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

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.

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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

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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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.

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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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.

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

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.

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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

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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The Fed met this week and gave the Inside Economics crew a lot to talk about. Joining the fray are three colleagues, Martin Wurm, Justin Begley, and Matt Colyar. Opinions varied on the wisdom of September’s rate hike, how much of an attempt it was to signal Chair Warsh’s independence from the White House, and the likelihood that more hikes are in tow. The group plays the numbers game and debates what changes should be made to Moody’s Analytics baseline forecast after Wednesday’s meeting. All of this is prefaced by a lengthy conversation about everyone’s hair (or lack thereof).

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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Ben Harris, Director of the Economic Studies Program at the Brookings Institution, joins the Inside Economics team to discuss his new research on how AI could shape the nation’s fiscal outlook. The bottom line: it’s complicated. AI has the potential to lift economic growth and ease pressure on the budget, but it won’t erase the difficult choices ahead on taxes, spending, and the nation’s long-term debt path.

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

Guest: Ben Harris, Director of Economic Studies Program, Brookings Institution

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

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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The Inside Economics team is joined by colleague and CPI guru Matt Colyar to discuss August's CPI inflation report, which came in a touch hotter than expected. Mark ranks his top four inflation culprits, and the team weighs in. Next week's Fed meeting is top of mind, and there's some disagreement about the likelihood of a Fed rate hike.

Guest: Matt Colyar

To access Mark and Matt's paper The Fed's Inflation Drama, click here: https://www.economy.com/getfile?q=0944A835-CD53-4092-ADD2-B22EEC4A45D3&app=download

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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