The Fed’s Balancing Act for 2026 (With Claudia Sahm)

In this episode, Kathy Jones announces that she will be retiring soon and that Collin Martin, Schwab’s Head of Fixed Income Research, will take over as co-host of On Investing. Liz Ann and Kathy also discuss the latest bout of volatility caused by future concerns around AI.  Then, Kathy is joined by Claudia Sahm, former economist for the Federal Reserve, former economist for the White House Council of Economic Advisors, and now chief economist for New Century Advisors. Kathy and Claudia discuss the path forward for the Federal Reserve, in terms of setting policy. They cover the state of the labor market, certain issues regarding the quality of the data produced, and the potential impact of AI on labor supply, among other issues. You can keep up with Claudia Sahm her on her Substack newsletter called “Stay-at-Home Macro.” On Investing is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. For more on the show, visit schwab.com/OnInvesting.  If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts. Important Disclosures This material is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. This should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment advice. The investment strategies mentioned are not suitable for everyone. Each investor needs to review an investment strategy for his or her own particular situation before making any investment decisions. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market, economic or political conditions. Data contained herein from third party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable sources. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.  The comments, views, and opinions expressed in the presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of Charles Schwab.  Performance may be affected by risks associated with non-diversification, including investments in specific countries or sectors. Additional risks may also include, but are not limited to, investments in foreign securities, especially emerging markets, real estate investment trusts (REITs), fixed income, municipal securities including state specific municipal securities, small capitalization securities and commodities. Each individual investor should consider these risks carefully before investing in a particular security or strategy. All names and market data shown above are for illustrative purposes only and are not a recommendation, offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Forecasts contained herein are for illustrative purposes only, may be based upon proprietary research and are developed through analysis of historical public data. Diversification strategies do not ensure a profit and do not protect against losses in declining markets. The policy analysis provided by Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., does not constitute and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any political party. Indexes are unmanaged, do not incur management fees, costs, and expenses and cannot be invested in directly. For more information on indexes, please see schwab.com/indexdefinitions  (0226-GYWH) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.