Keeping it Real Podcast with Dr. Kuehl

View Details

Season 6, Episode 22: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about politics...

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 22 (6:58 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl gives a report on the transition of the political season.

Why are primary elections very different than general elections in terms of strategy?
What issues usually get discussed for each election?
How to get people to show up to the polls who usually don't vote?
What drives people to vote? What does the economy have to do with it?
Inflation, employment, GDP growth, retirement - are these big ticket items?
Is the data favorable for the folks talking about the economy?
Is this data / votes all dependable on the region?
What should we watch for as the elections get closer?
Is there a lot that politicians can do with economic trends?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 21: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about central banks and interest rates.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 21 (7:42 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl gives a report on rate structure and what impact this has.

What has the residential market always responded to?
Is there anything magic about a 4% yield?
What response do we get with a ten year bond? Who is responding particularly?
What did The Fed discuss this past week?
How do we deal with inflation?
Which banks have been considering a rate hike?
What is encouraged when rates are being lowered?
Leading a horse to water... but you can't make them drink it
Are we expecting rate hikes? What is the biggest concern with inflation numbers?
What is pushing inflation? What should we watch for from The fed?
August meeting with the central banks - what commentary will we see?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 20: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Keith Prather, Armada's very own, talks to members about three big events... why are these important for ASA members?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 20 (7:26 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is handing this weeks episode over to Keith Prather, who gives an update on what ASA members should watch for.

What is the current price per barrel?
Are oil prices elevated?
Are we seeing a ripple effect with other parts of the market?
What are the implications with the current bond rates?
Bond market and oil prices - what are these linked to?
What was the final ruling of tariffs?
What don't we know at this stage of tariff rulings?
Section 338 tariff on Canada - why does this hit ASA members?
What sectors will this be critical to?
Are we in for a hike with the Fed's decision coming up?
What should we expect for the second half of the year?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 19: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks about the supply chain.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 19 (9:18 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl discusses how the supply chain is affecting everyone - including ASA members.

What has been the impact from the Middle East on the supply chain?
Fuel supplies - are people getting concerned?
Domestic supply chain - what really stands out?
Spot rates high, where are we seeing them up? Is this cascading through the economy?
Are we seeing higher logistic costs? What % is saying yes?
What is the upshot of all of this?
Have we avoided immediate impact of higher oil prices?
Freight sector in danger - does that affect everything else?
Ceasefire vanished... what is the bottom line?
Ceasefire combined with a war - what does this do to oil prices all year round?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar?

Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net

View Details

Season 6, Episode 18: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about the big issue of entering campaign season... "It's the economy, stupid!!"

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 18 (7:42 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl gives a report on campaign season and what effect those have on the economy.

What are we seeing as far as the economy is concerned?
What is going on in the Persian Gulf?
When will we see any improvement?
Is the consumer starting to get engaged with politics?
What motivates the consumer?
What really is our position when it comes to data centers, AI, taxes, etc.?
Is the economy showing signs of growth?
Where are manufacturing and the construction sectors heading?
Should ASA members be concerned with stalling?
What two things are we waiting for to see what the economy will do?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 17: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks about what's happening in the economy as if we have a clue.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 17 (8:16 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl discusses the latest economic data.

Is there a lot of positive data that is going on behind the scenes?
Is media designed to provide data? Should we consume this information?
Media dominating the news cycle - are we missing the most relevant news?
Has the oil data been overblown? What is the crucial issue?
Are we in an oil glut? What is the concern?
What is the REAL issue with the oil sector?
Where are we seeing really good data?
Is the manufacturing sector soaring?
Where are inflation numbers? How is the Fed responding to this data?
Where are the PCE numbers? Where are they trending?
Where are ASA members in this economic cycle???
Is there more to be encouraged by than the obvious negative?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar?

Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net

View Details

Season 6, Episode 16: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about where we stand in the oil world.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 16 (7:37 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl gives a report on oil & positive growth elsewhere.

What are we getting from the oil analysts?
What are the predictions for price per barrel and what does that translate to?
Is the freight industry concerned?
How many days of reserves do we have left?
What are the chances we reach a deal / cease fire by the end of this month?
Will the United States give in?
Is there growth with GDP numbers?
Given all the turmoil, is this quarters growth impressive?
What is next quarter showing? More or less resilience?
Is there strength besides the setback? Encouraging future??

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 15: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about AI and what AI means for business in general.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 15 (10:30 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl gives a report on AI and manufacturers in particular.

Are we still worried about AI impacting employment?
Is there anything that is immune to AI?
Are there jobs that will never be threatened by AI?
Is AI good at human interaction...? What point does this make?
What does the manufacturer sector have to worry about with AI?
How bad is AI at communication? Is this a surprise?
Will there come a point where people don't need economists?
Is AI good at decision making?
Are the decisions data driven? What information goes into this?
Is AI here to stay? Will it make time consuming activity more efficient?
Will AI take over and replace everything?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 14: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about OIL... again!

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 14 (10:01 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl gives a report on the oil world.

Has China for the duration of this conflict been affected?
Domestically - what have consumers seen?
How have exports been affected?
What countries have been mostly affected by the higher price of oils?
Why has Iran been able to continue this conflict?
The U.S. - what is the oil industry suggesting? What is the impact?
Oil is a traded commodity - what does this have to do with the market?
What is on the table with this "cease fire"? How will the government ceases control?
What happens next with demand & supply?
Do we have an oil shortage?
What do we need China to do? What are the negotiation tools?
Are we at a breaking point? What will this all depend on?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 13: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl asks "What is responsible for what happens with ASA members"?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 13 (9:04 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl discusses consumer impact.

Recessions - why haven't we had one in a while?
Are we recession proof?
Why do we manage to avoid economic crisis that other countries experience?
What does the consumer here in the United States do?
How do we the consumer react to economic distress?
Are retail sales on a high? Are the variables strong even with weak numbers?
What KIND of consumer is the vastly growing? Why do ASA members need to know?
Manufacturing, construction, & transportation sectors - are they threatened?
What sector has a shortage of skills?
Are people driving less? What is the oil data showing now??
What is the average price per barrel right now?
What is the bottom line?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar?

Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net

View Details

Season 6, Episode 12: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about his economic observations the last few weeks.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 12 (7:30 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl gives a report on the front & what he has been seeing lately with data.

What is the medias mission when reporting on data?
Is the latest manufacturing data depressing?
Rush of data centers - is this helping?
Projects not being cancelled - just delays - is this better than expected?
The banks are having their best quarter ever - why?
What are we seeing generally that matches up with the latest data?
All sectors are growing - is this arguing against the notion of disaster?
What can we expect with this oil disruption?
Where is the ASA market at within this positive data?
Is it a matter of weeks before oil prices begin to fall?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 11: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about something other than oil... What is going on in construction & the supply chain.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 11 (10:23 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl shares what ASA members really want to know: construction and the supply chain... beyond oil.

What are we seeing with residential construction?
What is driving the residential sector?
Why are people moving in retirement? What is the real reason to downsize?
What is the faster growing state? Where is there movement?
Is there a substantial shift in residential?
Are we seeing single family drive??
Why are flat beds important to ASA members & the construction sector?
Is trucking service hard to find? Why is this sector being dominated?
Higher diesel prices - what are we seeing now?
Price lock - is this a better strategy right now?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 10: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about oil, the middle east, and the joys of geopolitics.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 10 (10:32 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members on how geopolitics lately are affecting the economy.

What are we looking at with Iran?
What is informing discussion on where we go from here?
How do policies get set? Where is there traditionally challenges?
When was the last time Iran had a reform effort?
Why is Pakistan involved?
Is the U.S. capable of carrying out threats? Has this been seen in the past?
Why are we even worried about crude oil being imported?
What difference does this make for the United States?
Oil is a traded commodity - does this do anything with per barrel pricing?
What happens from here? How will Israel react to this cease fire?
Is China playing a role???
Where & when will this hit the U.S. economy?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 9: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about what else is going on in the world besides oil.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 9 (10:58 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about what besides oil is happening and what the ASA member should look out for.

Construction - should ASA members be concerned?
Is the data clear / positive within the construction sector?
What is the average salary to live comfortably per state?
Is remote work still motivation as where people are moving?
What is affecting / driving residential growth?
Where is the shift with Gen Z & millennials?
Is there a surge with non-residential?
Data centers - what is developing with these?
Water - what is the demand? Is this a challenge to keep up?
What is the controversy with data centers?? What makes people in the area testy?
Retrofitting that is happening on the construction side - is this the death of offices?
Office buildings are back - but made differently... why?
Health care, why is this a big driver for the boomer generation?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 8: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl answers a member question on rising multifamily construction sales and whether the surge will continue. Also he touches on the oil and gas market.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 8 (6:15 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl addresses a member question on the multifamily construction landscape, exploring why sales are rising sharply and whether this trend is temporary or sustainable. He also discusses the oil and gas market.

What is a stale mate?
What will make either side budge?
What are we seeing with the new Iranian leaders?
Why aren't we seeing any response with the markets?
What will stimulate residential housing?
The 10 year bond - what is the magic number?
Higher mortgage rates, & payments - what are people turning to?
What is stimulating multifamily housing?
The boomer is downsizing - is this a mass movement?
Will we be talking next week about Iran?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar?

Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net

View Details

Season 6, Episode 7: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks about the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran and what it could mean for oil prices, inflation, and the broader global economy.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 7 (7:06 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl discusses the latest developments surrounding the conflict in the Middle East, the disruption of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, and the growing economic implications if the situation continues.

How has the closure of the Strait of Hormuz affected global oil shipments?
Why is the U.S. military limited in its ability to protect tanker traffic in the region?
Which nearby countries — including Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait — are most vulnerable to Iranian attacks?
Why the length of the conflict may be the biggest economic risk
Could oil prices surge into the hundreds if tensions continue to escalate?
How rising oil prices could fuel inflation concerns and affect Federal Reserve rate decisions
Could the conflict shape the economic narrative heading into the midterm elections?
What difficult choices now face the United States as it considers its next move with Iran?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar?

Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net

View Details

Season 6, Episode 6: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl answers a member question on oil prices and the war.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 6 (6:43 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about how geopolitical conflict can disrupt global oil markets, the role of major oil-producing nations, and what ongoing tensions could mean for future oil prices, supply stability, and economic uncertainty.

Do we know what the impact of the war will be on the oil market?
Do we buy oil from Iran?
What damage can Iran do to the oil producers in the region?
What are insurance businesses saying?
Oil priced internationally — are we being vulnerable?
Oil prices falling — are those days over with? Is this a good thing?
What are the conditions for an oil glut?
What will the oil markets decide long term?
How might supply chain disruptions affect global energy prices?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 5: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl answers a member question on tariffs.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 5 (7:59 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl answers the question "What Does the Recent Supreme Court Ruling on the Trump Tariffs Mean?"

Is everything we knew last year in sustention?
Tariffs are the oldest trick in the books - what has been the crux of this whole issue?
What are the two functions behind tariffs?
Overproduction & competing, what is the problem?
What was the challenge from the beginning?
How will the Supreme Court’s decision declaring the Trump Tariffs Illegal impact the economy?
Where does the consumer get shafted?
Who is getting a refund on the paid tariffs? Where is the money coming from?
Will tariffs be a topic in the upcoming weeks?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 3: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about the decline in home sales, labor market data, and oil prices. How does all of this impact ASA members?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 3 (9:37 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl talks about big changes this week and why they are relevant.

The demand for healthcare - is this taking over all the other sectors?
Which sectors and jobs are at risk due to the threat of AI?
What did the job data report say?
Where is the greatest growth occurring in construction and demand for fabricated metal products?
Home sales decline - were we surprised about this?
What is the national average price of a home now in the United States?
Does national or local matter most to ASA members?
Where is there less demand for people to live?
What is the "boomer" looking for when it comes to the housing market?
Are we seeing predictable shifts?
Crude oil prices - are they falling?
Will there be less production globally? Or will there be more consumption?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar?

Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net

View Details

Season 6, Episode 3: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out this week so Keith Prather: Dr. Kuehl’s partner at Armada; talks to members about the volatility with oil and oil prices.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out this week, but we are still back with a special economic update podcast hosted by Keith Prather: Managing Director at Armada Corporate Intelligence. In Season 6, Episode 3 (6:45 in length), Keith talks about the forecast for oil prices and how the winter storm came into play.

What are we seeing overall per barrel?
Oil prices surge to multi-month highs—what’s behind the spike?
Middle East vs. Venezuela — what’s behind the jump in oil prices?
Production being pulled back, are we producing a record amount of oil still?
What happens on a geopolitical bases?
What will encourage brand new production?
Ukraine - is a cease fire agreement in the works?
Will this allow more Russian oil to flow on the open market?
EIA forecast - what are the projections?
2026 through Q4 - what are the predictions of price per barrel?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 2: Welcome back to a new episode of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about 4th quarter data. Any surprises?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 2 (6:25 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl talks about the latest data and three things we should keep an eye on for the weeks and months to come.

Arrival of information from the new budget bill... what is this designed to do?
When will any of this get approved and when will we see it go into affect?
What is the biggest challenge in the construction sector?
Will there be any real change with what The Fed is planning?
Hawks vs. doves in The Fed - what is the difference of impact?
International reactions - what is so significant?
Trump vs. Europe - what kind of fallout will this have?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 6, Episode 1: Welcome back to a new season of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week, Dr. Chris Kuehl talks to members about Venezuela, and what we know and don't know about them.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 6, Episode 1 (8:48 in length), ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl talks about oil production and the interference with Venezuela.

What is the important thing?
What does this mean for the U.S. economy?
Why does this all come down to oil?
What are the two kinds of oil and why is this significant?
Which crude oil has been more ideal for Venezuela?
Are they going to go back to balance production between the two oils?
Will this disturb the overall oil market?
What will the per barrel price be?
What is the speculation at this stage?
Will we see an immediate reaction to oil prices?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar?

Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net

View Details

Season 5, Episode 35: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl talks about the upcoming year - what do we want as far as the economy is concerned?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 35 (8:24 in length), this marks the final episode of Keeping It Real with Dr. Kuehl for 2025. In this week’s podcast, ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl looks ahead to the coming year and asks an important question: what do we want from the economy in 2026?

Controlled inflation - have we be seeing all the ingredients that make up inflation?
Do we want inflation to stay where its at right now?
How do we get the consumer to stay as active as they are now?
Who are these active consumers??
Will things slow down after the holidays? What should we see come spring?
Relief on the labor front - how likely is this?
Why are jobs so hard to get now? How do we get better at this?
Will we see a calmer response to an election year?
Consumer attitude - are they actually worried about the future?
Why do all 5 of these things affect ASA members?
What can we really expect?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar?

Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 34: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl talks about the end of year - predictions for 2026.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 34 (8:21 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the new year & new data.

October data - will that ever be analyzed or released?
What 4 things have been preoccupying economists for the last year or longer?
Inflation - what is the trick? Will it continue to be an issue?
When we track inflation, what counts as "reducing" inflation?
What are inflation numbers right now? What sector has jumped?
Employment - what are job numbers looking like?
Where are we seeing layoffs? Why?
Growth... what has made the growth so spectacular this year?
Will we see an impact on the holiday season?
Reactions by the Fed & government - what are they saying?
Decisions of 2026 - how often will they cut rates?
Who will the next Fed share be? Why does this matter?
Will the Fed cut rates in 2026? If so, when??

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar?

Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 33: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl talks about data.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 33 (8:20 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about data - specifically the hole from the shutdown.

What really happened in October?
November data change - is it changed from October or really in November? Will we ever know?
National data vs. regional data... what is more useful?
ASA members should concentrate more on which data?
Unemployment rate varies per state - why is that?
Data is only as good as the collection - why is this hard?
Lag in collection of data - does it always have to be revised?
Caution on AI - why?
How to get accurate information on data when it comes to AI?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question!

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar?

Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 32: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl talks about why the economy is so spooky… what is going on??

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 32 (7:36 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about “media hysteria” – all the bad & extreme news lately.

Why have economic headlines been a lot more distressing than the actual article?
Can you look at economic information glass half full, glass half empty?
The U.S. GDP numbers are bigger than China, Germany, Japan, and the U.K. all together – what does that mean?
What industry is really feeling the pinch of the current economy?
Manufacturing, retail, AI, & automotive sectors… is there potential good news?
Is national data useful or not?
Variability around the economy – where ASA members should be looking…
Will there be a massive impact of rate cuts?
Are we going to see that extra project work make 2026 more dynamic?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 30: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl reports on a distressing inflation update…

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 30 (8:20 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about inflation, what does it mean, why economists worry about it.

Inflation comes in 3 different categories – what are they?
What is creeping inflation? Do we worry about this kind of inflation?
What is walking inflation? Do we get high rates in this category?
What is galloping inflation? We rarely see this – why?
What is the worst category of them all? Have we ever seen the worst of the worst?
Is the 3% inflation rate we are at now what we aimed for?
What can we see with gas prices & other energy prices? Are we looking at an oil glut?
When can the U.S. oil producers make money?
Inflation continues to rise – does this affect the Fed’s decisions?
What happens if inflation gets more aggressive?
Rate reductions in 2026 – should we be optimistic?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 29: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl reports on the economic data that is not being released until the shutdown process is over.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 29 (8:32 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the government shut down & how it affects economic data coming from an economist themselves.

How do we deal with data?
Each economist has different opinions – how do we trust data?
What is data’s strength & weakness? Why is it so hard to get an answer?
Data is only as good as the collection itself – why is this a problem?
How do you find relevant data for what you are actually looking for?
ASA field all local & regional data – do we care about national data??
How to understand that there is no sophisticated way to lie rather than in statistics.
Assess data in a selfish & personal way – how is it affecting YOU?
The biggest challenge of them all – how do you know if the data you are getting is legitimate?
ASA gets information from ASA – advocating for the industry – can we trust each other?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 28: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl reports on the government shut down – what concerns are we having?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 28 (6:08 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the government shut down & what does this mean?

Are shutdowns impactful? Do they recover quickly?
Do government employees catch up with back pay? What groups are hurting most?
What is the real problem with companies shying away from working with the government??
The new BBB Bill – why should the construction sector tune in?
Impact the economy next year – what is the monkey wrench now with this hold?
Will this provision be mute? What is the latest news today?
If a proper deal is made, will the shutdown end?
Figuring out a budget after it’s become a crisis… why wasn’t this decision made a long time ago?
Most of the data now sending positive signals? Unemployment low, GDP growth, is this guaranteed for the rest of the year?
Are we on the cusp of a recession?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 28: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl reports on the government shutdown and the declaration of war on drug cartels.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 28 (8:41 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the government shutdown and what that really means and some other world news.

Will this shutdown have an impact on the economy?
What do we really expect moving forward?
The last shutdown was in 2019 – what was the analysis after the fact?
Was there a lot of stress during that period even though there was recovery?
The last shutdown was not as clear cut as this time around – why?
What is the healthcare benefit concern?
What do we see from this point on? Who is next on the chopping block?
Other issues – Declaration of war – does anything change?
Why are we categorizing things differently now? Will this change tactics?
Will this emphasis on the drug cartel extend to Mexico?
Troops in Mexico – would the U.S. be using sources to aid, or will we not get involved?
Where should the focus be? What is the best way to address this?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 27: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl reports on the shifts when it comes to employment and what we have to look forward to in the future.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with hi weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 27 (7:57 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the job sector.

Why are jobs the hardest thing to count and check?
Why do some jobs just fly under the radar?
Uber, Lyft, Door Dash workers respond no to the question of “Are you working” – why is that?
Part time & self-employed people, how do we track them as working?
Training for AI… is this affecting hiring on people?
Are we seeing shifts in how people are getting hired because of the labor shortage?
Boomers are slow to retire – is this a problem when it comes to employment?
Gen Xers are retiring sooner than boomers – why?
Where does that workforce come from when you have an entire generation there?
As a country, why do we do such a bad job at training for the future?
Ongoing labor issue – will this continue on for the years to come?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 26: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl reports on the front. What are other people worried about?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 26 (8:16 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about what other industries are worried about and talking about.

What are the three big things other industries are talking about as concerns?
Are other industries adjusting to tariffs?
When will they settle on a policy?
Why has labor become a universal issue?
How can we manage the workforce and have it not deteriorate?
The notion that technology (AI) is moving at a rapid pace – what are we supposed to do with it?
How do you integrate AI? How much do you spend on it?
How do you train these new people with AI being involved?
Is AI evolving and becoming increasingly useful?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Brianna Dovichi at bdovichi@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 25: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on the Fed & interest rates.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 25 (7:43 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the conversation of the Fed, the central bank, interest rates, and why it’s all misunderstood.

What role were central banks created to fulfill that politicians avoid?
What does artificial inflation mean?
How can we control inflation?
Central banks do the dirty work – why?
Threat of inflation – when will we see this accelerate?
What signs are we seeing that the economy is slowing down?
Does this slowdown help with the holiday season coming up?
Hawks & doves – what is the difference?
If the economy substantially slows down, will there be a JUMBO rate cut?
With job creation declining – will that indicate a rate cut?
Why is the central bank such a complicated organization?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 24: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Keith Prather: Dr. Kuehl’s partner at Armada; talks to members about the inflation reports.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out this week, but we are still back with a special economic update podcast hosted by Keith Prather: Managing Director at Armada. In Season 5, Episode 24 (8:27 in length), Keith talks to members about inflation, consumer & producer price index, and where inflation will be headed.

The consumer price index – at retail levels are we seeing tariff pressure showing up?
What industry sector was inflation spiked?
Producer price index – what is happening on the tariff front?
Section 232 – steel, aluminum, copper – are we seeing tariff pressure here?
Impact from an industry perspective – what does this do to the federal reserve?
Will we see inflation carry out next year?
What is the fed leaning to do based on this assessment?
What does the U.S. treasury plan to do with rates? Can we sustain any cuts?
What would this do to mortgage rates within the residential sectors?
GDP running hotter and ahead of expectations?
Overly optimistic - are we picking up from all this new data?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 23: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about the latest tariff news & all the unpredictable outcomes.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 23 (8:20 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about once again – TARIFFS.

Tariff on the imports of gold – why was this unexpected?
What does this do to the gold thinkers? Are any of us really affected by this?
Why does Switzerland the highest tariff numbers? What kind of trade surplus do they have?
Why is India being blindsided? Are they facing high tariffs?
Can we influence other countries to buy less from Russia?
We are not seeing a consistent motivation for tariffs – but not unusual.
The business community in the United States – what will the future look like?
Change is always taking place – why is this change so difficult to adjust with?
Third Quarter GDP – what is it looking like?
Are we seeing a recession? Is it heading in the right direction?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 22: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about the latest tariff news & all the things going on at the same time that will impact tariff & trade wars.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 22 (6:42 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about what the tariff war looks like.

Why was the effective tariff date extended?
What is the hold up?
Are the reciprocal tariffs even legal?
What other tools are there to impose tariffs?
The Emergency Economic Power Act – what is this designed for?
The tariff negotiations aren’t always about economics – what other decisions are being made?
Are other countries protected from these tariffs? What happens with consumer goods?
Copper – new agreements? What is covered?
Protecting the industrial sector – what do manufacturers want in way of help?
Things change from one week to the next – how do we find stability?
When will these rules be implemented? Can we adapt quickly?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 21: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about the latest “breaking news” … and it’s not fully about tariffs!

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 21 (8:48 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the new U.S.-Japan trade agreement, the significance of August 1st in the tariff timeline, ongoing business uncertainty, and what ASA members should watch for in the construction and commodities sectors.

The U.S. agreement with Japan – Is it a good deal for either side?
What are the implications for the United States?
Tariff numbers manageable when it comes to Japanese goods?
What happens August 1st – why is this a significant date?
Will we know if tariffs will be held?
Business the last 10 years – uncertainty beyond tariffs.
Uncertainty costing billions of dollars in profit – what are we seeing happen continuously?
Recognizing attempts to counter that uncertainty – are ASA members more subject to uncertainty?
What has to take place immediately in the construction sector?
Are commodities being affected by delays?
How will businesses get stability?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 20: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about oil being back in the news.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 20 (6:17 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about what’s going on in the Middle East, what that is doing to the oil price, and the projection for the rest of the year.

Has this oil change been as dramatic as we thought it would be?
The war between Israel & Iran – how much did oil price jump due to this?
Why did it fall back again? Where is it lingering right now?
Why hasn’t the price per barrel reacted??
What are the 3 reasons that oil prices haven’t jumped?
What does the U.S. being oil independent mean?
The other oil producers have been stepping up production – why?
Why hasn’t Iran been doing the things that they can do?
Why is the U.S. suddenly do something nice for China & Iran? What is the rationale?
What is the bottom line with these oil prices? Will they rise or fall?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 19: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out on travel this week so Keith Prather: Dr. Kuehl’s partner at Armada; talks to members about the Federal Reserve press conference.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out this week, but we are still back with a special economic update podcast hosted by Keith Prather: Managing Director at. In Season 5, Episode 19 (9:19 in length), Keith talks about the shock of data in the most recent press conference from the Federal Reserve.

Were we expecting interest rates to change?
What is the Federal Reserve prediction for the rest of this year?
What % growth rate? What was everyone expecting?
Where are we trending right now for growth rate?
What was happening to the GDP numbers estimates for 2025?
What do they see % wise for 2026 & 2027?? What is the problem?
Are tariffs going to cause an inflation problem that just hasn’t hit yet?
When will this inflation wave hit? What will inflation rates spike to?
What is the outlook for the second half of the year? Will this change the Fed?
When it comes to trade & business– what is the one component we need to worry about?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 18: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out on travel this week so Keith Prather: Dr. Kuehl’s partner at Armada; talks to members about the attack by Israel on Iranian infrastructure & the newest GDP / inflation numbers.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out this week, but we are still back with a special economic update podcast hosted by Keith Prather: Managing Director at Armada Corporate Intelligence. In Season 5, Episode 18 (8:58 in length), Keith talks about how this attack tampered Iran’s command & control on the military – he also talks about economic stats for the month.

How long will these attacks go on for?
Overnight oil surge of 8% - is this due to the attack?
Are these attacks as significant as they were the last time this happened?
Historically with events like this, will there be volatility in certain industry sectors?
What will happen to the production side of things? Should ASA members be on the lookout?
What should we expect in the next few weeks?
What were expectations for the GDP numbers?
What are analysts looking at? When will tariffs hit the market?
How much longer do we have to wait to see what the tariff impact is? Will there even be an impact?
Will we have agreements by end of July?
What will happen if these agreements get appealed?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 17: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! SA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl talks about tariffs and the three scenarios that are in place that the tariff policies are concerned.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 17 (8:02 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about what else… TARIFFS.

The difference between the media vs the real world when we hear about tariffs.
Why do we need tariffs? Why did all of this start?
Why should ASA look at tariffs in a more “holistic” way?
Looking at non-tariff barriers (NTB) – could this be more effective with protection?
NTB’s for consumer safety, are we seeing more discussion on this?
What will happen to the GDP if we see NTB’s happen?
Acceleration on current tariff policies – what will happen to the GDP growth in this scenario?
Uncertainty, no one knows the rules – why is the construction sector in deep water because of this?
These restrictions get lifted all at once, how likely is this to happen?
When will we know the outcome? How much longer will this go on?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 16: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris breaks down the complexities of current trade laws, tariffs, and the role of the U.S. Court system. In just over 8 minutes, he helps make sense of legal appeals, presidential powers, and how the business community is responding to ongoing economic uncertainty..

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 16 (8:33 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about making sense of the trade laws.

Why was the U.S. Court of Law designed?
Can decisions be appealed?
Can court be ignored? Are they national & federal law?
Will there be repercussions? Legal response?
What is the key issue as far as the Court of Law is concerned?
What would be considered an emergency? Is this designed to deal with tariffs?
Will this go on for a while?
What else can the president use / execute when it comes to these appeals?
What do sections 122, 301, & 338 of the trade acts mean? Will they be used?
How high can tariffs get and for how long??
What is the business community doing? Do they know what’s happening?
Is the market responding with confusion?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 15: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about the implications of trade deals & tariffs but also the other things that are going on in the economy.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 15 (7:46 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the effects of trade deals and tariffs, along with other important economic trends and issues currently influencing the economy.

What is the new deal with China?
What will happen in the next 90 days?
What are we asking China to do about certain drugs? Specifically with fentanyl.
When does this get renegotiated and what will be the result?
Will tariffs go back up to dramatic heights?
The Great Brittan trade deal – is this a wedge?
Talks with Japan & South Korea – will we see something happen in June?
Recession – is this still being talked about as a possibility??
Will we get an import surge?
What are we going to do about the labor shortage?
How does this labor shortage really affect ASA members?
How do we get people who are retired, to unretire? Why is this a conversation?
Bottom line – there are a lot of moving parts but now we see overall economic adjustment, but what’s next?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 14: Keith Prather: Dr. Kuehl’s partner at Armada; talks to members about our very first trade deal.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out this week, but we are still back with a special economic update podcast hosted by Keith Prather: Managing Director at Armada. In Season 5, Episode 14 (11:56 in length), Keith talks to members about our first trade deal in the post April 2nd tariff negotiations. He breaks down what is really coming out of this trade to ASA members.

What are the direct benefits between the U.K. & the U.S.?
Export opportunities - A healthy lift for that sector.
How is the automotive industry being hit?
What happens to Americans who already own British made cars?
Manufacturing – what has been challenging & what is the problem?
Will supplies of steel and aluminon adequately supply our needs? Will this be stabilized?
Will there be a secure supply chain of production when it comes to big pharma?
The flow of goods between the U.K. & the U.S. – will it be fast?
Will we have alliances? Is there a trusted relationship?
Why does this deal may or may not look like the deals we get
out of some of the Asian countries?
What are the differences between the Asian deals and the U.K. deals?
What does the U.S. really want to come into the states?
Will the 10% base tariff really go into place?
Will domestic suppliers get hurt at all during this Asian trade? What will the U.S. do?
Is this trade a template on how trades / deals will be moving forward?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 13: Keith Prather: Dr. Kuehl’s partner at Armada; talks to members about three essential shock waves that are going through the economy.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out this week, but we are still back with a special economic update podcast hosted by Keith Prather: Managing Director at Armada. In Season 5, Episode 13 (5:59 in length), Keith talks to members about three pivotal economic shifts expected to hit in 2025.

What shock wave happened in the first quarter of 2025?
What drove this shock wave? What activity did we see?
How much of this spilled over into April?
April 2nd – reciprocal tariffs… what are the resulting impacts?
What is happening with the new orders in China?
What are we expecting to hear in July?
Will there be an announcement on a new tax bill? Would this be a catalyst?
A permanent cease fire deal with Ukraine & Iran – will we
have more growth and change?
What should ASA members expect in the second half of the year?
Inversion of inventory… should we be concerned?
The latest global manufacturing data – over preforming expectations, what data was weak?
Good retail data, good jobs report, wage growth, what does this mean for the consumer environment?
What are we going to see in May? Are things being overblown?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 12: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris breaks down what’s happening in Congress, what the newest inflation and job data is showing, and what might be around the corner for consumers and our industry.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 12 (6:31 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the latest developments in trade policy, tariffs, and how these changes are shaking up the U.S. manufacturing sector.

Is there any movement when it comes to trade and tariffs?
Is the economy truly suffering, or is it just reacting?
Are we moving too fast on policy shifts?
Outside products – how is this affecting the manufacturing sector of the United States?
What do we do to bolster that sector?? Has there been any conversation?
What are the next steps with tariffs? Are the orders permanent?
What conversation is currently happening in congress?
Overall economic sphere – how big is the reaction?
Inflation, recession, consumers, job numbers… what’s the latest data?
What should we know? Will things be different next week?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 11: Keith Prather: Dr. Kuehl’s partner at Armada; talks to members about the latest updates on this roller coaster ride of tariffs.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out this week, but we are still back with a special economic update podcast hosted by Keith Prather: Managing Director at Armada. In Season 5, Episode 11 (8:15 in length), Keith talks to members about the latest tariff decisions.

What was the reciprocal tariff?

What did the U.S. think would happen? What did the Federal Government actually do?

What is the effective tariff rate?

What changed in the treasury market??

Why do ASA members need to care about what happens?

What kind of crisis happened on Tuesday and what was forced in place?

Most countries have a 10% based tariff except China… why?

What are we noticing with the volatility in the treasury market?

What was the latest CPI and producer price index rates? Is this conflicting?

Why do we still have all this volatility?? Will there be a recession?

What will the second quarter bring? Should we be worried?

Are we seeing any stability in other markets?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 10: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about TARIFFS.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 10 (9:10 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about tariffs and tries to discuss where we are with the tariff policies.

Do tariffs actually accomplish what is being sought all by themselves??
Tariff policies – is this a simple and easy concept?
What is the problem with not having access to what is being tariffed?
What does the United States need to start producing?
What happens when a tariff is imposed? When will a tariff be lifted?
Should tariffs be permanent?
How do you reassure an American company that this is not a temporary deal?
What is the bigger plan?? What are the next steps?
What is the United States struggling with setting up an industrial policy?
Are tariffs easy to get around?
What do we really want? What is the intent?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 9: Keith Prather: Dr. Kuehl’s partner at Armada; talks to members about automotive tariffs and what will the impact be overall for the economy and the automotive industry?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out this week, but we are still back with a special economic update podcast hosted by Keith Prather: Managing Director at Armada. In Season 5, Episode 9 (6:48 in length), Keith talks to members about the latest automotive tariffs.

What does the automotive agreement have to do with tariffs?
What will this agreement mean until the negotiation in 2026?
What happens in the automotive industry with the parts that are sourced globally?
What % of all finished vehicles are imported into the United States? What % of the vehicle components are outsourced?
Will there be a lot of transitions moving forward?
What has to take place to get new facilities up and running?
Overall % of the market that is quickly taken care of by U.S production will be slow… why?
Will the tariff impact raise pricing on vehicles?
Is there any guarantee that the tariff requirements will soften?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 8: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about uncertainty.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 8 (6:23 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the general issues of uncertainty for businesses.

Tariffs – are they still the number one thing that’s being talked about?
What are businesses really concerned about?
Can ASA members adjust to just about any kind of change?
Change is not unusual, but do we have an opportunity to react to it?
Are tariffs the number one thing to worry about?
What really keeps ASA members awake at night? Workforce? Regulation? Taxation? Inflation?
Will tariffs deteriorate? Will there be a policy in place?
What is the playing field going to look like?
Something will have to change…what will be negotiated?
Looking ahead, will we still be dealing with this by summer and fall?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 7: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about tariffs.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 7 (6:54 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the impact tariffs have and what is really going on.

Have tariffs always been the go-to tool?
What were they originally used for?
Negotiation & trade – How does this play into tariffs as an incentive?
Tariffs on Mexico & Canada, how long will this go on?
Does this back and forth help businesses or hurt them?
Immigration & the border – are we seeing this negotiation all around the world and not just the U.S.?
Tariff %, what are we seeing?
Trump being very communicative on decisions, does this help anything?
Will we see a lot of reprieves this year?
Tariffs are on again, off again… what advice does Chris have for ASA members?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 6: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about updates with all the changes that are happening so fast in the economy now.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 6 (8:16 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the latest changes in the economy.

Trump is putting independent people in charge, what are everyone’s goals?
Treasury department goals… what is happening? Will these govern the department no matter what?
Getting control of the long-term bond market, why is this important to ASA members?
Residential housing controlled by interest rates – why does this relate to the long-term bond market?
High yields, high mortgages, what changes will we see?
Why have the yields gone up so dramatically?
How can we get the yields down in the U.S.?
Are treasury bonds still in demand?
Banking sector slowed down, what activity will we see from the treasury department?
Doug Bergum – why should ASA members keep interest on him?
Pay attention to who is in charge of what… will this be a good things?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 5: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about updates with the new presidential administration. What is being discussed and what is being signaled?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 5 (8:47 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the new presidential updates.

What are the challenges with a new administration?
What two things are a priority?? Are these fundamental?
Compliance cost… how has that number changed from ten years ago to today?
What can regulatory activity really do? Can we see it moving forward?
What to do with USAID? What is it? Why is it spending so much money?
What is the origin of USAID? What has changed since then?
How do you reform something without destroying it?
Focus on emphasis on the energy sector – why is it so important now?
Data centers, high tech, how do we stay consistent with other goals and businesses?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 4: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about updates with the housing & building sectors and what track we are on… what should ASA members keep in mind?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 4 (9:29 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about a basic update on the residential & nonresidential sector, considering the accuracy that things could change.

Residential & non-residential construction sectors - how fast are the rates growing?
What is driving this construction sector?
Data centers & technological advances, how are those affecting the nonresidential sector?
Residential sector booming in some parts of the country vs. others… why??
Why are people moving? Where is there a decline of population?
ASA members – where is the growth tracking?? Where will it be?
What to follow when development is concerned… three main drivers: what are they?
What are the challenges for these three drivers?
Are we going into a successful period for business expansion? Will there be hits and misses?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 3: Keith Prather: Dr. Kuehl’s partner at Armada; talks to members about tariffs.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out this week, but we are still back with a special economic update podcast hosted by Keith Prather: Managing Director at Armada. In Season 5, Episode 3 (6:43 in length), Keith talks to members about where things are with tariffs.

Tariffs on the EU & brick nations… where are they going?
Tariff increase affecting automotives, industrial, manufacturing, and construction goods?
Blanket tariffs on these countries, what can we expect?
What have we seen in the past with tariffs? How many tariffs were approved?
Three different waves of exclusions on tariffs, why?
What exclusions would be focused on in this next wave?
Will tariffs create harm on the competitive section of the supply chain?
What is the tariff process? Has this changed at all?
When will we see the first tariff hit?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 2: Welcome back to a new season of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about what exactly to expect from a new year and a new administration.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 2 (10:02 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about what we can be optimistic about and what to be worried about going into the new year… specifically with the business side of things.

Regulation… the cost of compliance is out of control. Are businesses really struggling?
Compliance contradictory… why?
The notion of the growth of the market, what is driving it?
Advancement with data centers and AI, is this good news?
Is there progress with consumers?
What will we question in the next six months?
What is concerning the business community?
What will happen with trades and tariffs?
Chip development, what does that mean?
Labor… immigration restrictions, will the economy go into crisis?
Are there shifts in shipping containers overseas?
What is the bottom line? Do we actually know what will happen?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 5, Episode 1: Welcome back to a new season of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl! Chris talks about the big question: What really changes with the new administration?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 5, Episode 1 (6:14 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about the new administration and how much is “leftover campaign” and what is realistic?

Does almost any change in the economy impact ASA members?
What are the big four issues that determine strategy going into the new year?
What is happening with the tariff policy??
Tariff ideas were negotiation tools… will we see the same thing?
Overall regulation… why has regulation exploded in the last decade?
Do regulations contradict each other?
Immigration comes down to an indirect effect… what does construction have to do with this?
Will ASA members be affected by the construction sector in 2025?
Are we going to have any interruptions with the supply chain?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 38: Keith Prather: Dr. Kuehl’s partner at Armada; talks to members about the Federal Reserve’s decision that was made on Wednesday.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out this week, but we are still back with a special economic update podcast hosted by Keith Prather : Managing Director at Armada. In Season 4, Episode 38 (9:45 in length), Keith talks to members about the Fed’s recent decision and what the implications are for ASA Members.

Rate cutting trend for 2025… are we still seeing that?
What will the interest rate environment be like in 2025?
When will we see that 2.9% terminal rate??
Real GDP trajectory changed, what are they saying now?
Where is government spending in relation to the GDP?
ASA distributors should be happy… why?
What does the unemployment rate look like for the next three years?
Inflation is higher than expected… what is the new projection?
What is the secret when it comes to tariffs?
Was this decision actually bad news?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 37: Keith Prather: Dr. Kuehl’s partner at Armada; talks to members about the continuity of the supply chain and what is impacting the supply chain going into 2025?

The port strike… are we still expecting to see this on January 15th?
What do we know about negotiations on this strike?
Tariff risk, is that speeding up?
From 2016 – 2020, what were the effects of tariffs?
Imposing and impacts of tariffs, what does that do to inflation and the supply chain?
What steps should ASA members take to protect the supply chain?
The Red Sea and targeted ships, why has the U.S. only been playing defense?
Who can sail through the Red Sea? Why has this stripped global capacity freight?
Inbound freight price is up 80-95% year over year, why??
Should we see this threat come down with commercial freight in Q1?
As of now, products are still flowing… should we still be concerned?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 36: Keith Prather: Dr. Kuehl’s partner at Armada; talks to members about basic economic expectations going into the new year.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is out this week, but we are still back with a special economic update podcast hosted by Keith Prather: Managing Director at Armada. In Season 4, Episode 36 (8:15 in length), Keith talks to members about what we can expect going into 2025 so far.

Shifts in policy direction with our new President – will this cause challenges or opportunities?
What % will the economy grow? Is this strong compared to past averages?
On a global basis, why is there a headwind??
Inflation… will this remain at a 2.5% rate? Is this % ahead of the Feds’ estimate?
The unemployment rate… will wages still be sticky next year?
Expansion and growth, meaning increased areas in spending… why does this matter to ASA members?
What will happen to the price of oil?
Tariff risk… what do we know about this?
Do tariffs really make a significant difference?
What is happening with bond rates? Critical to the construction sector… will it grow?
The U.S. dollar will hit a mixed environment… what does that exactly mean?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 35: Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest news on what to expect now that the election is over.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 35 (6:53 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about what we know and what we want to know now that the election is over.

Can we expect Trump to do some of the same economical things as he did the first time around in office?
Tariff Policies… are we still expected to see a certain percentage of them?
Immigration, what is the challenge?
What is the difference between immigrants and refugees?
How do we protect the border but still bring in people that we need?
What do we do with regulatory burden?
Compliance costs… they are real. Are they contradictory?
Taxes… will they be extended?
Would there be tax cuts no matter who won the election?
Debt is out of control… what must be done?
What is the challenge with the GDP?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 34: Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest news on politics and what effect this election has on ASA members.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 34 (6:29 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about politics… Three main points about the big campaign for members to make note of.

What does this presidential election mean to an ASA member?
What is rooted in the political year?
Is all this conversation overblown? Should we take it with a grain of salt?
Trade and tariffs… will these actually get put in place?
Would anything get accomplished with a tariff?
Majority of business issues are state and local… why does that matter to ASA members?
Who determines those main business issues? Is it the President?
When the political campaign is over, what happens to the economy?
Why should we watch out for the upper third and the middle third of income earners?
One more week and we will see what happens!

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 33: Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest news on politics.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 33 (6:36 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about politics… why are we seeing hyperbole?

Why has the presidency become deliberately weak back in the days of the founding fathers?
What comes down to the nitty gritty with politics?
What is most important to businesses within the political view?
What is out of control of the presidency?
Who will control the states & local politics?
Why do things get overlooked when it comes to the big campaign?
Control of congress – will this be a narrow call?
What is the presidency limited to?
What changes will we actually see? Will the promises be forgotten?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 32: Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest news on geopolitics.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 32 (7:51 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about geopolitics. It is not new news, but it is influencing the global economy. Chris tells us why.

What will happen if the issue with oil in the middle east gets worse?
Have any of the disruptions (hurricanes, middle east, etc.) have any impact on the oil prices?
Why do we produce oil differently than we have before?
How many barrels per day do we need to bring in? Are we on target?
Why is the price at the pump changing?
Is any of this good news?
Are we reducing dependency on fossil fuels?
Why is China and Taiwan an issue? Will there be an invasion?
Why did that provoke the United States on naval operations?
The European economy – how does that relate to us?
Will they have a recession? What is the latest data?
The dock strike that didn’t happen – does that help everyone out?
Are we in a bd place geopolitically or not?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 31: Dr. Kuehl talks about an update on the dock strike… is it over before it even started?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 31 (8:35 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about national news of the dock strike – the union suspended the strike until January to allow time to negotiate a new contract.

The real issue is still on the table – job security.
Why do the clerks need to adapt to technology?
Why are we still so vulnerable with the supply chain?
Oil prices went up – should we have seen this coming?
“Oil glut” - what does that mean for the U.S?
Are we on the path for a stagflation?
How long can we dodge these bullets for?
30 days until the election – will there be a huge change?
What will happen in Congress?
What’s ahead for these crises? Can they be avoided?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 30: Dr. Kuehl talks about the pressing issue of the pending East Coast dockworkers strike and the potential ramifications it could have for ASA members.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with a special economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 30 (5:03 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the huge national news of the dockworker strike that will greatly impact ASA members if it happens.

The contract that covered the longshore union ended in August – negotiations were not optimistic.
When was the strike authorized?
Was the White House involved?
What will this strike do for the east coast and west coast ports?
How long will this strike last? What have we seen in the past?
Early shipping… was this expected? Will there be a reaction from the retailers?
What will the damage be for this strike if it drags into months?
Will there be any diversion?
Will this impact production within all sectors??
Why is the main problem “work protection” and not money?
What does AI have to do with this?
What is there to be done??

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 29: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on the latest news on the cut of interest rates.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 29 (6:30 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the latest interest rate changes – what it means, and what it doesn’t mean.

Why did the Fed lower rates 0.50% instead of 0.25% as mentioned?
How did the markets react? Was anyone shocked?
How many more points come after this cut??
Are there still concerns about inflation and the economy?
What / who is affected by the interest rate reduction?
Will this be a big deal for the consumers?
How fast do things react to this reduction?
Will rates go up at all anymore?
Why will the dollar most likely weaken? Is it a good thing for the United States?
Will there be less import competition? What will we see for exportation?
What should we expect for the rest of the year and long term for interest rates?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 28: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on the outcome of the jobs report numbers and what those have to do with the Fed’s rates.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 28 (7:21 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the reaction to the job report numbers last week.

