Inflation Explained with Fexingo: CPI, Prices, and the Cost of Living for Everyday People

Lucas and Luna break down the Fed funds rate and how its ripple effects hit your mortgage, car loan, and credit card. With the fed funds rate stuck at 3.64%, they explain why the rate hasn't moved despite inflation cooling—and what that means for your borrowing costs. They walk through the transmission mechanism: from the Fed's interest on reserve balances to your bank's prime rate to the monthly payment on a $40,000 car loan. No jargon, just the chain of cause and effect that explains why your credit card APR hasn't budged even as headline CPI inches lower. A practical look at the one number that touches almost every dollar you borrow. #FedFundsRate #InterestRates #MonetaryPolicy #BorrowingCosts #PersonalFinance #MortgageRates #CarLoans #CreditCards #FederalReserve #Economics #Inflation #CPI #PCE #PrimeRate #SOFR #IOER #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Episode 13 of Inflation Explained with Fexingo digs into the widening gap between official CPI data and what households actually experience at the checkout counter. As of April 2026, headline CPI sits at 332.4, up about 0.6% from the prior month—a modest rise on paper. But consumer sentiment hit a record low in May, and surveys show many Americans feel inflation is running much hotter. Lucas and Luna unpack the structural reasons behind this disconnect: how the CPI's substitution effect, geometric weighting, and the exclusion of certain out-of-pocket costs like rising insurance premiums skew the official number. They walk through a concrete example: ground beef prices up 8% year-over-year versus the CPI meat sub-index at 3.2%, and what that means for a family making $60,000 a year. The hosts also touch on how the Fed's focus on core PCE—currently at 2.6%—misses the pain points ordinary people feel most. A sobering, data-rich look at why the national average doesn't live in your kitchen. #CPI #Inflation #CostOfLiving #ConsumerSentiment #Fed #CorePCE #GroceryPrices #SubstitutionBias #GeometricWeighting #HouseholdBudget #RealEconomy #PriceIndex #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #InflationExplained #LucasAndLuna #May2026 Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Episode 12 of Inflation Explained with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna unpack the latest CPI release for April 2026, focusing on one outlier category: lodging away from home, which jumped 2.1% month-over-month. They explain why hotels, motels, and Airbnb stays are tracked in core CPI, not the headline, and how a surge in business travel and a tight labor market for housekeeping staff are pushing rates higher. The hosts also explore what this means for Fed policy — if service-side inflation stays sticky in categories like lodging, the central bank may hold rates steady even as goods prices cool. Anchored in today's market data: S&P 500 at 7,473, small caps outperforming with the Russell 2000 up 3.4% in the past week, and the ten-year breakeven inflation rate holding at 2.40%. A concise take on a hidden driver of inflation that hits travelers and the Fed's dashboard alike. #Inflation #CPI #CoreCPI #HotelPrices #LodgingAwayFromHome #BusinessTravel #TravelCosts #ServicesInflation #FedPolicy #FederalReserve #InterestRates #May2026 #ConsumerPrices #TravelIndustry #Hospitality #Airbnb #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Lucas and Luna break down why the price of streaming services has become a surprisingly accurate gauge of inflation psychology. With core CPI at 335.4 and consumer sentiment at a record low, they examine how companies like Netflix and Disney have shifted from growth-at-all-costs to steady price hikes — and why that matters more than the official numbers. Plus: what the Fed's flat interest rate on reserves tells us about the central bank's next move. #Inflation #StreamingWars #CPI #ConsumerSentiment #Netflix #DisneyPlus #PricingPower #CoreCPI #FedPolicy #InterestRates #CostOfLiving #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #PriceHikes #SubscriptionEconomy #MoneyTalk Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Episode 10 of Inflation Explained with Fexingo digs into the gap between official CPI data and what consumers feel at checkout. With the May 2026 consumer sentiment index hitting a record low and the Fed holding rates at 3.64%, hosts Lucas and Luna explore why even as headline inflation cools, items like eggs, car insurance, and rent continue to climb. They examine the 'sticky inflation' phenomenon—prices that tend to rise quickly but fall slowly—and how services are driving the current reading. Using real-world examples from grocery stores to auto repair shops, this episode helps listeners understand why their