Solutions Economic and Market Watch

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he explains why what we feel doesn't match what we measure. Sources:Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average (CPIAUCSL) | FRED | St. Louis Fed Average Price: Coffee, 100%, Ground Roast, All Sizes (Cost per Pound/453.6 Grams) in U.S. City Average (APU0000717311) | FRED | St. Louis Fed Table 2. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U. S. city average, by detailed expenditure category - 2026 M03 ResultsAverage Retail Food and Energy Prices, U.S. and Midwest Region : Mid–Atlantic Information Office : U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAverage Retail Food and Energy Prices, U.S. City Average and South Region : Mid–Atlantic Information Office : U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAverage Retail Food and Energy Prices, U.S. City Average and Northeast Region : Mid–Atlantic Information Office : U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsContact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. 

Join CFC expert John Suter, vice president of economic research, as he details the factors contributing to U.S. healthcare's high prices.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join CFC expert John Suter, vice president of economic research, as he looks at the effects of supply and demand shocks on U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) growth.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, as she asks whether the cost of having and raising children can really explain why the U.S. fertility rate has fallen. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he explains why consumer sentiment hit an all-time low—since 1952—last month.Sources:Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average (CPIAUCSL) | FRED | St. Louis FedIncome After Taxes: Income After Taxes by Quintiles of Income Before Taxes: Lowest 20 Percent (1st to 20th Percentile) (CXUINCAFTTXLB0102M) | FRED | St. Louis Fed Income After Taxes: Income After Taxes by Quintiles of Income Before Taxes: Third 20 Percent (41st to 60th Percentile) (CXUINCAFTTXLB0104M) | FRED | St. Louis FedIncome After Taxes: Income After Taxes by Quintiles of Income Before Taxes: Highest 20 Percent (81st to 100th Percentile) (CXUINCAFTTXLB0106M) | FRED | St. Louis Fed30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States (MORTGAGE30US) | FRED | St. Louis FedMedian Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States (MSPUS) | FRED | St. Louis FedContact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. 

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, as she examines the origins of economics and questions whether today's economists are just custodians of data or architects of ideas. Mentioned on the show:From Philosopher to Technocrat: Economists Have EvolvedUncovering Hidden Flaws in 250 Years of US Worker DataContact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he explains how the Federal Open Market Committee is caught between a rock and a hard place.Sources:Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Indexhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.png?g=1TH03&height=490 Unemployment Ratehttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.png?g=1T5ys&height=490 Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumershttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.png?g=1TlC3&height=490Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. 

Join CFC expert John Suter, vice president of economic research, as he explores the $110,000 difference between the federal poverty line and the line drawn in a viral Substack article.Sources:Federal Register — Annual Update of the HHS Poverty GuidelinesMichael W. Green — Part 1: My Life Is a LieMIT — Living Wage CalculatorEconomic Policy Institute — Family Budget CalculatorContact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, as she outlines the effects of the conflict on energy costs, gasoline prices, inflation, bonds and U.S. financial markets.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he puts a sudden movement in the 10-year Treasury yield and a major revision in jobs numbers into perspective.Also, in this week's brief and dashboard: Economic Output Produced per GWh.Sources:Technical Notes for the CES-National BenchmarkUS 10 Year Treasury Note Yield - Quote - Chart - Historical Data - NewsContact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. 

Join CFC researchers Sam Kem and Chris Whittle as they look at the risks of building large-scale, long-duration infrastructure to fuel AI computing power with uncertain future demand.Mentioned on the show:The Data Center Surge: What 2026’s Fastest-Growing Sector Means for UtilitiesEconomic & Market Watch: ⁠A Buyer's Market for CreditEconomic & Market Watch: ⁠Don't Budget for AI Costs to Hold SteadyFor questions and requests about industry research topics, please contact [email protected] the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he considers the effects the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth in history may have on the U.S. economy.Economic & Market Watch Brief, February 2, 2026: The Great Wealth TransferSources:The Great Wealth Transfer and its Implications for the American Economy – Michigan Journal of Economics Actuarial Life TableUnited States Population by Age and SexVisualizing America's Wealth by GenerationThe Fed - Distribution: Distribution of Household Wealth in the U.S. since 1989U.S. wealth distribution over time by generation 2025| StatistaFederal Reserve Bank of Boston – Estimating the Marginal Propensity to Consume MPC heterogeneity and household balance sheets.pdf Financial concerns and the marginal propensity to consume – Bank Underground Federal Reserve Bank of New York – What Would You Do With $500 Study: 66% of Young Americans Expect to Benefit from Great Wealth Transfer Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average (CPIAUCSL) | FRED | St. Louis FedAlso, in this week's brief: How Tech Revolutions Impact Jobs. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. 