What is the Fed going to do with interest rates in the next weeks?
The big question is, how much will the Fed cut rates?
Will this be the first of more than one cut??
Job numbers – good and bad news?
What was the expectation for the job numbers?
What is the issue? Have we seen stabilization?
We are seeing less hiring, why?
What sectors are holding caution?
Construction activity… how are they reacting?
Wages are still growing, what does that mean?
Is there any signal for the Fed to do what they want to do?
Are we headed for a soft landing??

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 27: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on the scenarios of the jobs report that will come out today.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 27 (7:01 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about all the possible outcomes for the job report that is going to be released this afternoon.

What does a bad jobs report entail?
Are we on the more optimistic side?
Where will there be ammunition if there is a bad jobs report?
What does a good jobs report entail?
What would give the Fed incentive to delay lowering rates?
What would the biggest impact be with a good report?
What is the trick with interest rates?? Is there an instant response?
What does a neutral jobs report entail?
Is being neutral an even bigger incentive to the Fed?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 26: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on the inflation numbers.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 26 (6:58 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the latest inflation data that came out today (8.30.24).

Has inflation changed at all?
Is inflation differing around the world?
What are the expectations in Europe? Does it impress the United States?
Why are the rates coming down so fast in Europe? What happened?
What is the biggest driver with these inflation numbers?
What are the Central Banks looking at??
What is “normal” for unemployment rates now?
What is the signal to slow the economy down??
GDP for Q3 is hovering – what are the predictions for Q4?
Rate cuts in September – is this a possibility??
Radical change for rate reduction – should ASA members be concerned??

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 25: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on the threat of the supply chain.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 25 (6:52 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the biggest threat that is rising lately… the supply chain.

What new developments will be appearing in the next month or so that will put a strain on the supply chain?
Will these developments impact inflation and the Fed’s decisions?
Strike action… the strike of the east and gulf coast ports… what is happening?
When will this strike happen? And how long will it last?
The rail shutdown in Canada… why are they affected?
Is there labor concern in the transportation sector because of all of this?
What will happen if there is a settlement?
Why was shipping season so early this year?
Are retailers affected?
Should ASA members be concerned? Will this have impact on housing???

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 24: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on the extension of last week’s global sell-off crisis.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 24 (9:06 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the latest explanation from the global market sell-off that happened last week and why we shouldn’t panic.

Why did the Japanese market crash from this global sell-off? What triggered the rest of the markets?
Where are we today with the market? Have we regained what we lost?
When does this calm down?
Is AI overblown?
Where are job numbers at?
Long term unemployed – is now the time to come back to work?
Why are layoffs critical to watch?
What does all this mean for interest rates? Will rates be cut?
Will the Fed be able to smooth the waters?
What are the warning signs that still concern us?
Where is there political uncertainty?
Is the underlying data still positive when it comes to pointing away from a recession??

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 23: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on the most recent global stock sell-off news.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 23 (8:56 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the latest news on the global stock-sell off and if there is a direct impact on ASA members.

What are the implications of this stock sell-off?
The big AI revolution had investors pause, why?
ASA members seem to be interested in AI – but where are the implementations and expectations?
Tech sector being hit hard – what triggers it?
What exactly is going on??
Why were expectations high?
Manufacturing had a huge investment period… what two things happened?
Internationally, are the markets shaken up?
Is there a long-term decline in market value?
Will all this affect The Fed’s decisions for rates?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 22: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on the latest news.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 22 (8:56 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the latest news on quarter numbers and the big tech collapse.

What were the second quarter numbers like?
That word “recession” … do we still need to worry about it?
What was the main motivator for this quarter’s growth?
What should we be concerned about?
What provoked the big tech collapse?
AI… what does that have to do with anything?
Is AI a New Revolution?
Will this “collapse” be a new segway moment?
What new trepidations are there in certain sectors of the economy?
Why are we still concerned about the supply chain?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 21: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on inflation.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 21 (8:35 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about the newest news on inflation.

What were the latest Consumer Price Index Numbers?
2% being the Feds target… did we hit that?
What is CPI when measuring inflation?
What is the PCE? Is it more accurate than the CPI?
When will PCE data on inflation be released?
Inflation numbers came down predominantly because of a drop in what sectors?
What is important to ASA members with these specific decline in numbers?
What variations are we seeing when it comes to the housing sector?
Jobs… Wages continue to go up, are we still worrying about inflation?
What does the Fed say about all of this? What is the consensus view?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 20: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on China.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 20 (7:21 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about a member question / comment regarding China.

Why is China so highly spoken about in politics?
How can we react to China when they have the second biggest economy in the world?
What is the difference between a command economy and a market economy?
What is China’s number one priority?
What happens when China overproduces something?
Tariffs, could a possible solution be to use the funds collected through tariffs to provide grants and incentives to domestic manufacturers of the same or adjacent products?
How do we become more competitive in the global marketplace?
China buries tons of their “cheap” money into their products so that they can be dumped into western economies at prices that are incomprehensible. Why don’t we find a way to use their money to level the playing field?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 19: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on tariffs.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 19 (5:57 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about tariffs and the roles they play and why there is a likelihood that there will be more of them.

What is a tariff?
Why is this economically controversial?
What is the purpose of a tariff / tax?
Why is China involved? What kind of economy do they have?
How do tariffs make our industry competitive?
What does the U.S. plan to do when buying from China?
What happens to the payer of that tariff?
What do other countries do when they face a tax??
What is the upshot?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 18: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on international politics and what has been happening in the last week with all the international elections.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 18 (8:27 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members about international politics and what implications it has on the U.S. economy.

Why were all four international elections a surprise to the U.S.?
The Mexico election, what is a “super majority” in the Mexican congress?
What is at the top of Mexico’s list and why is it a concern for the U.S.?
The Indian election, why are they in jeopardy?
How will India keep their coalition parties engaged?
The South Africa election, what shifts are happening?
The European Parliament, why is Europe shifting to become the “populist right”?
Why do these elections become complicated from a business view?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 17: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on the latest “tone” when it comes to the data and reactions regarding sector delays.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 17 (7:19 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members on the overall delays within each sector and if data really supports this trepidation or if it’s a reaction.

Construction companies are delaying projects until later in the year, why?
What are the four concerns in ALL sectors when it comes to these overall delays?
When will interest rates come down?
Does this election year have anything to do with concern in priorities?
Workforce… what are the newest suggestions and discussion?
What do we do about China and Russia?
What are we expecting by the end of the year?
Will all concerns be taken care of?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 16: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on copper and what direction it’s heading in when related to our industry.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 16 (6:49 in length), Dr. Kuehl gives his thoughts about the direction of copper in relation to our industry. An ASA member mentioned that commodity numbers were noted relatively flat, but they have had increases north of 20% in recent weeks.

What is copper heavily influenced by?
Has copper been reliable when it comes to investment?
Where is copper predominantly used? Is there a high demand?
Who is the largest consumer of copper?
Moving forward, where do we see copper production going?
What does the DRC have anything to do with copper?
Are we going to see secure copper activity?
What will the remainder of the year show with copper prices?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 15: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on an up-front update with the economy and what to look out for.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 15 (7:10 in length), Dr. Kuehl gives a quick report up front on what is going on in the economy.

Why is there concern with wealth transfer?
What is the government noticing with boomers and money?
Looking ahead at growth, what does Q2 & Q3 look like?
What should we look at when it comes to growth numbers?
What is one of the main drivers of the economy the last 3 years?
We see growth, but are seeing a deterioration in gasoline… what does that mean?
Labor supply… what is the reaction to it?
Are ASA members affected by the labor shortage?
Where is the next generation of bankers going to come from?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 14: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focuses on the most recent job numbers and how they may affect interest rates going forward.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 14 (7:26 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest news on job numbers.

Why were we predicting such growth this year when looking back at last year’s GDP and employment numbers?
Why did we finally get the decline? What is this decline showing?
Is there a balance of job opportunities?
What is going on with the labor shortage?
What are companies reacting to when hiring?
What does this all mean for interest rates?
Is there an urgent need to drop interest rates with the other overall drops?
What are the top four drivers for the economy? Are they strong or weak right now?
Do we need to think ahead on how to cope with a slower economy?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 13: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focused on the relationship between industry and very people centric. He talks to members about wages and personnel engagement for 2024 within our industry.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 13 (7:36 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about what our industry is seeing/predicting for wages and personnel engagement for 2024.

Worker shortage, are there any surprises?
How are we dealing with the worker shortages?
Is there any data on whether salaries are on the rise, steady or declining?
Where does AI come into play?
Any ideas on average percentages of increase?
How fast are wages growing?
Will our industry remain employee starved?
Where will we see layoffs if there are any?
Immigration, refugees, and the skilled. What is the solution?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 12: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focused on why economists are bad at predicting… these last few weeks were unexpected.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 12 (5:48 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the unexpected economic updates from the last few weeks.

No more job creation prediction… what happened?
Is inflation back? Do we have it under control?
What is still driving inflation?
What happened to the oil prices within literally one week?
What does “dynamic production territory” mean?
What is the bottom line with all this unexpected change?
Can we accurately predict some things for the economy come summer?
What part of the population is skewing expectations??
How are all of the sectors doing? Do we see growth?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 11: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focused on the plumbing industry and what is the forecast for the coming year?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 11 (8:07 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a question regarding the plumbing forecast for 2024.

Plumbing is connected to a lot of other sectors… what is the biggest driver?
What is a consideration that matters when looking at this forecast?
What are the challenges?
Recession… Is there anything pointing towards it?
What other drivers will be significant when it comes to the plumbing sector?
Why are certain regions worrying about water?
Is this a sector where consumers get excited about innovations in plumbing?
What are the predictions looking like for 2024?
What can we expect from the plumbing numbers? Can we continue to see growth?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 10: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl focused on fuel pricing.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 10 (8:09 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a question regarding oils, gas, and fuels.

Will oil prices per barrel level stay in the 70s and 80s?
Is the United States at a place where we could take care of all our needs with our own production?
A gallon of gas is half crude oil… what does that affect?
The other half of fuel is production… what is the refinery cost?
What is the biggest problem with the refinery capacity?
What does the affect of investor hesitation have on gas prices?
Will we still be 70% - 80% dependent on fossil fuel by 2070?
The consumer is pushing in other directions… why?
Prices will go up… but with a lot of variations.
What fuel price is going to be the most volatile for ASA members
Is there good news for crude oil demand and supply?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 9: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl responded to a membership question regarding mortgage rates.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 9 (8:47 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a question regarding mortgage rates and if we will see them ever come down or at least level out.

Will we ever see 1-2% mortgage rates?
Will rates even go back to where they were a few years back?
What will be the upper end and what will be the drop down?
Fundamentally, the Fed rate decisions are made how??
All other rates are based on what? Is it automatic?
The Feds conversation thus far on rate reduction has been what?
What two things would sway the Fed away from rate reduction?
Where does inflation still exist? Why is it hard to bring down?
What is the BIS? Do they have an influence on rates?
When will we see a rate reduction? Are we seeing any consensus?
Is it realistic to see mortgage rates in the low 6%?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 8: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl responded to a membership question regarding challenges we may face when it comes to construction in 2024.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 8 (8:08 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a question that refers to the top four challenges for construction in 2024.

Two pieces of good news, and two pieces of bad news when talking about construction in 2024.
The big inhibition when it comes to construction is what?
Construction projects are on hold… why?
The consistent problem is the labor shortage, will it get better?
Infrastructure money… is it being put to good use?
When states received money from the Pandemic, what choices were made on what to do with it in terms of opportunity?
What sectors have been growing most consistently in the last year?
Do these sectors expect to continue to grow?
What is the number one and two things that consumers spend on?
Construction regionally… what pattern are we seeing?
Projects are there, but liquidity is the problem, will this impact ASA members?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 7: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl responds to a membership question regarding manufacturing in 2024.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 7 (8:05 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a question that refers to 2024 manufacturing, and if this is the year that we will recover?

Has manufacturing ever stopped being great??
What % of total manufacturing value in the world does the United States dominate?
What country challenges the United States when it comes to manufacturing?
What the United States produces is high quality, expensive, and high value. Will that change?
How many people are actually working in manufacturing? What is the reality?
Going into 2024, where is the shift when it comes to trade relations?
Trade relationships – who have we always favored?
The producer or the consumer?
With more production coming into the United States, what are the pros and cons?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 6: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl responded to a few membership questions.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 6 (5:58 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers some member questions on the topic of consumer trends, and the question of a recession in the second quarter.

Are we seeing a return to a more frugal consumer?
The consumer numbers for the start of 2024, how are they?
Is the consumer slowing down? Are they aware of the debt they are carrying?
What does the consumer look at? When is there a worry / impact / reaction?
When does consumer spending start to slow down in the year?
Will there be a recession in the second quarter?
Are we doing anything that will suggest a recession at ALL this year?
Are we still seeing all the drivers of the economy robust and strong?
What are the four drivers / pillars of the economy?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 5: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl talks about inflation.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 5 (8:23 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest inflation news. What does it mean, and what does it not mean?

Why were inflation numbers higher than expected?
All kinds of inflation, what do they each mean? Core inflation? Headline inflation?
What do the Fed’s pay attention to?
What are the two assumptions when it comes to inflation?
Where are PCE numbers at? Is this where the Fed wants it to be?
What does the slight increase in inflation
numbers this week really mean?
The labor shortage – has it contributed at all?
What scares the Fed??
Will the Fed lower rates in the second half of the year? Even if these inflation numbers continue to rise??
What affects ASA members the most with these reactions?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 4: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl talks about the issue of how inaccurate economists can be when it comes to the economy. The big question is: Why??

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 4 (8:31 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the big why on the inaccuracy when it comes to economists forecasting the economy.

What were economists getting wrong in 2023?
Why are the expectations so different than the outcome?
Why do we see economic data in a negative position, but we always seem to escape it?
How is the economy reacting??
Rerouting due to the Red Sea… what does this have to do with the automotive sector??
Labor supply issues… a chronic issue, but no action to deal with it?
How do we keep these issues from reoccurring each year?
How do we become more preventative? Why is this challenging for our industry?
What will happen to the economy with new congress & political figures this year?
Is there still enough health in the economy to continue to grow?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 3: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl was out of office, so second commander in chief, Keith Prather filled in, and answered a member question regarding the impact of the Red Sea on the global supply chain activity.

In Season 4, Episode 3 (6:45 in length), Keith Prather answers a member question in regards to the Red Sea and will it boost rates for shipping and will we feel this impact in the global supply chain. Are we seeing what we saw in 2021 and 2022?

What is the fear of the global supply chain shutdown?
Globally, why are we in shock?
What is the impact when it comes to rates and cost of shipments?
The drone strike in the last 10 days… what are the challenges of moving shipments in and out?
How long will it take to fix this transit time? Q2, Q3?
25% of global capacity has been stripped… where is the impact being felt?
Even though this does not affect the U.S. directly, why should we be concerned?
What does clean tanker activity mean and why does it matter?
What do we need to do as distributors?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 2: Welcome back to Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl answers a member question from his latest ASA monthly economic webinar regarding the energy sector.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 2 (7:28 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a member question “Do you have any data for alternative energy (I.e. natural gas reclamation) projects?”