wallet doesn't match the government's numbers. No ads, just a clear look at the forces keeping prices elevated. #Inflation #CPI #CostOfLiving #ConsumerPrices #Fed #InterestRates #StickyInflation #Rent #CarInsurance #Groceries #Wages #PurchasingPower #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #InflationExplained #LucasAndLuna #PriceGouging Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Episode 9 of Inflation Explained with Fexingo dives into the surprising rebound in used car prices. With CPI at 332.4 and core CPI at 335.4, the overall inflation picture is cooling—but auto prices are bucking the trend. Lucas and Luna explore why the 2020-2021 supply chain shock still reverberates through the used car market, how the Iran conflict is disrupting global shipping and parts availability, and what this means for consumers heading into summer. They break down the mechanics of lease returns, rental fleet dynamics, and the shift in consumer demand from new to used cars as interest rates stay elevated. Listeners get a concrete explanation for why that 'good deal' on a three-year-old sedan is suddenly harder to find, and what to watch in the months ahead. #UsedCars #Inflation #CPI #CoreCPI #AutoMarket #SupplyChain #IranConflict #InterestRates #ConsumerSentiment #Economics #CostOfLiving #LucasAndLuna #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #PodcastEpisode #CarPrices #InflationExplained #FedPolicy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Lucas and Luna dig into why inflation feels more painful than the official numbers suggest, especially with the Iran war rattling energy markets. They explain the gap between CPI and personal experience, why used car prices are spiking again, and what the record-low consumer sentiment data from May 2026 really means for your wallet. Specific numbers include the April CPI reading of 332.4, the 10-year breakeven inflation rate at 2.40%, and the 3.62% Fed funds rate. #Inflation #ConsumerPriceIndex #IranConflict #EnergyPrices #Fed #MonetaryPolicy #BreakevenInflation #ConsumerSentiment #CostOfLiving #UsedCars #SupplyChain #Geopolitics #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #Podcast #InflationExplained Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode of Inflation Explained with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dig into a fresh angle: how geopolitical conflict — specifically the ongoing tensions with Iran — is feeding into the inflation that Americans feel every day. They anchor on the new consumer sentiment record low from May 22, 2026, and connect it to the CPI reading of 332.4 for April. Lucas breaks down the energy-to-goods transmission channel: oil spikes, shipping costs, then everything from groceries to airfare. Luna points out that the core CPI remains elevated at 335.4, suggesting that even if energy cools, the damage lingers. They also discuss why the ten-year breakeven inflation rate, now at 2.40 percent, shows markets are pricing in persistent pressure. A specific, grounded look at how a single geopolitical shock is making the cost of living story more complicated. #IranConflict #Inflation #CPI #Geopolitics #EnergyPrices #ConsumerSentiment #FederalReserve #CostOfLiving #OilPrices #BreakevenInflationRate #CoreCPI #SupplyChain #Macroeconomics #EconomicIndicators #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #InflationExplained #Economics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

The official CPI sits at 332.4, up just 0.6 percent from last month. But consumer sentiment hit a record low in May. Lucas and Luna unpack the gap between the aggregate inflation figure and what households actually experience at the register. They drill into the specific basket composition issue — how fuel and food cost spikes in a geopolitical crisis get smoothed over by indices that weight housing and medical care heavily. Plus: why the AI economy and Iran war are pulling inflation in opposite directions for different income groups. And listener support keeps the conversation going: buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. #Inflation #CPI #ConsumerSentiment #IranWar #AIEconomy #CostOfLiving #FederalReserve #CoreCPI #GasPrices #RentInflation #BasketOfGoods #EconomicData #Geopolitics #BlueCollar #WealthEffect #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Economics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode of Inflation Explained, Lucas and Luna dig into a quiet but powerful shift in how the Federal Reserve reads inflation expectations. With the 10-year breakeven inflation rate falling to 2.39% even as consumer sentiment hits record lows over Iran war fears, the hosts explore why the bond market's message might be more trustworthy than surveys. They explain what breakeven rates actually