Moody's Talks - Inside Economics

Latest Episodes:

Lettuce Discuss Inflation Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

The Inside Economics crew is joined by colleague Matt Colyar to run down the week’s slate of inflation and consumer data. Following the recap and a brief detour about lettuce consumption, each puts forward probabilities that the Fed will cut rates, hike rates, or stay put in the near term. The numbers game leads to a discussion of the series the group would put on their Mount Rushmore – an exercise Mark is completely unfamiliar with and blames on the group’s generational divide.

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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Painful Jobs Report, Painful Podcast Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

There was nothing redeeming in the July jobs report, and the podcast crew covered all the pain points: weak job gains, downward revisions, fewer hours worked, slowing wage growth, and a worrisome drop in labor force participation. Fittingly, we had to battle through our own painful series of technical problems while recording - curious whether you’ll notice.

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.

Growth Under Strain Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

Michael Strain of the American Enterprise Institute and colleague Matt Colyar join the Inside Economics crew to unpack a blockbuster week for the U.S. economy. A bizarre FOMC meeting, fresh GDP and inflation data, new readings on consumers, and financial market gyrations offered plenty to discuss. The group debates what it all means, where the economy is likely to head from here, and of course, play the numbers game.

Guest: Michael Strain, Director of Economic Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute

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 Curious Case of the Vehicle Market Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

Nowhere is the economy’s resilience more evident than in the vehicle market. To break this down, the Inside Economics team is joined by colleague Mike Brisson, and the brain trust at Cox Automotive, including Jeremy Robb, Chief Economist, and repeat guest Jonathan Smoke, Chief Strategy Officer. The group weighs how the recent escalation of the Iran War is impacting gas prices and consumer decisions around new and used car buying, including EVs and hybrids. They also discuss how tariffs have (or haven’t) affected vehicle prices over the past year and consider auto lending as interest rates rise. Following the stats game, the experts give their forecasts for vehicle sales.

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.

Thriving, Striving or Surviving Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

The financial health of the American consumer is top of mind these days, and no one better to discuss it with than Emmaline Aliff of Equifax and our own consumer maven, Mike Brisson, join the podcast to dig into the evidence. While the consumer sector as a whole remains resilient, the story differs dramatically across the thrivers, the strivers, and the survivors. We also unpack a week full of inflation data with Matt Colyar, who helps us sort through the numbers and their implications for the economic outlook.

Guest: Emmaline Aliff, Advisory Leader, Equifax

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.

A Dove in Hawk's Clothing Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

Ethan Harris, former Head of Global Economic Research at Bank of America, joins the Inside Economics team to discuss his views on the economy’s resiliency, AI, and the Fed. Ethan expounds on the new Chair Kevin Warsh’s stance on inflation and how to interpret his views from the latest Fed minutes. The team discusses whether AI is affecting productivity and the risks it poses to the wider economy and labor market.

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.

A Jobs Debate Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

The Inside Economics crew takes a deep dive into the June employment report, which was notably softer following a string of upside surprises. The team debates how to define labor market slack given the sharp divergence between the payroll and household surveys since the beginning of the year. The stats game had some twists and turns, from the labor market to the World Cup, and Dante takes heat for mixing up positives and negatives.

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 Data, Oil, and a Global Q&A Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

Mark and Marisa dissect the raft of economic data released this past week, and debate what it means for the outlook. Chris joins the conversation and weighs in on where oil prices will settle. The group plays the Stats game – some tough stats. The discussion ends with Mark peppering our new colleague, Colin Ellis, with wide-ranging questions about the global economy.

Guests: Chris Lafakis and Colin Ellis

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.

Breaking in a new Chair Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

Claudia Sahm, Chief Economist of New Century Advisors joins the team to break down Kevin Warsh's first FOMC meeting and press conference. The group covers the rate decision, changes to Fed communications, the dot plot's future, and what Warsh's balance sheet views signal for monetary policy ahead. The new Chair is in the seat, time will tell if it's a comfortable one.

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.

Stocks, SpaceX, and Subways Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

The Inside Economics team welcomes Jim Lebenthal, Chief Market Strategist at Cerity Partners, to discuss all things investing on the morning of the SpaceX IPO. Jim discusses the equity market’s extraordinary run, whether AI stocks are overvalued, and how investors should think about picking individual stocks versus investing in index funds. The team also welcomes Matt Colyar to talk about this week’s inflation data, and Marisa addresses a slew of comments from last week’s podcast.

Guest: Jim Lebenthal, Chief Market Strategist at Cerity Partners

For more from Jim Lebenthal, visit his website: www.jimmylebenthal.com

Jim's book, How to Ride the Subway: Getting Around on Wall Street and in Life (Regalo Press March 2026), is available here

Jenna Score: 8.5

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.

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