Welcome back to In Good Companies! This season, we’re exploring the forces shaping your business, inside and out—and to kick off Season Two, we’ve got a double whammy: inflation and interest rates.

During COVID, the Federal Reserve cut its target range for the Federal Funds Rate to 0.00% to 0.25%. But now, in 2022, inflation has hit a 40-year high and interest rates are climbing again. In six short months, the Federal Funds Rate target range has risen steeply, from a range of 0% to 0.25% to a range of 3.00% to 3.25%. High interest rates can have a substantial effect on businesses and consumers alike. So, how high will rates climb? And how long will they stay elevated?

One of the people best positioned to answer those questions is Dr. Lindsey Piegza, Chief Economist at Stifel: she’s spent her career translating the economy to a broad audience. Together, we’ll examine the relationship between interest and inflation, decode the Fed’s monetary policy and explore why this inflation might be particularly stubborn.

As always, we’ll dig into what this means for you and your business: what indicators to pay attention to, how to adapt to a high-interest environment and why you should be especially cautious when inflation recedes.

So join us! We’ve got your best interest at heart.

Read the full show transcript.

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Meet the Host

Patrick Pacheco, Executive Vice President, Trust Executive, has more than 25 years’ experience in wealth management, in addition to the designing and implementation of tax and related planning strategies.

Pacheco’s background includes years of legal practice and multiple degrees, including an LLM* Taxation from University of Houston, a JD from Southern Methodist University, and both an MBA and BS in Economics from University of Texas at Arlington.

He is also board certified in Estate Planning and Probate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Meet the Speakers

Dr. Lindsey Piegza is the Chief Economist for Stifel Financial. She specializes in the research and analysis of economic trends and activity, world economies, financial markets, and monetary and fiscal policies. Prior to her role with Stifel, she was the Senior Economist for an investment bank in New York City for eight years consulting clients in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

A highly sought-after speaker across national and international forums, Piegza is often quoted in the business press. She is a regular guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN and Fox Business, as well as national radio and other business news outlets. Piegza is also a monthly op-ed contributor for The Hill.

In addition to her role with Stifel, Piegza is an instructor at the Pacific Coast Banking School, a member of the Chicago Federal Reserve Advisory Committee, SIFMA Economic Advisory Roundtable Chair, co-chair of the NABE International Roundtable, and a well-respected author. Piegza has published numerous academic papers in prestigious journals such as the Harvard Business Review and in textbooks from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Piegza is a member of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), American Economic Association (AEA), the Economic Club of Chicago and the Economic Club of New York. Piegza was also named a 2019 Women of Influence by the Chicago Business Journal. She holds two degrees from Northwestern University in political science and economics, and earned her Ph.D. in economics from the City University of New York. She is a native of Chicago and is based in Stifel’s downtown Chicago office.

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To the extent that this podcast includes predictions about the economy, these predictions are subject to a number of variables and you should confer with your legal, accounting and tax advisors for their input regarding the possible outcomes of any economic subject matter discussed herein. Predictions are forward-looking statements that reflect current views with respect to, among other things, future events. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond the control of any person or entity. Accordingly, please be aware that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees and are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that are difficult to predict.

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