Moody's Talks - Inside Economics

Latest Episodes:

Surprise Surprise Nov 06, 2026

Show notes

Colleagues Brendan La Cerda and Dante DeAntonio join Inside Economics to discuss surprising results on both the midterm election and the October jobs report. The discussion focuses on jobs first, and it was hard to find a blemish in the latest data, as job growth far exceeded expectations and the unemployment rate ticked lower. The conversation then turned to the midterm elections as Brendan detailed the magnitude of the Democratic swing in the House and Senate. However, the large margin of victory will do little to move the macroeconomic needle as legislative gridlock remains the baseline expectation.

Hosts: Mark Zandi – Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics, Cris deRitis – Deputy Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics, and Marisa DiNatale – Senior Director - Head of Global Forecasting, Moody’s Analytics

Follow Mark Zandi on 'X' and BlueSky @MarkZandi, Cris deRitis on LinkedIn, and Marisa DiNatale on LinkedIn

Questions or Comments, please email us at InsideEconomics@moodys.com. We would love to hear from you.

To stay informed and follow the insights of Moody's Analytics economists, visit Economic View.

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Charlie Cook on the Election Oct 30, 2026

Show notes

Charlie Cook, founder of the Cook Political Report and Washington’s “election oracle,” joins the Inside Economics crew to preview the upcoming midterm elections. Charlie shares how he got his start, the story behind founding the Cook Political Report, and how he became one of the most trusted voices in election forecasting. He then digs into the dynamics of the House race and the key Senate contests, predicting that Democrats will win both chambers. Charlie also explains why this cycle is unusual. Our own election forecaster Justin Begley joins the conversation to give the Moody’s Analytics outlook.

Guest: Charlie Cook, founder of the Cook Political Report

For more from Charlie Cook, check out his Substack, https://substack.com/@charliecookpolitics

Follow Mark Zandi on 'X' and BlueSky @MarkZandi, Cris deRitis on LinkedIn, and Marisa DiNatale on LinkedIn

Questions or Comments, please email us at InsideEconomics@moodys.com. We would love to hear from you.

To stay informed and follow the insights of Moody's Analytics economists, visit Economic View.

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Strong on Paper Oct 30, 2026

Show notes

Big news: Mark became a grandpa, and unlike most data this week, this one won’t be revised. Mark, Marisa, Cris, and colleague Matt Colyar digest the bevy of data released this week, including GDP, PCE, spending, income, and the employment cost index. Mark makes the case for future weakness in spending and growth due to negative real incomes and low saving rates. The rest of the team points out what even a happy new grandpa may be missing: a labor market holding together with low layoffs and spending supported by wealthier households. While Mark is cautious on the economy, the outlook for his grandchild is the one forecast with no downside scenario.

Follow Mark Zandi on 'X' and BlueSky @MarkZandi, Cris deRitis on LinkedIn, and Marisa DiNatale on LinkedIn

Questions or Comments, please email us at InsideEconomics@moodys.com. We would love to hear from you.

To stay informed and follow the insights of Moody's Analytics economists, visit Economic View.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI Series: Live From New York Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

Inside Economics closes out its AI series with a rare live taping at the Economic Outlook Conference in New York City. Drawing on lessons from earlier episodes—and plenty of input from the audience—Marisa, Cris, and Mark weigh AI's promise against its perils. The verdict: fears of mass job losses are fading, replaced by worries that AI is inflating a bubble in stock and credit markets.

Read The Macroeconomic Consequences of AI and Aging and the Productivity Puzzle

View our latest articles and research on AI- https://www.economy.com/ai-insight-hub

Follow Mark Zandi on 'X' and BlueSky @MarkZandi, Cris deRitis on LinkedIn, and Marisa DiNatale on LinkedIn

Questions or Comments, please email us at InsideEconomics@moodys.com. We would love to hear from you.

To stay informed and follow the insights of Moody's Analytics economists, visit Economic View.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bending, Not Breaking Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

John Toohig of Raymond James joins Mark and Cris to tell the whole story on whole loan trading and what it says about the health of bank lending. The conversation covers consumer credit, mortgages, and commercial real estate. Activity was strong in the first half of 2026 and weak in the second. John explains why next year may flip the script given high rates. The discussion concludes with concerns about deposit flight and cyber risks in the age of AI. In a rarity, every statistic in the stats game earned Mark’s stamp of approval for relevance and difficulty.

Guest: John Toohig, Managing Director at Raymond James, Head of the Whole Loan Trading Group

Follow Mark Zandi on 'X' and BlueSky @MarkZandi, Cris deRitis on LinkedIn, and Marisa DiNatale on LinkedIn

Questions or Comments, please email us at InsideEconomics@moodys.com. We would love to hear from you.

