Why the Economy Feels Unclear Even When It’s Working

Why the Economy Feels Unclear Even When It’s Working

From The Personal Wealth Coach by Jacob A. McClure, CIMA®, of The Personal Wealth Coach, an Independent Fiduciary Investment Advisory Firm | Fee-Only

May 2, 2026 · 42 min · Season 26 · Episode 35

About this episode

Jake McClure discusses the dissonance between economic growth and public unease regarding the economy.

The economy is technically growing, the job market is holding together, and yet almost everyone feels uneasy. In this episode of The Personal Wealth Coach, Jake McClure unpacks why the economic story we are living through feels so disorienting. Jake starts with the latest Federal Reserve meeting and explains why a “rates unchanged” headline misses the real story. A divided board, a new Fed chair, and a quiet return to quantitative easing are reshaping interest rates, inflation expectations, and the future of mortgages. He breaks down what the Fed’s continued sale of mortgage backed securities means for housing prices and why mortgage rates have stayed stubbornly high longer than most people expected. From there, the lens widens to the global stage. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, the UAE walking away from OPEC, and Russia’s oil infrastructure under sustained attack, energy markets are under pressure in ways that are already feeding inflation. Jake connects these global events to what consumers see at the gas pump and the grocery store. The episode also tackles housing supply, demographics, and why today’s economy looks strong on paper but feels uncomfortable in real…

People in this episode

Host: Jake McClure

Topics covered

  • economy
  • Federal Reserve
  • interest rates
  • inflation
  • housing market
  • global energy markets
  • consumer confidence

Keywords

  • economy
  • job market
  • interest rates
  • inflation expectations
  • mortgage rates
  • housing prices
  • energy markets
  • consumer spending
  • quantitative easing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Russia, Federal Reserve, OPEC

Places: Strait of Hormuz

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