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, as she asks whether AI adoption will still produce real growth when the price goes up.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, for her take on what massive increases in AI-driven debt issuance are about to do to the bond market.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

This week, we're bringing you excerpts from our 2026 Industry and Economic Trends Report. Join CFC experts John Suter, vice president of economic research, and Jan Ahlen, vice president, utility research and policy, for their takes on the trends our research teams expect will shape 2026.Visit the full Trends Report for more, including PDF transcripts of Jan and John's videos.For questions and requests about industry research topics, please contact [email protected] the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief, and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. In this week's brief: Is it the Economy?

Hint: It's not a riddle. Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he surveys forecasts for the economy in the year ahead.Also, in this week's brief: Comparing 2026 Economic Forecasts. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. 

Join CFC economic experts John Suter, Sam Kem and Antony Davies as they discuss what economic topics bothered them most in 2025, its biggest economic surprises, and the top three episodes of the year:What If China Sold Off US Treasurys?An Eight-Year Deadline for Social SecurityAmericans Should Be Feeling Great About the Economy, Right?Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, and Chris Whittle, energy industry analyst of CFC’s Utility Research & Policy team, as they discuss how investment in data centers is reshaping how cooperatives think about infrastructure, growth and reliability.See the Issue Brief mentioned in the episode:Powering the AI Boom: What Data Center Growth Means for Electric CooperativesFor questions and requests about industry research topics, please contact [email protected] the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he looks at how changes in American houses change the idea of success in the American housing market. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. 

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he breaks down the costs of shutting down.Sources:PGPF Chart Pack: The U.S. Budget A Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of the Government Shutdown on the Economy Under Three Scenarios, as of October 29, 2025Government Shutdowns Q&A: Everything You Should Know-Tue, 09/16/2025 - 12:00 | Committee for a Responsible Federal BudgetFederal Government Shutdown Begins: What It Means for Rural Communities - Rural County Representatives Of CaliforniaThe Federal Government Shutdown Could Compound Financial Insecurity Among Nonprofits | Urban Institute Funding Gaps and Shutdowns in the Federal Government | US House of Representatives: History, Art & ArchivesContact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. 

Join CFC expert John Suter, vice president of economic research, as he compares the slump in manufacturing and the boom in AI.Economic & Market Watch is on hiatus Thanksgiving week and will return December 1.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, as she discusses energy's workforce challenge with Alisha Pinto, senior energy industry analyst of CFC's Utility Research & Policy team.For questions and requests about industry research topics, please contact [email protected] the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he explores the many measures of inflation. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. 

Join CFC expert John Suter, vice president of economic research, for a look at the under-appreciated reason the S&P 500 is setting record highs in a slowing economy.Mentioned in this episode:https://cfcsolutions.transistor.fm/episodes/why-arent-higher-tariffs-raising-prices-october-20-2025Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join CFC expert John Suter, vice president of economic research, as he covers the reasons higher import costs aren't showing up in inflation data yet.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, as she looks at the economic releases that really move the market—when we get them.The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the September consumer price index on October 24 despite the government shutdown. The Bureau makes this rare exception in order for “the Social Security Administration to meet statutory deadlines necessary to ensure the accurate and timely payment of benefits.” No other releases will be rescheduled or produced until the resumption of regular government services. BLS to Publish September CPI Report on Oct. 24 Despite ShutdownContact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, for an economist's take on what AI means for the workplace and workforce.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he looks at a scenario where the Fed's recent rate cut could even be bad for long-term loans. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. 

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he looks at the relationship between the national debt and inflation.Sources:Total Federal Outlays (MTSO133FMS) | FRED | St. Louis Fed Total Federal Receipts (MTSR133FMS) | FRED | St. Louis Fed https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-01/51118-2025-01-Budget-Projections.xlsx Country List Government Debt to GDP Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. 

Join CFC expert John Suter, vice president of economic research, for what a recent misadventure taught him about time and patience as finite resources.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, for a crash course in the governance of the Federal Reserve.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he tackles a misleading map of U.S. GDP. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. 