measure, why the Fed under incoming chair Kevin Warsh is paying closer attention to this metric, and what it could mean for interest rates later this year. Lucas walks through a concrete example from the April CPI data to show how the bond market's 'inflation insurance' is priced. Luna pushes back on whether markets are too complacent about war-driven price spikes. The episode closes with a forward look at how the Fed might use breakevens as a communication tool, not just a forecast. #BreakevenInflation #10YearTreasury #FederalReserve #KevinWarsh #CPI #BondMarket #InflationExpectations #TIPS #MonetaryPolicy #IranWar #ConsumerSentiment #InterestRates #Economics #InflationExplained #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #MarketSignals Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode of Inflation Explained with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dig into why shelter inflation remains stubbornly high even as the headline CPI has moderated to 332.4. They explain the lag in how rent data is collected, why owners' equivalent rent behaves differently from market-rate leases, and what the 10-year breakeven inflation rate dropping to 2.39 percent might signal for future housing costs. The hosts break down the gap between what tenants are actually paying and what the government's surveys capture, offering concrete context for listeners wondering why their own rent hasn't gone down. A timely look at one of the most persistent components of consumer inflation. #InflationExplained #CPI #ShelterInflation #Rent #OwnersEquivalentRent #CostOfLiving #Housing #FederalReserve #KevinWarsh #BreakevenInflationRate #CoreCPI #InflationData #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #InflationPodcast #RentCrisis Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode of Inflation Explained with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dig into a surprising angle: while headline CPI ticked up to 332.4 in April, certain goods and services tied to AI and automation are seeing outright deflation. They explore how the AI economy is rewriting the American Dream, with blue-collar workers poised to gain as AI drives down costs in logistics, manufacturing, and retail—but also discuss risks for service workers. With the 10-year breakeven inflation rate dipping to 2.44% and bond vigilantes pressuring the Fed, they ask whether the AI deflationary force is real or just a mirage. A grounded, data-rich conversation for anyone watching their wallet. #AIEconomy #Inflation #CPI #BlueCollarWorkers #Deflation #FederalReserve #KevinWarsh #BondVigilantes #Automation #Logistics #Manufacturing #Retail #LaborMarket #BreakevenInflation #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #InflationExplained Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the latest CPI data released April 2026. Headline inflation is cooling, but core CPI — which strips out food and energy — hit 335.4, up from 334.17 in March. They explain why economists watch core CPI as a signal of persistent inflation, especially with energy prices volatile due to the Iran war rattling markets. The conversation also touches on the 10-year breakeven inflation rate falling to 2.44%, suggesting bond markets expect inflation to ease, while the Fed faces pressure to hike rates again. Specific examples: how rising shelter costs and services inflation keep core CPI elevated, and why the Fed's preferred PCE index lags behind. No fluff, just the numbers that matter. #CPI #CoreCPI #Inflation #FederalReserve #BondMarket #BreakevenInflation #PCE #ShelterCosts #ServicesInflation #EnergyPrices #IranWar #KevinWarsh #RateHike #BondVigilantes #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #CostOfLiving Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In the debut episode of Inflation Explained with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dissect the seismic leadership change at the Federal Reserve. Kevin Warsh is sworn in as chair on Friday, inheriting an economy where inflation has surged back above 4% and investors are pricing in a rate hike by July. The hosts walk through Warsh's history as a crisis-era Fed governor, his hawkish instincts, and the 'bond vigilante' threat that could force his hand. Along the way, they crunch the April CPI number (332.4, up 0.7% month-over-month) and ask whether the soft-landing narrative is dead — or just on pause. Expect sharp analysis, real numbers, and the kind of conversation you can reference at dinner. #KevinWarsh #FederalReserve #Inflation #CPI #InterestRates #BondVigilantes #MonetaryPolicy #FedChair #Economics #SoftLanding #AprilCPI #RateHike #Yardeni #FOMC #InflationForecast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #InflationExplained Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo