The Wintrust Business Lunch with John Williams from WGN Radio 720
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Wintrust Podcasts
Ryan Burrow has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. This will be a big weekend for conventions and events in Chicago. McCormick Place will host the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW 2025, the largest inbound international travel trade show in the country. Also the HYROX World Championships, a four day sports extravaganza is …
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Wintrust Business Lunch 6/13/25: Market dip after Israel attack, commercial real estate outlook, Prime Meats by Lettuce
Segment 1: Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group, and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John to talk about the impact of the Israel-Iran conflict on the U.S. economy, when the Fed will likely cut interest rates, why the market is still holding up despite all of the uncertainty, what is going to happen with tariffs…
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Wintrust Business Lunch 6/12/25: Benign inflation data, AI hiring impact, Chicago’s new marketing campaign
Segment 1: Jason Turner, Chief Investment Strategist for Wintrust Wealth Management, joins John to talk about the fairly benign inflation numbers released this week, corporate earnings continuing to be healthy, and if he believes it’s time to lower interest rates. Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about Tesla …
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Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about long-term care insurance and what you need to know, what she thinks of President Trump’s plan to give newborns $1,000, and to answer all of your financial questions. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7466769/7466769_2025-06-11-225709.128.mp3 Recent Po…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. United Airlines has partnered with Spotify to give flyers new in-flight entertainment. The partnership gives passengers free access to more than 450 hours of playlists, audiobooks and podcasts. The content will be available on United flights by 2026. United says it’s…
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Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk the importance of getting feedback at work, and why networking is key when trying to get a job Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to explain why the most valuable employees of 2025 are ambassadors and anticipators. Segment 3: Carl Pr…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Chicago-based Potbelly is seeing growth after warning in 2020 about going out of business. Crain’s says the sandwich chain has seen progress in its turnaround plan, including positive net income in the first quarter. Potbelly had income of $85,000 compared to a loss …
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Wintrust Business Lunch 6/9/25: Top staycations, credit scores drop, clean-tech, Patterned by Nature
Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about why Chicago is a great place for a staycation, and how low credit scores from student loan debt nonpayment has been impacting homebuying. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about a Ch…
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Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the good job report, what is driving the market today, the dustup between President Trump and Elon Musk, the outlook for Tesla (and EV’s in general) moving forward, the fantastic run that gold has had recently, what he thinks of Fed po…
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Wintrust Business Lunch 6/5/25: Market opportunity, Meta AI power, work surveys, Friday Night Flights
Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John Williams to talk about the uncertainty in the market, but how uncertainty can lead to opportunity. Steven also explains why he believes its time for the Fed to cut interest rates. Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. The University of Chicago has received a $21 million donation to establish a new quantum research center. Philanthropist Thea Berggren made the donation, and the new center will include her name. It’ll will be located in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering a…
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Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the net return of T-bills, what you need to know about the Trump tax bill, the opposition to the bill by some members of the GOP, the weak ADP jobs report, why you need to join the digital revolution when it comes to your money, and a new view on AI.…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. The Chicago Blackhawks have revealed new renderings for the Fifth Third Arena expansion. When the work is complete in early 2026, the venue will have more than 250,000 square feet of hockey space and training facilities, along with bars, lounges and a patio. The aren…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. A Chicago hotel is ranked among the world’s best hotels. The Peninsula Chicago is tied for first in the ranking by La Liste. The Peninsula is a luxury hotel on Superior Street just off the Magnificent Mile. La Liste determines its rankings by analyzing press coverage…
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Longtime Chicago radio veteran Harvey Wells, Founder, Lower Tech Bills, talks to John about how he helps customers lower their internet, cell phone, and television costs. And as always, Harvey answers all of your tech questions! First, though, Harvey talks about seeing Bruce Springsteen in France where everybody was sitting down! https://serve.cast…
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Wintrust Business Lunch 6/2/25: Home listings jump, IRS data, City Cruises Live, Pathos AI is Chicago’s latest unicorn
Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about the strength of the spring housing market, and to break down the data released in the IRS 2024 Data Book. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Motorola Solutions paying $4.5B for …
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. There’s an update to the gate allocation saga at O’Hare Airport. The latest allocation will give United Airlines five additional gates at the airport starting Oct. 1. American will lose four gates. After the re-allocation is complete, United, based here in Chicago, w…
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Wintrust Business Lunch 5/30/25: Economic growth, vacation rental tips, small business job creation
Segment 1: Paul Nolte, Senior Wealth Advisor and Market Strategist, Murphy & Sylvest, joins John to talk about the decent economic data released this week, how tariffs have been impacting the market, what we know about any trade deals, the likelihood of seeing a recession, how he’s seeing economic growth, what he’s telling his clients right now, th…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Chicago-based United Airlines has announced a new partnership with JetBlue that will allow the airline to return to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. The partnership, called Blue Sky, will allow United and JetBlue to sell seats on each other’s websites and let cust…
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Wintrust Business Lunch 5/29/25: Mijo’s Authentic Mexican Food in Fox Lake, Trump tariffs, Musk leaving government
Segment 1: Ivan Gomez, Owner, Mijo’s Authentic Mexican Food, joins John Williams to talk about the history of their restaurant, how long they have been in Fox Lake, how the restaurant concept started, what you should order when you visit, and the soul of Mijo’s being the taco. Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk…
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Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the implications of AI on the economy, why now is time to do something about your student loans, and President Trump’s reaction to the term ‘TACO Trade.’ And as always, Terry answers your financial questions. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7438784/…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. The financial outlook for the City of Chicago has been changed to negative by Fitch Ratings. In its revision, Fitch says there’s been a lack of meaningful progress in closing a nearly $1 billion structural budget gap. The agency has suggested Chicago could face a fut…
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Wintrust Business Lunch 5/27/25: Employer power shift, Job ‘delayers,’ Southwest Airlines baggage fees, Bernie’s Book Bank
Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about about the importance of showing up for meetings, and what you can learn if you accidentally missed a scheduled appointment. Tom also tells about the recent shift of power from the employees to the employer. Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Wo…
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Segment 1: Liza Lefkowski, Vice President of Merchandising and Stores, Wayfair, joins John Williams to talk about the 1 year anniversary of their first brick and mortar store in Wilmette! Segment 2: Joe Cicero, Director of Marketing and Promotions for the McHenry Outdoor Theater, joins John to talk about the 74th season of the theater! Joe tells Jo…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Oberweis Dairy is planning an expansion just a year after it was acquired out of bankruptcy by a new owner. Hoffman Family of Companies purchased the 100-year-old company last June and has spent the last year upgrading stores and buying real estate. Crain’s reports O…
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Segment 1: Wendy Reed, Partner at Just Rite IT, joins John Williams to talk about what Just Rite IT does, how they help customers with their technology needs, the most important need for businesses right now, the typical problems they solve, how they ease the day-to-day burden for their clients, and the ways they can save their customers money. Seg…
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Wintrust Business Minute: Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management announces Matt Caldwell Veterans Program
Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. One of the country’s top business schools is launching a program to attract more veterans. Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management has announced The Matt Caldwell Veterans Program. It will focus on increasing veteran student recruitment and provide fin…
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Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the market clawing its way back from drops earlier in the year, the importance of creating a financial plan from a fee-only fiduciary, and the uncertainty over President Trump’s budget bill. And as always, Terry answers all of your financial question…
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Segment 1: Jack Ablin, Chief Investment Officer and Founding Partner, Cresset Capital, talks to John about the big takeaways from Moody’s credit downgrade, the trade agreement between China and the U.S., and the likelihood of a recession in 2025. Segment 2: Phil Mikhaylov, Founder / CEO, Unicorn Auctions, talks to John about their auction platform …
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Chicago restaurants report fewer people eating out, and those who are, have been spending less. Crain’s spoke with several restaurant operators who say revenue and foot traffic is down so far this year. Even with the warming weather, traffic has not picked up. Diners…
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Wintrust Business Lunch 5/19/25: U.S. credit rating, Walmart and tariffs, credit card debt, Supergut
Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about spring homebuying season sputtering, student loan borrowers throughout the country reporting massive credit score drops, the impact of Moody’s downgrading the credit rating of the United States, and Walmart saying price hikes may come soon bec…
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Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John Williams to talk about the market performance this week, the tariff fears being overblown, good economic data being released, why he’s bullish long-term, what sector he’s most interested in, why you need to diversify your portfolio, and what he expects…
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Wintrust Business Lunch 5/15/25: Home affordability survey, RTO and layoffs, Clearbrook, micro-apartments
Segment 1: Mark Hamrick, Washington Bureau Chief and Senior Economic Analyst for Bankrate.com, talks to John about a new survey that shows nearly half of current homeowners say they have at least one regret about the purchase of their current home. Mark also offers some tips on how you can save money on your home purchase. Segment 2: Aki Ito, Chief…