Join CFC expert John Suter, vice president of economic research, as he looks at Americans' rising auto-loan debt and how to avoid it. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he considers the fallout and opportunities from slowing birth rates and changing population trends. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. World population growth, 1700-2100, 2022 revision - Human population projections - WikipediaNet Migration Spurs Renewed Growth in Rural Areas of the United States | Economic Research ServiceNational 50-state population projections: 2030, 2040, 2050 | Cooper CenterChart: 7 in 10 People to Live in Urban Areas by 2050 | StatistaInterstate Migration Archives | Tax FoundationState and Local Tax Collections Per Capita by State, 2025

Join CFC expert John Suter, vice president of economic research, as he explains that the answer depends a lot on what state you live in. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.Sources:https://www.bls.gov/cpi/https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/21/income-you-need-to-be-middle-class-in-every-us-state.htmlhttps://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/index-family/indicators/sp-corelogic-case-shiller/sp-corelogic-case-shiller-composite/#overviewhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Side_of_the_Moon

CFC economics intern Everly Johnston joins host Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst, to share a firsthand Gen Z perspective on navigating today’s job market, inflation pressures and the evolving definition of financial success.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, as she explores how different generations define "financial success."Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he breaks down the future value of your dollars at a rate of inflation above the Federal Reserve’s target.  Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. Sources:https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.png?g=1ISld&height=490https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-center/average-gas-prices-through-history/https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GASREGWhttps://www.minneapolisfed.org/about-us/monetary-policy/inflation-calculatorhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCSL#https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-03/51119-2025-03-LTBO-budget.xlsx

Join CFC's Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst, and Carolina Park, senior manager of Financial Tools & Analysis, as they use the new KRTA results to discover how distribution cooperatives handled the economic challenges of 2024.For questions and requests about the 2024 KRTA report, please contact your RVP or reach out to [email protected]. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, as she looks at U.S.–Canada trade with Alisha Pinto, senior energy industry analyst of CFC's Utility Research & Policy team.Log into the CFC member website to see the webinar mentioned during the show:Beyond Inflation: Understanding the True Costs of Utility EquipmentFor questions and requests about industry research topics, please contact [email protected] the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join CFC expert John Suter, vice president of economic research, as he looks at worsening prospects for defaulting student loan borrowers and gauges the size of the problem nationwide. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he examines the CBO's record of rosier-than-reality forecasts. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. Sources:https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61459https://rollcall.com/2025/06/09/cbo-debt-limit-x-date-likely-not-until-mid-august-at-earliest/https://www.statista.com/statistics/200386/budget-of-the-us-government-for-fiscal-year-2012-by-agencies/https://www.cbo.gov/about/10-things-to-knowhttps://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/organization_mission/https://www.jct.gov/operations/frequently-asked-questions/https://www.cbo.gov/data/budget-economic-datahttps://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/debt-to-the-penny/debt-to-the-pennyhttps://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/interest-expense-avg-interest-rates/https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2025/03/global-debt-report-2025_bab6b51e.html

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, as she reveals why she'd recommend engineering to students looking for a career.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he outlines the options to make the Social Security trust fund solvent. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. Sources:https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/oasdi_sc/2023/https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/rural-urban-continuum-codeshttps://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/05/20/what-the-data-says-about-social-security/https://www.bankrate.com/retirement/social-security-funding-solutions/https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v77n2/v77n2p1.htmlhttps://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/scf23.pdf

Join CFC expert John Suter, vice president of economic research, as he looks at delayed effects of the fast-changing and uncertain trade environment.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Three weeks ago, Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, considered the question, "What If China Sold Off US Treasurys?" This week, she answers some follow-up questions from one of our listeners. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join CFC expert John Suter, vice president of economic research, as he examines signs of change in the labor market. Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he weighs how tariffs affect the wider economy.  Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. Sources:https://www.google.com/finance/quote/ZSW00:CBOT?sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwimo46XvbSMAxXrEVkFHXIQEikQ3ecFegQIGRAX&window=6Mhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES3133600101https://companiesmarketcap.com/usa/largest-companies-in-the-usa-by-market-cap/https://www.ibisworld.com/us/bed/number-of-businesses/2898/https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/econ/bds/bds-datasets.htmlhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/AAA10Y 

Join Sam Kem, senior economic research analyst at CFC, as she examines the likelihood—and effects—of large-scale, foreign sell-offs of U.S. debt.Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected] us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

Join Antony Davies, director of economic research at CFC, as he looks under the hood of the U.S. economy.  Contact the Economic & Market Watch team at [email protected]. Visit us, download the dashboard and intelligence brief and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions. Sources: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=1FZT5 https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LFWA64TTUSM647S https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEFAINUSA672N