161 - Your Couch Is on Sale Because Essentials Are Draining Your Wallet | IINsights

Investing IINsights — Weekly Email Audio Edition Topic: Jobs Hit a Wall, Inflation Didn’t, and the Consumer Is CrackingThis week’s economic data looks better on the surface than it feels underneath.The headlines say GDP was revised higher and unemployment ticked down, but the deeper numbers tell a much messier story: job growth slowed sharply, prior months were revised lower, consumer-facing sectors weakened, and inflation is still too sticky for the Fed to easily cut rates.In this episode, we break down why the labor market may be hitting a wall, why the consumer is starting to crack, and why sticky inflation puts the Fed in a very uncomfortable position. We also look at what this means for portfolios, especially dividend investors trying to balance income, safety, and opportunity.We also cover this week’s Top 5 IINvestments going ex-dividend, including names in growth, tobacco, telecom, REITs, and CEF income.Plus portfolio updates:More THTA in the retirement portfolioThe end of the Nine Energy bond/share weirdnessNew Intel bond exposure and a new Sanofi positionMore CAIE in the main portfolioWhy QQQI became redundantHow the dry powder machine is starting to become an actual machineIf you want weekly market context with a dividend-income lens—and a little less “everything is fine” nonsense—this is your IINsights drop.Where You Can Subscribe To Our Weekly UpdatesEmail SubscriptionSubstack Newsletter SubscriptionLinkedIn Newsletter SubscriptionLeave a comment:On this episode's Youtube Video_________________________________________________________________________________DISCLAIMER Ticker metrics change as markets and companies change, so always do your own research. The content in this podcast is based on personal experience and is for educational purposes, not financial advice. See full disclaimer here.Episode music was created using Loudly.