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Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the recent stock market rebound, the importance of knowing what you own, and if she believes there will still be some disruption in the economy. Terry also answers all of your financial questions. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7417254/5-14-25_Wint…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Chicago-based Kraft Heinz will spend $3 billion to upgrade its U.S. factories. It’s the company’s largest investment in its plants in a decade but comes at a time of uncertainty for the company. Kraft Heinz execs have said consumer sentiment is at its second-lowest p…
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Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the importance of being prepared, making a good impression, and how you can separate yourself from your peers. Tom also says, ‘taking things for granted is how you get beat.’ Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about the…
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Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about the market reaction to the Trump administration announcing tariff cuts, the fallout from the trade negotiations, and why it’s harder to get a car loan right now. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborativ…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Arlington Height’s Northpoint Center has been acquired by a Texas investor. According to Crain’s, Encore Enterprises acquired a majority stake in the shopping center for $34 million. It’s located at the intersection of Rand Road and Arlington Heights Road. AmCap affi…
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Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about why the markets are dipping a bit today, the latest on President Trump’s trade deals, the roller coaster the market has been on since President Trump announced his tariff plan, why now is a good time to reevaluate your retirement plan,…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Krispy Kreme is pausing its partnership with McDonald’s. The company says it’s concerned about weakness in the economy and uncertainty about expansion of the partnership. It also withdrew its profit guidance after saying the partnership with the Chicago-based burger …
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Segment 1: Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the Fed’s interest rate decision, the impact of tariff policy on the economy, the nation running up its credit card debt, the latest on Social Security clawbacks, the Trump administration garnishing wages of 5.3 million defaulted student l…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. A popular Chicago bar is planning an expansion, including a second location. Crain’s reports Butch McGuire’s is looking for a new location in Lincoln Park. The deal’s not done yet but the report says the expansion is imminent. The 64-year-old bar is eyeing 2249 N. Li…
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Wintrust Business Minute: State of Illinois sees improved revenue projections for upcoming fiscal year
Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. A new forecast includes improved revenue projections for the State of Illinois in the upcoming fiscal year, despite concerns about the local and national economy. The forecast comes from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, the General Assembl…
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Segment 1: Business reporter Steve Alexander chats with John about Warren Buffett announcing he will be stepping down and the impact he’s had on the economy. Segment 2: Emily Stewart, Senior Correspondent, Business Insider, tells John how wealthy people are single-handedly warding off a recession. Segment 2: Phillip Shaw, CFP, Senior Advisor, Golds…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Electric vehicle maker Rivian is expanding its footprint in Illinois. The company will add a supplier park to its factory in downstate Normal that could create 100 jobs. Its manufacturing facility already employs about 8,000 people. Rivian will invest about $120 mill…
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Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about what we should know about Trump’s proposed budget, why first-time home buyers are coming back, the surprisingly good jobs report on Friday, and President Trump’s plan to reopen Alcatraz. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechN…
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Segments 1 & 2: Jane Oates, Senior Policy Advisor and recent President at WorkingNation, joins John Williams to talk about the new April jobs report. Jane also touches on manufacturing and its future in America. Segment 3: Reid Sawyer, Head of the Emerging Risk Group at Marsh McLennan, talks with John about risk management and how clients can price…
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Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. A Chicago-based snack company says consumers appear to be prioritizing essentials over cookies, crackers and other snacks. Mondelez International says it saw slower growth in the latest quarter and blames consumer worries about inflation and the economy. Mondelez is …
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Wintrust Business Lunch 5/1/25: Cooling job market, housing supply and affordability, Illinois tourism
Segment 1: Mark Hamrick, Washington Bureau Chief and Senior Economic Analyst for Bankrate.com, talks to John about the increase in continuing unemployment claims, how tariffs might impact the economy, his thoughts on the GDP decline, if the economy is at a tipping point, and if we are likely to a recession this year. Segment 2: Matt Fiascone, presi…
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Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the next phase of tariffs, when we will truly feel the impact of tariffs, GDP declining in the first quarter, if we are headed to a recession, and what we should be doing with our money in uncertain times. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7392623/4-3…
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