To stay informed and follow the insights of Moody's Analytics economists, visit Economic View.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Survey Says… Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

John Leer, Chief Economist at Morning Consult, joins Inside Economics to discuss the mood of the consumer. John shares some interesting nuggets from Morning Consult’s survey, including differences in sentiment across regions, how consumers are feeling about AI and data centers, the job market, the War in Iran, and what this may mean for the upcoming Midterm Elections. Matt Colyar also makes an appearance and gives the group the run-down of this week’s CPI and PPI reports, which both came in hotter than expected. But first, Mark quizzes the Millennials in the group on their knowledge of Gen Z slang words.

Guest: John Leer, Chief Economist, Morning Consult

For more from John Leer, check here: https://morningconsult.com/articles/author/john-leer

Follow Mark Zandi on 'X' and BlueSky @MarkZandi, Cris deRitis on LinkedIn, and Marisa DiNatale on LinkedIn

Questions or Comments, please email us at InsideEconomics@moodys.com. We would love to hear from you.

To stay informed and follow the insights of Moody's Analytics economists, visit Economic View.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Unwrapping the Global Economy Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

The global economy is being buffeted by a seemingly endless series of shocks—from U.S. tariffs and the Russia-Ukraine war to turmoil in the Middle East. Who better to explain what it all means than our colleague Gaurav Ganguly, who leads our team of international economists. The conversation begins with Gaurav acing Mark’s stock market quiz and ends with a look at what the political shift to the right in many countries could mean for the global economy.

Guest: Gaurav Ganguly, Head of International Economics, Moody's Analytics

Listen to our sister podcast, Global Economy Unwrapped, here: https://www.moodys.com/web/en/us/insights/podcasts/global-economy-unwrapped.html

Interested in the Moody's Economics conference at New York on 10/22? Email insideeconomics@moodys.com

Follow Mark Zandi on 'X' and BlueSky @MarkZandi, Cris deRitis on LinkedIn, and Marisa DiNatale on LinkedIn

Questions or Comments, please email us at InsideEconomics@moodys.com. We would love to hear from you.

To stay informed and follow the insights of Moody's Analytics economists, visit Economic View.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Revisions, Revisions, Revisions Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

Dante joined the Inside Economics crew to discuss the September employment report, which told a more consistent story of a soft labor market. The team also dove into the bevy of other economic data released this week, including GDP, inflation, income, and spending. Recent data revisions were a recurring theme throughout the discussion, but in the end, the balance of revisions does not fundamentally change the team’s outlook.

Interested in the Moody's Economics conference at New York on 10/22? Email insideeconomics@moodys.com.

Follow Mark Zandi on 'X' and BlueSky @MarkZandi, Cris deRitis on LinkedIn, and Marisa DiNatale on LinkedIn

Questions or Comments, please email us at InsideEconomics@moodys.com. We would love to hear from you.

To stay informed and follow the insights of Moody's Analytics economists, visit Economic View.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The (Not So) Great Wealth Transfer Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Wayne Best, Chief Economist at Visa and The Wall Street Journal’s Most Accurate Forecaster of 2025, joins the Inside Economics team to discuss the state of the economy with a focus on consumer spending. Despite a similar forecast for next year, Wayne is slightly more sanguine than the Inside Economics team about the durability of consumer spending. The discussion then leads to a surprising and fascinating look at Wayne’s recent research on the generational wealth transfer. Over the next 20 years, the Boomers will pass on trillions in wealth to their heirs, but it may not be the macroeconomic boon many are expecting.

Follow Mark Zandi on 'X' and BlueSky @MarkZandi, Cris deRitis on LinkedIn, and Marisa DiNatale on LinkedIn

Guest: Wayne Best, Chief Economist at Visa

Check out Visa's study on the wealth transfer: The Great Wealth Transfer Reality Check

Questions or Comments, please email us at InsideEconomics@moodys.com. We would love to hear from you.

To stay informed and follow the insights of Moody's Analytics economists, visit Economic View.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ENCORE AI Series: Anthropic's Peter McCrory Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

Originally published on May 1st, 2026.
Peter McCrory, the Head of Economics at AI juggernaut Anthropic, joins the Inside Economics team to consider all things AI and the economy. The discussion begins with how the group is using Claude in our work, then shifts to AI’s current and expected lift to productivity, and to the underappreciated economic ramifications of AI. It turns out that Lancaster PA, is turning out some great economists.

Guest: Peter McCrory, Head of Economics at Anthropic

For more from Peter McCrory: https://peter-mccrory.github.io/

Read The Macroeconomic Consequences of AI and Aging and the Productivity Puzzle

View our latest articles and research on AI- https://www.economy.com/ai-insight-hub

Follow Mark Zandi on 'X' and BlueSky @MarkZandi, Cris deRitis on LinkedIn, and Marisa DiNatale on LinkedIn

Questions or Comments, please email us at InsideEconomics@moodys.com. We would love to hear from you.

To stay informed and follow the insights of Moody's Analytics economists, visit Economic View.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.