifting, from McDonald’s struggling to win back value‑focused customers to appliance sales quietly signaling weakness in housing.

If that is not enough contradiction for one hour, the episode also dives into the stock market’s resilience in the face of gloomy headlines, what is really driving corporate earnings, and why negative sentiment can sometimes be a positive sign. On the policy side, Jake breaks down the latest tariff rulings from the U.S. Court of International Trade and what that uncertainty means for businesses trying to plan ahead.

It is a wide‑ranging look at an economy that refuses to fit into a simple narrative, full of mixed signals, shifting trends, and a few historical parallels that suggest we have seen this kind of chaos before. If you enjoy making sense of messy data, unexpected connections, and big picture thinking, this one is worth your time.

This episode was recorded on May 8, 2026.

If you would like to contact us, please send an email to us at advisingteam@tpwc.com. We are happy to address any of your questions about Economics and Finance.

If you are ready and would like to book an appointment either in office or over the phone, you can also send a message to us through the contact form on our website TPWC.com.

** The information provided in this episode is for educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. We are “The Personal Wealth Coach,” which is also the name of an SEC-registered investment advisory firm. However, being registered with the SEC does not authorize us to provide investment advice. Investment advice should be personalized, offered in a private setting, and be in the best interests of the individual as a fiduciary. If we make any fraudulent statements, you should report them to the SEC. The information presented in this educational episode has been obtained from sources that we deem to be reliable, but we make no warranty or guarantee as to the completeness or accuracy of said information.

This week's market update as seen by The Personal Wealth Coach. Listen in to hear how our preferred market indicators reacted this week, followed by treasury yields and West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil.

This episode was recorded on May 8, 2026.

If you would like to contact us, please send an email to us at advisingteam@tpwc.com. We are happy to address any of your questions about Economics and Finance.

If you are ready and would like to book an appointment either in office or over the phone, you can also send a message to us through the contact form on our website TPWC.com.

** The information provided in this episode is for educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. We are “The Personal Wealth Coach,” which is also the name of an SEC-registered investment advisory firm. However, being registered with the SEC does not authorize us to provide investment advice. Investment advice should be personalized, offered in a private setting, and be in the best interests of the individual as a fiduciary. If we make any fraudulent statements, you should report them to the SEC. The information presented in this educational episode has been obtained from sources that we deem to be reliable, but we make no warranty or guarantee as to the completeness or accuracy of said information.

The economy is technically growing, the job market is holding together, and yet almost everyone feels uneasy. In this episode of The Personal Wealth Coach, Jake McClure unpacks why the economic story we are living through feels so disorienting.

Jake starts with the latest Federal Reserve meeting and explains why a “rates unchanged” headline misses the real story. A divided board, a new Fed chair, and a quiet return to quantitative easing are reshaping interest rates, inflation expectations, and the future of mortgages. He breaks down what the Fed’s continued sale of mortgage backed securities means for housing prices and why mortgage rates have stayed stubbornly high longer than most people expected.

From there, the lens widens to the global stage. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, the UAE walking away from OPEC, and Russia’s oil infrastructure under sustained attack, energy markets are under pressure in ways that are already feeding inflation. Jake connects these global events to what consumers see at the gas pump and the grocery store.

The episode also tackles housing supply, demographics, and why today’s economy looks strong on paper but feels uncomfortable in real life. If you are trying to understand why confidence is low while spending remains high, and why everything feels uncertain even without a clear recession, this conversation brings the missing context together in one place.

This episode was recorded on May 1, 2026.

If you would like to contact us, please send an email to us at advisingteam@tpwc.com. We are happy to address any of your questions about Economics and Finance.

If you are ready and would like to book an appointment either in office or over the phone, you can also send a message to us through the contact form on our website TPWC.com.

** The information provided in this episode is for educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. We are “The Personal Wealth Coach,” which is also the name of an SEC-registered investment advisory firm. However, being registered with the SEC does not authorize us to provide investment advice. Investment advice should be personalized, offered in a private setting, and be in the best interests of the individual as a fiduciary. If we make any fraudulent statements, you should report them to the SEC. The information presented in this educational episode has been obtained from sources that we deem to be reliable, but we make no warranty or guarantee as to the completeness or accuracy of said information.