What significant changes are taking place as far as the energy sector is concerned?
Reclamation and new & improved technologies… how do they relate?
What drives the conversation on alternative energy vs. fossil fuels?
What is the most significant change when it comes to energy?
How would oil producers adapt to changes? Has anything changed?
Will we see oil prices stabilize? No matter what happens this year??
What drives alternative energy prices?
Where is the alternative energy index vs. where the fossil fuel index is at?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 4, Episode 1: Welcome back to a new season of Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl. This week Dr. Kuehl talks about the recent topic regarding jobs and what we can expect for employment going into 2024.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 4, Episode 1 (8:16 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about employment – regarding what we saw in 2023 and what we can expect in 2024.

What data was released just this morning (Jan 5th, 2024) regarding employment numbers?
Transportation is very active – what contributions does this have to jobs?
The unemployment rate is still low, what does this mean for 2024?
Good news and bad news?
Employers are not thrilled with unemployment rates – why?
Wages continue to accelerate faster than inflation… what is the downside?
Double edge sword – what are both ends?
What will we see ALL year when it comes to wages?
Will we see more layoff activity?
Will ASA members be affected by any of this??
What should ASA members be on the lookout for?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 38: Dr. Kuehl talks about the most recent U.S. Steel acquisition – there is more speculation than anything concrete in these new developments.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In this last episode of 2023, Season 3, Episode 38 (7:36 in length), Dr. Kuehl comments on the U.S. Steel acquisition and as you know - this is intensely controversial. New developments have been happening almost every hour…

Why has this steel acquisition sparked controversy in both political parties?
What is at risk with this acquisition?
The question was who is going to buy them? Not when, but who.
Who needs to be protected?
Will there be a ripple in the employment sector?
If there is no effort to stop the merger, what should ASA members be on the lookout for?
Will this merger really help U.S. Steel with advanced projects?
Nippon steel and U.S. steel have been working together – what is the outcome?
The upshot for ASA members is what???

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 37: Dr. Kuehl focuses on the five things that really matter going into 2024 when it comes to the economy.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 37 (7:36 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the top five issues for the business community in regards the economy going into the new year.

What is 2024 going to be like?
Election year – what will that do to the economy?
What five things matter?
Is the Fed done raising rates?
Will inflation reappear?
Are we going to start dealing with a high unemployment rate?
From the construction side of things, will there be a lot of infrastructure?
Will we start to see shifts in oil, gas, food, etc.?
Subjected to change… like always!

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 36: Dr. Kuehl focuses on the most recent developments when it comes to the economy with all the adaptations and changes and how these changes will affect the rest of 2023 and the beginning of 2024.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 36 (7:34 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the more recent developments when it comes to the economy.

What were the quarterly numbers? What does Q4 look like?
What was driving Q3 numbers?
Is there anything to look forward to in 2024?
A recession... Will it ever happen? Is the economy “crashing” or “slowing”?
Is the Fed done with rate hikes?? Finally??
Where are the jobless claims numbers at? What is the unemployment rate?
Housing sector changes...
Mortgage rates dropped for the 5th straight week
The 30-year fix was close to 9%, what is it now?
New homes sales, increasing??
Is the housing market stabilizing?
How are ASA members responding to these sector changes?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 35: Dr. Kuehl references how to pivot in economic change and gives members an insight on where certain sectors stand now and where the accuracy is at.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 35 (7:23 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about being adaptable to all changes and tells members where our industry is during all this change.

What happens every day in the economic world?
How often do trends really change?
What can economists actually predict? What impact does this have?
The more information we get, the more we need to consider what it means.
What can we expect from the construction sector? How accurate is it?
The desperate circumstances when it comes to commercial real estate - what is the analysis?
There is slowdown, but where is our industry at in this slowdown? Is it growing??
Where is the oil and gas sector at? Booming??
Being adaptable, pivoting with change... why is it such a challenge in economics?
What is the lesson of all of this?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 34: Dr. Kuehl touches on all the wrong predictions in regard to the GDP numbers that were made in the last few weeks and what the overall performance was within the manufacturing sector.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 34 (7:07 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about how all the predictions within the last few weeks didn’t happen at all. Specifically, regarding the latest GDP numbers.

What were the original predictions for GDP numbers?
What are the big issues for consumers?
Going into the more intense holiday season, should members be encouraged?
Why are we getting such a consumer surge when everyone thought it would slow down?
What is the overall performance of the manufacturing sector? Why should ASA members know about this??
Are wholesalers buying again? Why does that help the purchasing index?
At the moment, will this last exceptionally long? Will we see retreat in the beginning of next year?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 33: Dr. Kuehl touches on a few questions suggested by members... What is the Fed’s reaction to the latest CPI report and what is the current outlook on inflation?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 33 (7:18 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the Fed’s reaction to CPI numbers, and what the current outlook on inflation is. Can ASA members finally take a breather?

Why were the GDP numbers so unexpected this week?
What is the reason for the Fed to not pay attention to the CPI numbers?
What does that have to do with inflation??
What do you really get out of CPI numbers? What can you assume?
What does the Fed look at when it comes to an outlook on inflation?
Inflation VS. Recession... what should we be worried about more? What is the difference??
Are we going in the right direction? Finally???
Will the Fed raise rates? Should we rule out another quarter point?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 32: Dr. Kuehl talks about the crisis in Israel and how that will affect the oil market in the short-term and into 2024. A must-listen for all ASA members, particularly those doing business in the industrial PVF segment of our industry.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 32 (6:49 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the Israel crisis and how that will impact the global oil scene.

Why was no one expecting this attack?
What has this attack done to the oil market?
Have the oil barrel prices changed at all?
What was the expectation for the oil market in reaction to this attack?
Where is the hesitation on what Israel will do next?
Where do Middle Eastern countries go from here?
Will we see a change in oil prices next year?
What is the bottom line? Are we seeing an oil crisis?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 31: Dr. Kuehl talks about the industrial outlook… which sectors are seeing gains and which ones aren't, and the biggest sectors for potential growth/opportunity for our PVF members.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 31 (8:31 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about what industrial areas of the economy are growing and which ones aren't.

What is going on in the industrial sectors as defined by the Federal Reserve?
What is the upshot with accuracy rate?
Which industrial sectors are doing well? Which ones are not?
What will we see in the first quarter of next year?
Aerospace... what is the biggest problem with this industry?
Machinery... stable but when will we see these inventory numbers get healthier?
Primary metals... in the dumps, why? What can we see moving forward?
Construction & manufacturing... ASA members should know: where is the trend line at?
Bottom line? Where is the industrial sector at?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 30: Dr. Kuehl talks about the recent updates with oil and what has been changing in the oil sector that has been driving the prices up.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 30 (10:46 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the most recent updates on oil and gas which is a very important topic to ASA members.

All oils are higher in price than what was predicted... why?
Will prices drift back into the 70s? What factors would affect that estimate?
Demand and supply... why have the predictions been off?
What has been happening with China & the United States demands?
What is the reasoning for thinking that our demand would have gone down?
Why has the supply side of things been confusing?
Where does Russia come into play with oil output? Is it a backfire situation?
Good news on the horizon for the United States?
Predictable / unpredictable weather... why is it an issue? Does it affect supply?
Why are investors still shying away from the oil sector??
Is there a silver lining to any of this?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 29: Dr. Kuehl talks about the big topic trending: The UAW Strike

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 29 (8:17 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the UAW Strike and how this has affected the economy as a whole.

What is rumor and what is reality? What do we know so far?
What changes are the UAW asking for?
What is the real issue as far as the Union is concerned?
Where will production be focused? Will they be losing more production to other parts of the world?
What country is more predominantly a manufacturing country?
Why are robotics a concern?
South Korea and Japan, where do they play a part for the United States?
How is consumer spending currently? Are we seeing weakness?
All three automakers on strike... what should we expect?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 28: Dr. Kuehl talks about the most recent shift in attitude with the Central Banks and the Investment Community.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 28 (4:21 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the Central Banks and the Investment Community.

Why have we avoided a recession as long as we have?
What sectors are continuing to boom?
Will there be a pause in raising interest rates?
What announcement came from the investment community in the past week?
What is the consensus view now on rates?
Where is the economy going within the next year?
What is the biggest concern from a growth and inflation perspective?
Are there other concerns in the world that will impact supplies and inflation?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 27: Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest labor market numbers to date and the manufacturing labor shortage. Why ASA members are affected.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 27 (8:16 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about what is happening with the labor market.

Good news or bad news…? What are the latest labor market numbers?
What is the major issue? Why is it affecting the labor force?
Why is retirement scaring people for the future of jobs?
What is the Feds perspective and why is it complicated?
What are the new employment numbers? Higher or lower than the last few months?
Inflation is still a problem, what does the unemployment rate suggest?
What is the big question for a lot of businesses?
Halloween – what does this holiday do for the retail side of things & the rest of the year?
Overall, what will we see for the 3rd and 4th quarter?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 26: Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest news on the Putin’s revenge and the U.S. labor shortage.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 26 (9:28 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about a few different topics: the big news coming out with Russia and Putin, and then the U.S. labor shortage.

What does the death of Prigozhin mean to Putin?
Does this death weaken Putin?
Should the U.S. be nervous for what’s to come with Putin & Russia?
What are the chances of Putin turning to nuclear weapons?
Why are we seeing a pullback this year for the labor shortage?
What three reasons have been suggested for that pullback?
The Fed is still not comfortable with the inflation rate, how does it relate to the job market?
Where do ASA companies land within this shortage issue??

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 25: Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest news on the Chinese economic status and what effects it has on other international economies.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 25 (9:12 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a member question “What happens if China’s economy collapses?”

Is the Chinese economy really going to collapse?
What is happening with China? Are there misconceptions?
Why did China put into place a “100% lockdown” for COVID?
What did that lockdown do to the economy? Was there success?
What happened when that lockdown was lifted??
Why have we seen significant pay raises in China?
No consumer surge in China… why not?
What is the reality with exporting and the Chinese economy?
Deflation – what is the Chinese government going to do?
Is it a matter of vanishing or weakening?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 24: Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest news on that highly talked about “recession”.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 24 (9:45 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to members on what happened to that so-called recession we were supposed to see. Has it really gone away? Or will we see it again?

What were the predictions on recession during the first quarter? What are we looking at going into the third quarter?
What sectors have been growing in the last year?
Regional variation… where is there growth and where is there not?
Where are we at with inflation and The Fed?
What are the PCE numbers? How relevant are they?
When do the central banks lower rates?
How are the unemployment numbers?
Will we escape this recession?
Will we see a recovery when it comes to manufacturing output?
Holiday season coming up… what effect will it have on the economy this year?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 23: Dr. Kuehl talks about the pressing issue of the pending freight strike.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 23 (8:39 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a pressing member question “Can Dr. Kuehl address the potential upcoming strikes with UPS, YRC, etc. What impact it will have on everyone?”

How is negotiation going with the teamster’s vs YRC?
How have certain changes affected LTL companies?
What has “authorized” a strike?
Strike was averted… what comes next?
What is the problem now with shippers due to the strike?
What is the consensus view?
Why are the teamsters at a disadvantage now?
Will this be a last-minute settlement??
Is there a possibility of an extended negotiation?
What is the issue with the ILWU now and how does it relate to this strike?
What is the bottom line???
Will we have a full-blown strike?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 22: Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest interest rates and mortgage rates.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 22 (9:30 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers two member questions that go hand in hand: “How much do you think the fed will raise interest rates in the next year?” And “Will mortgage rates go down this year? Is it better or worse to buy a house in a recession?”

What is the neutral rate of interest?
What are the conversations on changing this rate?
What would it mean to the Fed policy if this rate changes?
At what stage has the Fed’s activity kicked in?
What are the latest inflation numbers showing?
What is the challenge with PCE?
Are we seeing mortgage rates going down any time soon?
Is the housing market responding to the recession?
What tends to happen with rates and prices in a recession? Where is the first place we would see this?
What is the silver lining in a recession??

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 21: Dr. Kuehl talks about the cost of money and how it is affecting ASA members.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 21 (7:39 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a topic presented by ASA: “A very big one now is the cost of money...our members are talking about that all the time. That was in the PVF survey all over the place.... affects acquisitions, expansion, M&A etc.”

For what reasons is the cost of money being affected?
Why are the banks being more cautious?
Why is it called the “shadow economy?”
What are the non-bank players doing?
Why are they harder to find??
Does anyone know how to operate in this unfamiliar environment?
Where is the balance between exposure and meeting demands?
Are there indicators of a recovery?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 20: Dr. Kuehl talks about other industries and what we can expect within the next 5 years due to developing trends.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 20 (7:56 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers another member question: “What major industries will we see huge growth or decline in the next 5 years based on globalization, consumer trends and outlook on current world events? How will that affect the overall US and global economy?”

What will change with globalization?
Will it become less or more pervasive?
What should we watch for?
Consumer trends… what do we really respond to?
What will drive the consumers? Will it ever change?
Why are we seeing so much distortion?
What happens with the U.S. and the global economy?
Will the U.S. benefit?
What is the overall takeaway?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 18: Dr. Kuehl talks about other countries’ economic policies when in crisis and how we can improve.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 18 (9:03 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers another member question: “In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, what lessons can be learned from the economic policies implemented by different countries, and what steps can be taken to build more resilient and adaptable economies in the face of future crises?”

The economy during COVID, are we still recovering?
What is the challenge?
Why was COVID the “black swan”?
Why was this more challenging to deal with?
Industrial production fell hard in 2019… but why?
Are industries still affected 3 years later?
What was the United States slow mistake?
What lessons have been learned??
What happens next for the U.S.?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 18: Dr. Kuehl talks about the most recent updates on shortages.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 18 (6:49 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers another member question: “What are the economic consequences of the ongoing global semiconductor shortage, and how is it impacting various industries such as automotive, electronics, and consumer goods?”

Has the semiconductor shortage eased at all?
How should we handle the supply chain?
What % of businesses are reporting that they are overstocked?
What do you do with inventory that you don’t need?
What is the real issue here?
Who is the new dominant supplier for the United States?
China is not reliable… how do we deal with them now?
Can we rely on new countries?
What is the bottom line with the supply chain?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 17: Dr. Kuehl talks about the most recent updates on debt levels in the U.S.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 17 (9:24 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers another member question: “What are the potential long-term consequences of the increasing public debt levels in major economies, and what strategies should governments adopt to manage and mitigate these risks?”

Why are we the only country in the world to raise the debt ceiling?
What do we want to do when it comes to saving and spending revenues?
How should we be looking at budgets?
What % is the U.S. in debt compared to other countries?
What are the biggest categories??
What is the number one issue for debt?
Policies? Biting the bullet??
Is this debt issue indefinite?
What is the fundamental message here?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 16: Dr. Kuehl talks about the most recent updates on the supply chain and the implications of trade and economic growth.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 16 (7:19 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a member question: “How has the global supply chain been affected by recent geopolitical tensions and trade disruptions, and what are the potential implications for international trade and economic growth?”

What fundamental shift are we looking at?
How did we get to a position of globalization?
What did companies do to produce more cheaply?
What was the downside to that?
What happened when other parts of the world became more efficient?
When did all this change?? What is happening today?
What % is rival and what % is partner?
Is the future certain?
Will international trade be shifted or ended?
Will we ever have a developing relationship with China?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 15: Dr. Kuehl talks about the most recent updates on Russia and China.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 15 (7:19 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a member question: “Will China and Russia form an alliance?”

What shape is Russia in economy wise?
Are there signs of improvement?
How long do we want to stay engaged with them??
Do we know when this will end?
What does an “end” mean??
What roll has China played?
What % is considered our enemy and partner from China?
What happens if we decide to impose sanctions?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 14: Dr. Kuehl talks about the most recent updates on a recession.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 14 (7:09 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a few member questions in regards to what the chances are of a recession.

What are the chances of a recession?
Do we have any idea? Does anyone?
What % of economist says we are likely to go into a recession?
What are the rates doing right now for a recession?
What should we be looking at?
Is there good news on the horizon?
How do we stary away from contradictory information?
It could be better, it could be worse, but it is what it is.

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 13: Dr. Kuehl talks about the most recent updates on a recession.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 13 (7:46 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a few member questions in regards to a possible recession and how to prepare.

What are the chances of a recession in the next 12 months?
What signs to look for that a recession may occur?
When will the stock market recover?
What is the best way to track the GDP?
How many “final” revisions will there be to the GDP?
Will we see any change / recovery in the second and third quarters?
How long and how deep will the recession be?
What will drive this recession??

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 12: Dr. Kuehl talks about the most recent updates on inflation.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 12 (7:09 in length), Dr. Kuehl tells members what has been going on with inflation numbers.

New inflation numbers… what do they say?
What is CPI? Why is it “artificial?”
What do we look at that is key for inflation?
What is reliable when looking at inflation?
What are we tallying up when it comes to inflation numbers?
How long do we wait for an accurate read on inflation?
What does the Fed need to do?
Where are we seeing high inflation numbers?
Rates… will they ever come down??
When will inflation be repaired?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 11: Dr. Kuehl talks about the housing market and the transfer from the suburbs to the city.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 11 (9:50 in length), Dr. Kuehl answers a member question: Has the exodus to the suburbs from the city eased any or has it flipped in recent times? How could this affect the housing market for both single family and multifamily?

Is there a simple answer?
Where were people moving to during the pandemic?
Will mortgage rates go down anytime soon?
Will housing PRICES go down??
What does the senior population have to do with the housing market?
What three things are driving multifamily homes??
How is this related to how we work?
What % of people are commuting back and forth to work?
Are ASA members affected??

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 10: Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest news on the banking crisis.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 10 (9:13 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about the latest banking crisis that everyone has been concerned about over the past few weeks.

Where are we for the rest of the year?
Duration risk… what is it?
Interest rates are going up, how does it affect the bond market?
Who “purchased” SVP?
Will interest rates ever decrease?
What new information came from Europe??
What will the inflation data show for the US next week?
What will happen if there’s a drop in inflation?
Are ASA members being affected at all by this crisis?
What regulations will be called for?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 9: Dr. Kuehl talks about the latest news on the banking crisis.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 9 (8:47 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about what happened recently with the collapse of the banks.

Is the banking crisis as dramatic as it’s been depicted?
What is the overall problem?
How are bond rates involved?
Where is the root of the problem with SVP?
Who is the crook?
What are these banks mandating?
Was this all predicted??
Why are rates still being raised during all of this?
Inaccurate reporting… Where does it go wrong?
Is this long term or short term?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl

Season 3, Episode 8: Dr. Kuehl talks about what is going on with the labor market and its influences.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 8 (6:58 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about the labor market and how it relates to the Fed policies.

How do the labor market and Fed connect?
What is the Fed’s process?
What are they trying to do?
What is the shadow banking system?
Can it be controlled??
Is there a limit of how much the Fed can accomplish?
When will the rates lower?
What trick has always been relied on to lower rates??
What has the hope been?
Will we see a large rate increase?
What impact has the weather had on the job market?

Ask Dr.Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season3, Episode 7: Are we really heading toward a recession? What’s the latest and greatest?

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 7 (7:34 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about all the recent hysteria concerning whether or not a recession could be in our immediate plans.

How real is this threat?
Have inflation numbers gotten worse?
Why you should care about the Personal Consumption Expenditures number!
What inflationary measures have decreased in recent times?
What’s the one inflationary measure that has everybody cowering in fear?
What Bank of Canada did that we should be aware of. Will the Fed go there?
What does CK think about all this? Recession or no recession?
What is a soft landing?
Q1 projections? Good, bad, real bad?
Why ASA members should pay close attention to Dr. Kuehl’s remarks on inventory here.

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 6: Dr. Kuehl answers a member question “What would we do with immigration to make the worker shortage go away?”

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 6 (8:12 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about the worker shortage and what immigration has to do with it.

Retirement is right down the corner for some people.
Who will solve the worker shortage when the Boomers retire?
In the past we used immigration… why not anymore?
Will there be a solution to immigration?
What was the assumption on people coming to the U.S?
Refugees Vs. Immigrants… what’s the difference?
Who are we trying to recruit for jobs?
What is the challenge?
What can be done in globalization?
Are there quick fixes with the worker shortage?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 5: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members down memory lane and talks to us about an economist view on things.

ASA Chief Economist Dr.Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 5 (7:34 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about how data is unpredictable for everyone including economists themselves.

How can we understand economic data better?
What can we conclude with the reduction on inflation?
What did February’s data show?
How was the job data?
What did it show?
What were retail numbers showing?
Should we still be concerned about inflation rates?
What are we left with??
Will we see a slowdown at all??

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 4: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date with the latest on the recent economic data changes in the recent week.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 4 (8:20 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about the latest transitions with the economy this past week.

How much transition
should we see with inflation?
Rates raised… AGAIN??
What are the banks saying?
Who is siding with the U.S.?
Which prices & threats have gone down?
Should we expect importing from China to go back to normal?
Will we see any repercussions?
What will the outcome be with all of this?
Will we escape a full on recession?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 3: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date with the latest on what to expect in the beginning of 2023.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 3 (7:55 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about the comparisons of 2022 and what to expect in 2023.

What will happen in 2023?
Do we see growth from the previous year?
Why have we missed growth two quarters in a row?
What is this driven by?
What is the Fed signaling?
Canada compared to the U.S… what is happening?
Are we heading into a sectoral slowdown?
What quarter will this all be reliable?
Should we be optimistic?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 2: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date with the latest on inflation and what to know.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 2 (7:31 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about the general implications of inflations.

What are the three phases for inflation?
Has anything collapsed?
What are the shipping rates?
How can the market be convinced that we reached peak?
What are the latest CPI rates?
When do rates fall to the point where we consider “normal”?
Will it ever go away?
What will cause wages to be higher than inflation?
When will we see improvement on inflation?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Season 3, Episode 1: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date with the latest on inflation.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 3, Episode 1 (10:29 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about the latest inflation numbers and what to expect in the upcoming year.

How are the inflation numbers?
Have we reached peak inflation?
What is the main driver for inflation?
What impact does Russia have on production?
The market is changing their expectations… why?
The worker shortage… what’s to come?
Will labor negotiations ease in the year 2023?
How are companies responding to the labor issue?
Will the U.S. shift policies on the inflation front?
What three trends will we see in 2023?
What quarter should we expect a change?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl

Season 2, Episode 39: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date with the positives and negatives of 2022.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 39 (10:47 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about the “naughty” and “nice” bits within the recent year for the economy.

Is there a relief on inflation still?
What are the challenges on the core inflation numbers?
What is more stubborn? Core inflation or non-core inflation?
Will wages continue to hike?
What is going on in Europe and how could it affect the US?
Will we hit a real recession in 2023?
How will the 2023 quarters look?
Where have we seen good growth?
Consumer attitude for 2023… positive or not?
What’s in store for COVID?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Subject line: Podcast: Who to Believe… The Fed, or The Market?

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl Season 2, Episode 38: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date with the recent talk this week of the Federal Reserve.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 38 (6:43 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations on this week’s latest conversation with the Federal Reserve.

How many points has the fed raised rates?
Are they slowing down?
Why are they slowing down??
Will there be conversation to raise the rates again?
Is there good inflation news on the horizon?
What 4 things drive global inflation??
How are the markets handling inflation?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl

Season 2, Episode 37: Dr. Kuehl answers an ASA member’s question on the labor shortage.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 37 (9:10 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about all things related to the current labor situation.

Is there any estimate as to how many people are working at UBER, Lyft, Door Dash, Amazon “Independent Contractor Delivery”, etc.?
Why are people prone to working these gigs?
Will this group be disrupted by a recession?
How do we get back to selling prospective employees on health insurance, retirement plans and employee training?
What generational group cares about retirement?
Would an immigration plan help?
Will we ever see an end to this labor shortage?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl

Season 2, Episode 36: Elections have been top of mind of late and Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date on how that all relates to the economy.

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 36 (11:50 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations on the most recent talk when it comes to politics and the economy.

What do politicians actually have control over?
Whos’ hands are inflation control in?
What is the Fed Fund Rate?
Wage costs are going up… what’s the challenge?
What do we expect politically?
What will be different? HINT… three things.
What to look out for before the next election?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question

Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl Season 2, Episode 35: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date on what’s going on within the last week related to economics. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 35 (6:41 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations on the most recent week when it comes to the basic economics. What is new with the unemployment sector? What does a recession really mean? Why is the Christmas season related to hiring? Are these the best months we have seen? How was quarter three? Hint… Dramatic! What should we be aware of when it comes to Fed behavior? Will we see rates go down again? If yes, WHEN??

Ask Dr.Kuehl a Question Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl Season 2, Episode 34: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date on what’s going on with the recent housing market and housing sector. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 34 (4:41 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations on the housing market and the latest and greatest with mortgage rates. What is the emphasis in terms of the renting public? Where is there growth in the market? Single-family homes? Where are mortgage rates at? What is the fed going to do with future rates? Are people moving to urban areas? The remote work phenomenon is still alive and well.

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question Have a question or topic for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl Season 2, Episode 33: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date on oil and energy. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 33 (9:11 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations on the oil / energy sectors and specific countries that are involved within those industries. What is the issue with Saudi Arabia? What are the two dangers of production?? What is ahead? Will it be a recession?? What happens if the price of oil drops too far? Where do we get the main bulk of our oil? How do we separate politics and reality?

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl Season 2, Episode 32: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date on the housing sector. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 32 (5:47 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations on the housing market and how we can compare from the last time he spoke on this a few months back. Is the housing sector still growing? What % rate is it moving towards? What is the catch?? Why are people moving to bigger cities like Austin. TX? How will interest rates effect the housing market? Are we seeing certain generations buying more homes? The answer is YES.

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl Season 2, Episode 31: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date on how natural disasters, specifically Hurricane Ian, may be disrupting the supply chain. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 31 (8:15 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations on how Hurricane Ian and other natural disasters have an effect on our supply chain. Historically, how has the supply chain been affected by natural disasters? What is the possible recovery time? What are the biggest hurdles to overcome when these disasters happen? How are rebuilds in relation to these disasters? Is the labor shortage going to worsen? What is the silver lining for ASA members?

View Details

Season 2, Episode 30: ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl brings ASA members up to date on the threatened rail strike, and also talks about all things transportation and logistics related. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 30 (9:39 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about what a rail strike would have done to the supply chain, plus he provides his thoughts on the current transportation and logistics landscape. How would a strike such as this impact the U.S. economy? Is there a chance the strike will still happen? What will the still-to-be approved/finalized Kansas City Southern and Canadian Pacific merger mean to the supply chain? How much freight is projected to divert from West Coast ports? How many more containers could be headed to the Midwest part of the country under this potential merger? How bad is the transportation labor shortage? How many available loads per driver are we talking about now? What happens when China relaxes COVID restrictions? It ain’t good. Are logistics costs going up faster than the actual rate of inflation? Told you so: What have the commercial banks and the fed been warning us about concerning inflation?

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl Season 2, Episode 29: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date on how climate change is looking up in our industry ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 29 (5:34 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations when it comes to the latest on climate change. How should we view climate change? Will there be a shift in 2023 on product prices? Can we encourage companies to go green? Will this be a positive for ASA members? Who will be affected by this first?

View Details

Season 2, Episode 28: Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about all things non-residential construction and cautions folks to be on the look out for new opportunities in this sector. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 28 (9:05 in length), Dr. Kuehl dives into the various facets that comprise non-residential construction. What does the retail component look like? Is it really doom and gloom for office buildings? Are Big Box stores suffering? Why manufacturing should be of keen interest to ASA members. A look at how the health-care industry is changing with its construction needs. Computer chips are back in the news. Why is this important? Data centers. Opportunity knocks. Is the non-residential sector healthy? How is the residential side of the coin looking today?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a Question Have a question for Chris Kuehl that you would like answered on this podcast or on his monthly ASA members only webinar? Email it to Bri Baresel at bbaresel@asa.net.

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl Season 2, Episode 27: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to date on the newest reports of oil and gas ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 27 (7:45 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations when it comes to the latest on oil and gas. Do we need to tax big oil companies? How much control do oil producing companies have on pricing? What will the money be used for? What will the funds be focused on? Where are battery developments being taken place? What three things should ASA Members be on the lookout for?

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl Season 2, Episode 26: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to speed on the latest with natural gas. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 26 (7:26 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations when it comes to the latest on economic issues based off the government. Is there a direct affect for ASA with bills being passed within our government? Is the new infrastructure bill helpful for ASA? How are we going to be more efficient? As an ASA member, are you interacting with how this money will be used? Make sure you understand what is happening at the national level How is the economy & inflation being impacted?

View Details

Season 2, Episode 25: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to speed on the latest with natural gas. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 25 (6:35 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations when it comes to the latest on natural gas and fuels. How are you preparing for the winter with gas and fuel prices? The demand for natural gas is high We are dependent on the US & Russia for fuel… what does that mean? Are we ready to be fossil fuel free yet? Are you investing in fossil fuels?

View Details

Season 2, Episode 24: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to speed on the latest with GDP, interest rates and where this recession talk is headed. When is it scheduled to arrive? ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 24 (6:40 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations when it comes to the latest GDP & interest rates increases. Is a recession further away than we think? There is a lot of positive data coming out these days. Employment numbers are important? Is unemployment becoming a problem again? Where does automotive demand factor into this? Interest rates went up! Is this good news? Why should we care about the upcoming World Central Bankers meeting?

View Details

Season 2, Episode 23: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to speed on the latest with transportation. One of Dr. Kuehl’s best podcasts and certainly worth forwarding on to colleagues and customers. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 23 (8:22 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations when it comes to transportation. There is a current strike being held on the railroads The government is demanding a settlement – railroad striking is illegal The President will be forced to intervene We have seen an expansion of long-haul trucking companies How badly have logistics costs gone up lately? Hint: It’s bad. There are tough negotiations being made that could shut down the ports on the gulf for transportation of supplies Do you have a contingency plan when it comes to your own transportation?

View Details

Season 2, Episode 22: Dr. Kuehl brings ASA members up to speed on the latest with energy and oil. One of Dr. Kuehl’s best podcasts and certainly worth forwarding on to colleagues and customers. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 22 (6:37 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about his observations when it comes to energy and oil. Be on the lookout for alternate suppliers of oil and natural gas. Which country is now the second-largest producer of natural gas? Starts with a Q. Fossil fuels. Are they now back in fashion? 80 percent of solar panels are produced by this country. Why is the computer chip dilemma important to this conversation? Is the U.S. now the world’s biggest producer of oil? What type of deficit is the U.S. still running when it comes to oil barrel production? Dr. Kuehl asks this great question: Are we comfortable in a situation where we don’t have complete control over our energy needs?

View Details

Season 2, Episode 21: Dr. Kuehl goes through a checklist of things ASA members should be worried about from an economic perspective. Some usual suspects appear. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 21 (7:09 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about topics that should be of concern from an economic standpoint. Inflation update Where is the supply chain at right now? An in-depth talk on inventory and inventory levels. Just-in-time delivery? Is it dead? Should you start reducing your inventory? Difference between sticky CPI and non-sticky CPI. Important. When will this predicted recession hit? What does Dr. Kuehl really think about it?

View Details

Season 2, Episode 20: Dr. Kuehl gives ASA members an analysis of the current labor situation and provides his thoughts on how the shortage can be improved. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 20 (7:27 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about all things labor related. How many boomers have retired within the last 4-6 years? Will that number slow down any time soon? Why companies have been unprepared when it comes to boomer retirement. What is a kinetic learner and why should we pay attention to those two words? How many jobs are currently open in the U.S.? (Hint: a staggering number)? Dr. Kuehl talks advanced degrees in film criticism. How high is the quit rate right now and how does that number compare historically? Dr. Kuehl’s thoughts and analysis on the current labor situation and how it can be fixed.

View Details

Season 2, Episode 18: Dr. Kuehl gives ASA members a thorough update on what’s going on with the housing market. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 18 (6:49 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about all the current variables in the housing market and what to expect over the next year. Are we in a dire situation with the housing market based on inflation/mortgage rates? How far in the hole is the U.S. with housing demand? How housing purchasing habits have changed since COVID. What’s the latest and greatest with the multifamily market? Spit-balling what might happen as interest rates continue to climb. What draws people to particular communities? Are cities such as Austin and Nashville on the verge of housing bubbles? A factor that might be flying under the radar when it comes to existing home resales. Dr. Kuehl gives a prediction on the housing market heading into 2023.

View Details

Season 2, Episode 17: Dr. Kuehl gives ASA members an update on all things commodities related and where he sees things headed on that front. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 17 (5:34 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about commodities, why state we are in right now and predictions on where things could be headed. Why are commodities prices at the levels they are right now? What’s the market volatility like right now? Is stability upon us? The nickel situation. What contributed to it? Have other metals been affected by this? Why investor involvement messes with market predictions. Primary metals and fabricated metals. Why these are important. Dr. Kuehl will send you charts and graphs on commodity behavior if you would like! A chat about inventory levels. When was the time to buy? Has it already passed? Future predictions.

View Details

Season 2, Episode 16: Dr. Kuehl gives ASA members an update on all things Amazon related, plus takes a look at some potential shifts in the supply chain that are forthcoming. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 16 (6:18 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks to ASA members about the latest updates on Amazon and then shifts the conversation to some potential supply chain changes. What percentage of warehouse development is Amazon responsible for in the U.S.? Is Amazon slowing its warehousing expansion any? Should this be alarming? Are consumers shifting back to more brick-and-mortar purchasing? The big change with manufacturers and the supply chain. Why robots are ticked warehouses tend to be too hot. Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger; Why this is of huge significance to the supply chain? How many containers could be inbound to the Midwestern part of the country? Dollar-wise, how significant is the current reshoring push? How high could it go? What are the fastest growing manufacturing states in the U.S.? (Hint one starts with O). Dr. Kuehl’s take on the future of the supply chain. Is further reshoring the key?

View Details

Season 2, Episode 15: Dr. Kuehl gives ASA members a comprehensive update on all things related to the current cost of fuel and is there any end in sight? ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 15 (8:19 in length), Dr. Kuehl clues ASA members in on where we are at with fuel prices, what are the current drivers and what can be done to lower prices? What percent of Russian-produced oil is currently off the market? Is there a shortage of crude oil and refined product? Should there be a change in strategy with Russia if they cooperate? Are the U.S. and Canada back to normal oil production? What about other areas of the world? Why adding more capacity and production capability isn’t as easy as it sounds. The massive two-year swing in the price of oil. How long are we in for these high fuel prices? Dr. Kuehl’s prediction on this situation.

View Details

Season 2, Episode 14: Dr. Kuehl gives ASA members a comprehensive update on all things related to the housing market. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 14 (8:00 in length), Dr. Kuehl clues ASA members in on the current state of the housing market and if there is cause for optimism or concern. When will the current boom end? Where are numbers at right now? Where is the concern coming from? Why should we care about Duluth, Minnesota when it comes to housing? Areas of the country that we should keep an eye on? Are there places in the country where demand has exceeded supply? What’s different since the pandemic on the housing front? What trends are developing? The latest multifamily update. Mortgage rate update/primer. Is it all doom and gloom? Are people house hunting for larger homes or smaller, more compact ones? Millennials? Where do they fit in?

View Details

Season 2, Episode 13: Dr. Kuehl gives ASA members a comprehensive primer on all things inflation-related. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 13 (6:48 in length), Dr. Kuehl gives ASA members an update on all things inflation. Is the Fed speeding up its response to inflation and to what lengths? The three main drivers that have caused the inflationary period we are in the midst of. Why do Netflix and Starbuck’s matter in this realm? Who is in control right now? The consumer or the producer? Why the jobs market is so important right now. The one factor that could cause some major uproar later this year and into early 2023. Dr. Kuehl’s take/predictions on the situation.

View Details

Season 2, Episode 12: Dr. Kuehl takes a look at everything going on with the Fed and gives his thoughts on inflation, interest rates and where things could be headed. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 11 (7:34 in length), Dr. Kuehl gives ASA members an update on inflation and interest rates. The difference between fiscal policy and monetary policy and where the Fed factors in. How high is the inflation rate right now? Why PPI, CPI and PCE are important acronyms to know. What is driving inflation currently — something very familiar to ASA members. Where Dr. Kuehl sees interest rates by the end of the year. Why strong employment numbers are key to this equation. Could interest rates hit between 6-8 percent? Has the U.S. completely recovered from the pandemic and its lingering effects into last year? Dr. Kuehl’s prediction for the this situation.

View Details

Season 2, Episode 11: Dr. Kuehl takes a look at the current lay of the land when it comes to transportation and freight. Are things improving? ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 11 (8:22 in length), Dr. Kuehl gives ASA members an update on the state of transportation and freight. Has the transportation landscape improved recently? How bad are things with inbound and outbound shipments from China? U.S. port congestion? Any signs of positivity here of late? One factor to keep a very close eye on when it comes to U.S. ports and it isn’t good. Diesel fuel. How does this play into the current scenario? How many new trucking companies opened in the U.S. last year? What’s the current average load-to-truck ratio? Is that a good thing? What percent of trucking companies are predicted to face imminent bankruptcy if things do not change? Update on driver shortage. Why marijuana cigarettes are germane to this conversation? Dr. Kuehl’s outlook short-term and long-term.

View Details

Season 2, Episode 10:Dr. Kuehl tells us if the U.S. is in store for an imminent recession and what should ASA members be keeping an eye on in that regard. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 10 (9:40 in length), Dr. Kuehl takes a deep dive into all things related to recession talk. What triggers people to think a recession is imminent? Why 2-year and 10-year bond yields are important here. How quickly could a recession happen? What happened in the 1980s when a similar situation occurred? A quick refresher on transitory inflation. If oil and gas were to be stripped out, what would our current inflation number be? Dr. Kuehl’s predictions and what should ASA members be on the lookout for over the next two quarters?

View Details

Season 2, Episode 9: Dr. Kuehl takes an in-depth look into the latest with interest rates and the thinking behind the Fed’s recent actions. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 9 (9:05 in length), Dr. Kuehl takes a deep dive into all things related to the fed and interest rates. Where things currently stand with the fed and interest rates. What is the key driver with inflation right now? What does the term transitory inflation mean? Why Brazil is a cautionary tale in all this. How high will rates go? Why the Kansas City and Cleveland feds matter in this circumstance? What will the progression be?

View Details

Keeping It Real With Dr. Kuehl Season 2, Episode 8: Dr. Kuehl gives some short- medium- and long-term updates regarding oil, natural gas and energy in general amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 8 (9:57 in length), Dr. Kuehl takes a deep dive into all things energy with near-term and long-term outlooks. How extensive has the ban on Russian imports been? China and Iran: Why it matters. An explanation of why the U.S. needs oil imports and how far the capacity gap is right now? Why Russian oil imports are important in the U.S.? How long before added U.S. oil production hits high gear. What percentage of current inflation is tied to energy? Where Dr. Kuehl sees things headed.

View Details

Season 2, Episode 7: Dr. Kuehl follows up last week’s podcast with an additional look at commodities prices and how the Russia-Ukraine conflict factors in. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 7 (9:05 in length), Dr. Kuehl continues his discussion on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and how it relates to a bevy of commodities. Last time commodities prices were this high? Where does Russia stand now on the oil and gas front? Current oil prices and how high could they go? Natural gas prices in Europe? Can they increase more than 600 percent? How dialed in are commodities to the current inflation rate? 2008 and now. What’s different? Short-term outlook.

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 6 (8:39 in length), Dr. Kuehl looks at the Russia-Ukraine conflict and how it relates to the current oil and gas situation. Is the oil and gas market more volatile than expected right now? What is the SWIFT system and how many banking institutions have a SWIFT number and why is this relevant? Could oil go to $125, $150 or higher? Where do China and Iran play into this? Short-term outlook. How high will the price of natural gas go? Why France could really cash in.

View Details

Season 2, Episode 5: Dr. Kuehl takes an in-depth look at the current mergers and acquisitions climate and what to expect in 2022. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 5 (4:37 in length), Dr. Kuehl looks at the current landscape when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. Is the M&A market heating up right now? How high is inflation right now? When’s the last time it was that high? What does this mean? Are companies trying to “beat” inflation? The silver lining in all of this with bank loans. How many rate increases is the Fed planning this year and how much of a total increase? Advice for companies thinking about selling or buying other companies. And why it’s not a good idea to drag your feet right now.

View Details

Season 2, Episode 4: Dr. Kuehl takes an in-depth look at the big box/retail sector and what ASA members should be on the lookout for. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 4 (7:00 in length), Dr. Kuehl looks at the current landscape for big box/retail. Current state of big box/retail sector and why it is in the shape it’s in. How much does Amazon dominate warehouse space in the U.S.? Is service and in-person interaction still important? Why some big box stores are trying to compete with Amazon? A look at some big box and Amazon strategies. Is this a growing area right now? Distribution centers. Why we should be paying attention to these. Short-term and long-term outlook for big box/retail segment.

View Details

Season 2, Episode 3: Dr. Kuehl tells us what ASA members should be expecting short-term with the current state of the supply chain, more specifically with the shipping and freight troubles. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 3 (8:25 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks all things supply chain and where things could be headed. One key reason that led to where we are today. How aggressive was growth in the U.S. in early 2021? Why China and COVID are exacerbating the difficulties? Are West Coasts ports any better? What is the Band-Aid method being used right now? How production factors into this. Three key factors that can turn the supply chain around. Reshoring, on-shoring and automotive chips. Why significant here? When specifically are things predicted to get better?

View Details

Season 2, Episode 2: Dr. Kuehl tells us what distributors should be on the lookout for when it comes to the residential construction, repair and remodeling market. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Season 2, Episode 2 (8:24 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks all things residential construction, repair and remodeling. When will interest rates start to go up? How high will they go? Who will suffer? Will banks be more generous with lending? Remodeling market; Where is it at? What’s driving it now? What is the HG-TV factor and why that can benefit distributors? Latest on the supply chain issues. Why there is a bright outlook for U.S. manufacturing. Three key factors to keep an eye on going forward.

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Episode 1 (8:17 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks all things natural gas and the impacts the current situation could/will have on our industry. What is going on with Russia and Europe and how does this pertain to natural gas? How much of a price hike has there been in Europe? How bad are energy costs for the British? Why should we care about Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines? Russian relationship with China? Significance? How the lack of winds in Europe have factored into this. Where are the typical LNG sources throughout the world? And let’s talk about the U.S. part of this natural gas equation. What do the oil producers think about this? Time to produce more oil? What do oil producers look at as a key barometer in their decision-making? Kazakhstan craziness and how that plays into the current situation. Overall outlook for the industrial sector moving forward.

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Episode 50 (6:33 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks all things industrial PVF. Dr. Kuehl looks at the wastewater business. What’s the near-term future look like? Where does the much-talked-about infrastructure plan come into play? Immediate results? The latest on refineries An update on fossil fuels and what that means for the industry going forward. How dependent will the United States be on fossil fuels by 2050? It’s a big number! Some pipeline expansion talk. Where do railroads factor into this? An update on the oil patch What is the big determining factor with municipal projects? Overall outlook for the industrial sector moving forward.

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Episode 49 (6:03 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks all things commercial construction. A look at office construction. How much of a game-changer has remote working become? Is 80% occupancy a realistic goal for 2022? Where does warehouse distribution rank in terms of commercial construction confidence? Where does the Midwest factor into the warehouse/DC equation? An update on the Canadian Pacific Railroad/Kansas City Southern situation as it relates to distribution and break bulk going forward. How big is Amazon when it comes to commercial construction? A multifamily construction update Are Austin and Nashville in the boom or bust categories? 7 multifamily trends to keep an eye on. The manufacturing reshoring phenomenon and what that means going forward.

View Details

Episode 48: Dr. Kuehl dives into the topic of multifamily housing. Where do things stand now with that segment and where are they headed next year. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Episode 48 (6:29 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks all things multifamily housing. Is the multifamily segment in a volatile state right now? How does multifamily compare to single-family construction? What triggers multifamily demand, growth? What areas of the country are affected by multifamily right now good and bad? How do elderly residents factor into the multifamily equation? Why is manufacturing closely tied to multifamily? Outlook for 2022?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Episode 48, Dr. Kuehl talks about all things inflation. Who to believe; Who not to believe and what are the key drivers with inflation. Also some advice on how not to advance inflation. Should you pay attention to the media when it comes to inflation? What is hyper-inflation? Examples of hyper-inflation over the years. And what is stag-flation? Are we anywhere close to having this? Where does unemployment figure into the equation? Three real indicators related to inflation? The stuff you should pay attention to. What is the real inflation number right now? Advice to business owners to avoid worsening inflation.

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Episode 47 (7:01 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the current landscape for commodities and transportation. Spoiler: The news is not positive in the short-term. What is going on with commodities prices right now? The latest on steel. What is the one factor that will make commodities prices drop? How massive was the United States’ growth in Q1 of this year? Are the transportation troubles we hear about a new/newer thing? Why things are particularly messed up right now in transportation? How long will the transportation industry be in its current state?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly economic update podcast. In Episode 46 (5:52 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about some threats distributors should be concerned about not named Amazon. Why personal relationships still matter in B2B commerce. Are Zoom meetings a major negative in this current equation? Innovations forthcoming in the overall supply chain. What to look for. What is reverse innovation? A book about a happy bunny and party lines. Why relevant? What financial innovations should distributors be on the look out for? The future of the B2B trade show?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 45 (10:26 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about two economic indicators all distributors should be watching with great interest. PPI and CPI…why this alphabet soup is important. What metric does the fed like to use? U3 and U6. Are these new music bands? How many baby boomers retire each day in this country? What are the quit rate and workforce participation metrics and why are they both very telling statistical benchmarks?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 44 (8:08 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the company Evergrande and the situation with that firm in China and how significant it is from a global perspective. Who is Evergrande? What does this company do? Why is it in the news? How bad is the current situation? Are these suits usually successful? Others at risk because of Evergrande’s current situation? How bad is the U.S. debt? How does it compare to China’s and Japan’s? Coal and the Chinese: An update Short-term and long-term repercussions?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 43 (7:22 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about all things anti-dumping suits and how China factors into the industrial PVF equation going forward. Tariff talk Inside how anti-dumping suits work Are these suits usually successful? Where does China factor into the import/export game when it comes to the industrial PVF industry going forward? Latest news coming out of China. China’s adjustment with its manufacturing facilities Latest on steel. Walking a tightrope.

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 42 (9:04 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about all things industrial, and then the discussion turns to the possibility of a recession (big or small? You have to listen for the answer). Automotive talk and the current situation with silicone chips. Are cars flying off car dealer lots? Aerospace talk. Capital investments. Are companies investing in themselves? Where is the majority of Cap X going to? Current situation with oil rig count and what that means? Latest on steel and copper. Purchasing Managers Index is around 60. Is that a good thing? Are we headed toward another recession?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 41 (8:32 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the current landscape in commercial construction. Disparity between residential and commercial construction growth right now. How bad is it? Castle Group: What is the big deal about company office access cards pertinent to this situation? Are people going back to working in the office? Nope. Can we quantify how damaging the lockdowns were business-wise? No shoes, no shirt, no service. The significance of this right now If you are building a warehouse, how long is it taking to get a steel truss? When will commercial construction improve? The news ain’t great.

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 40 (7:46 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the current import/export shipping troubles and also provides an oil and gas sector update. Why hauling empty containers is a problem. How COVID-19 has greatly altered shipments into ports. Where does the price of steel fit into this discussion? When will the shipping situation return to normal times? The No. 1 driver right now when it comes to oil prices (hint, it’s in this very sentence)? Mexico and its link to current oil and gas prices. What’s the short-term oil and gas outlook heading into 2022?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 39 (10:02 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the current purchasing atmosphere and buying extra products/materials out of fear. When will things return to normal? Plus: Why the supply chain continues to be a mess. Where does inflation figure into this problem? Three ways to bring this ‘hoarding’ under control, including the big role producers will play. Why the industry forecast for the remainder of the year is changing. How lower are predictions for the remainder of 2021? What sectors could be hit the worst with the resent COVID-19 resurgence?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 38 (6:05 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the current raw material shortage and when supply will catch up with demand. When will the raw material shortage end? Why does this shortage seem so much worse than in previous years? Why hasn’t demand decreased despite rising costs and longer lead times? Has COVID changed consumer expectations? How will the recent COVID resurgence impact the situation? When will supply catch up with demand?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 37 (8:04 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the current residential housing situation and what that might look like a few months down the road. Where does residential housing fall into the lively rankings when it comes to U.S. economy components? What typically drives the residential housing market? (Hint: One-word answer). What drives the high-end residential housing market? Why is the housing market so important to the economy? Will we see a housing bubble burst on a national scale anytime soon? What parts of the country are hot spots? Latest lumber and raw materials updates Why millennials are the big wild card in this equation? Dr. Kuehl’s residential housing predictions going forward. What two things should you be watching for?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 36 (5:37 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the current infrastructure situation in the United States and where things stand on this subject in Washington. Why has this topic become a political hot potato? How bad is the current U.S. infrastructure? American Society of Civil Engineers can tell you. Are entities such as airports and ports in play here? Why transportation companies are telling trucks to avoid certain areas? Where does dial-up internet play into this? Why infrastructure problems are like falling dominos. Dr. Kuehl’s prediction on this moving forward.

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 35 (8:01 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about just how bad the U.S. national debt is and shares some insights on the recent stimulus packages. What percentage of the U.S. GDP is national debt? What are zombie companies and why are they part of the problem? 80 percent of the U.S. federal budget is consumed by five items. How did recent stimulus packages factor into the national debt situation? Was the 2021 stimulus package a good thing or not so good? What can be done to correct this problem? What happens if another recession occurs?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 34 (7:28 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the current labor situation, how bad it is right now and what can be done to ease the burden. The obvious factor making this situation even more pronounced right now. How many baby boomers retire each day and each year? The numbers are staggering. What do the number 10,000 and film critics have to do with the current labor shortage? What role does immigration play? When does Dr. Kuehl think the labor crisis will begin to ease? What can be done to correct this problem? How can academia help? Advice to companies in our industry regarding the labor situation.

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 33 (6:21 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the current situation with the transportation industry, what it means in terms of the economy and takes a look into what could be a very active future. An index score in the high 50s and 60s for the transportation industry means what? Where do Russian truckers factor into this? How bad is the current truck driver shortage? Is air cargo transportation helping or hurting the current situation? Is the transportation industry in a boom or bust mode right now? The huge railroad change possibly forthcoming and how that could change the entire cargo landscape in this country. More consolidation on the horizon on the transportation front?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 32 (6:22 in length), Dr. Kuehl talks about the current situation with the supply chain and lack of product and component availability. Why is the supply chain wrecked and has it recovered yet? What percentage of global cargo is currently stuck somewhere? Can we blame COVID-19 vaccines on this? How long have we been out of the COVID-19 recession now? The latest on chip and component manufacturing and where China fits in? Dr. Kuehl talks buying a new deck When will this situation abate?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 31, Dr. Kuehl talks about the current situation with lumber prices and when prices are expected to ease. Why did lumber prices skyrocket in the first place? Why consumers are partly to blame for this? Are the saw mills returning to normal or are they still stressed? Where do things stand with Canadian tariffs? Where does inflation factor into all of this? Prediction on when the prices will come down?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 30, Dr. Kuehl talks about the current situation with steel imports from China and the effect it is having on the industrial PVF industry, plus a look at current commodity prices. What exactly is China doing with its steel exports? How much of a price increase are we talking about? Dr. Kuehl shares the back story that has led to the current steel situation. What does the future look like in terms of China and commodity exports? More world GDP talk (the U.S. is not nearly as bad off as other countries right now). When will commodity price increases subside?

View Details

ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 29, Dr. Kuehl talks about the strength of the U.S. dollar on the global stage, plus dives into the topic of cryptocurrency. What is the future of the U.S. dollar? Why nobody else wants to be the world currency? And why would Europe not want that designation? How much cash is sitting in worldwide savings accounts right now? And why should we care? Cryptocurrency talk. Can you go to the local gas station and buy a Slurpie with crypto? Pros and cons of cryptocurrency investment.

View Details

The Current Mergers And Acquisitions Environment ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 28, Dr. Kuehl talks all things mergers & acquisitions. Is it a good time to build a new branch or distribution center? Are we at the tail-end of a strong lending environment or full steam ahead? What signs to look for that the money party is coming to an end. What part of the supply chain is most attractive right now for M&A activity? If you are going to pull the M&A trigger, how long do you have?

View Details

Dr. Kuehl Talks Lumber Prices, Why Things Got Out of Whack And an In-Depth Look At The Housing Market (Good News!) ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 27, Dr. Kuehl talks all things lumber prices and the current housing market. 3 things that have sent lumber prices through the roof and what do saw mills have to do with it? How long will these price increases last? Current tariff situation with Canada. Where does the housing market sit right now? Good vibes? Bad ones? What parts of the U.S. are going through the roof when it comes to home building? Is the U.S. economy booming right now? Dr. Kuehl has the answer.

View Details

Dr. Kuehl Gives a Somber Analysis of Just How Far The U.S. Is In Debt And What That Really Means ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 26, Dr. Kuehl talks all things federal debt and what that means for the future and for the infrastructure bill that is being widely talked about. How badly in debt is the United States? How does that compare to other countries (interesting findings)? What should debt be compared to GDP? What does this have to do with maxed out credit cards? Where does infrastructure factor into the current debt situation? How could this situation harm the future economic outlook?

View Details

Dr. Kuehl Talks The Difference Between Demand-Pull And Cost-Push Inflation ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 25, Dr. Kuehl answers an ASA member’s question and takes a look at the differences between demand-pull and cost-push inflation, plus shares some positive forecasting news. Highlights this week: Definitions of demand-pull and cost-push inflation. How water heaters factor into this. Services vs. goods. Which one is winning out right now in the pandemic? Is the current cost-push inflation a long-term thing or temporary? Dr. Kuehl’s enthusiasm over IMF’s 2021 forecast (Spoiler: Good news for the U.S. economy). When will the inflation threat really start to ramp up?

View Details

Dr. Kuehl Talks Steel Prices, Commodities and Much More ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 24, Dr. Kuehl takes an in-depth look at the volatility of steel prices and when they might start to stabilize/come down. Highlights this week: Explanation of the current supply and demand landscape. Have producers been caught flatfooted? When does Dr. Kuehl think prices will stabilize/retreat? How big of a decline? Where will demand be by the summer and fall? How does the current administration factor into this? Where does the U.S. rank in the developed world when it comes to corporate tax rates?

View Details

Dr. Kuehl Explains Why Supply Chain Warehouse Construction is Exploding ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 23, Dr. Kuehl takes an in-depth look at the container ship stuck in the Suez Canal and how that impacts the supply chain and reliance on inventory. How does this situation impact reliance on inventory? How will it affect commodity prices? Are there feasible alternative routes for container ships? How much inventory is enough? When will the route be unblocked? How long until normal operation resumes?

View Details

Dr. Kuehl Talks All Things Stimulus! ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 22, Dr. Kuehl takes an in-depth look at the stimulus package and the ramifications it will have on the PHCP-PVF supply chain. Will this overheat the economy? How did Europe and China handle their stimulus packages? Why putting money in the hands of consumers who don’t need it is dangerous. How does wage inflation factor in here? Why the country’s money supply is a critical component. What is the core rate of inflation and what two factors are excluded from this? Why the Cleveland Fed is a key player in this? Is the housing boom taking the next train out of town?

View Details

Dr. Kuehl Talks All Things Oil! ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 21, Dr. Kuehl takes an in-depth look at the oil patch — where it stands currently and where things may be headed. Are oil prices headed to the danger zone? Where is demand at right now? Why are motorists like you and me important in this equation? Why the producer landscape is a mess right now? How much oil does the United States import today? Has that gone up or down recently? Dr. Kuehl shares his thoughts on where oil prices might go this year. When will producers begin to meet commodity demand in general?

View Details

Dr. Kuehl talks all things inflation and if there should be cause for concern in the marketplace. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 20, Dr. Kuehl shares his thoughts and concerns about possible inflation on the horizon. Are we really headed for an inflation situation with the economy? When is the last time this has happened? Three factors that determine an inflationary environment and how many are trending toward that? What is the magic number to keep an eye on when it comes to inflation Where do commodities such as metals and oil factor into this? Should you panic? Should you start buying more inventory?

View Details

Dr. Kuehl talks manufacturing economic indicators and what that means for the short-term outlook. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 19, Dr. Kuehl shares insights into why the economic outlook right now may be trending in a positive direction. How many of the 12 key indices are pointing in a positive direction? When is the last time this type of outlook has occurred? How high above 50 has the Purchasing Managers’ Index gone and what does that mean? The three things driving expansion and growth? When is inflation going to enter the picture? Will it be a full-on crisis?

View Details

Dr. Kuehl takes you inside the Armada Strategic Intelligence System; Oil and gas, and metals pricing talk. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 18, Dr. Kuehl takes a comprehensive look at how his company’s exclusive Armada Strategic Intelligence System (ASIS) works. Plus, Chris talks oil and gas and metals pricing. What is ASIS and how does it work? What is ASIS telling us about 2020 business conditions and beyond? How does “battlefield planning” work in the business community? Raw materials inflation forthcoming? Oil and gas outlook. Metals pricing talk.

Get a copy of the most recent ASIS sent to you Dr. Kuehl is offering to send a copy of the most recent ASIS report (36 pages, no less) right to your email inbox. Shoot him an email at chris.kuehl@armadaci.com.

View Details

Episode 17: Credit Managers’ Index and its importance to our economic future, manufacturing talk, Chris wants to send you charts and graphs! ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 17, Dr. Kuehl takes a comprehensive look at the importance of the Credit Managers’ Index as a predictive economic tool. Chris also explains the relevance of the numbers 21 and 73. What exactly is the Credit Managers’ Index? How does the CMI differ from PMI? Why should the PHCP-PVF industry care about the CMI? What does the CMI tell us about 2021? How does the CMI relate to manufacturing? Why the numbers 21 and 73 are important.

View Details

Episode 16: Inflation talk, commodities prices and memes! ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 16 (7:32 in length), Dr. Kuehl takes a comprehensive look at inflations and three key factors that could drive it upward this year. Is the U.S. heading for a major inflation outbreak? How commodities prices play a role What is wage inflation and where does that fit in? The money supply How much of an average American’s disposable income is spent on services? Chris shares a recent 2021 meme he came across.

View Details

Episode 15: Fossil Fuel Update; Blue Wave? Poor Dinner Guest Etiquette. ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 15, Dr. Kuehl talks fossil fuels, more election aftermath and early 2021 happenings, including: What does a blue wave mean for ASA members? Thoughts on possible infrastructure upgrades. Construction market outlook. Where are fossil fuels headed? Short-term implications here? The lowdown on U.S. exports. Quick 2021 short-term outlook tied into dinner table etiquette.

View Details

Episode 14: Copper pricing outlook; Home-building update; Chris sings Christmas carols? ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 14, Dr. Kuehl talks copper prices and the home-building market, including: Latest and greatest on the copper market. When is the last time we’ve seen copper at this level? Where will copper prices head in 2021? Why the housing market continues to be strong? How millennials are playing a key role in the current housing market situation. Outlook for housing market in 2021 and beyond?

View Details

Episode 13: Deep dive into tariffs: Lexus vs. Mercedes? ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 13, Dr. Kuehl takes a look at the subject of tariffs and trade policy in general, including: The misnomer regarding tariffs and their usage Who are the biggest producers of steel in the world? Not who you think. Circumventing tariffs; How it’s done. Dr. Kuehl’s thoughts on Biden administration and tariff usage How a Lexus and Mercedes worked their way into the tariff discussion

View Details

Episode 12: Oil and Gas Updates; The Motel 6 Index ASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 12 (9:51 in length), Dr. Kuehl takes a look at all the latest happenings in the oil and gas sector, including: ● Reasons why oil prices are where they are at today ● How does the pandemic factor in? ● Where would the fracking community like to see oil prices at? ● What is the Motel 6 Index? ● Outlook for oil and gas patch in the short- and long-term, plus what should ASA industrial PVF players expect? ● Update on liquid natural gas

View Details

Episode 11: The Election Aftermath In Episode 11, Dr. Kuehl takes a look at short-term ramifications coming out of the election, including: Why the business community likes political dysfunction. What will happen to taxes? Will another lockdown occur? What does Switzerland have to do with all this? Dr. Kuehl provides 3 short-term economic outlook scenarios.

View Details

Episode 10: Oil and Gas Update; More COVID-19 Lockdown TalkIn Episode 10, Dr. Kuehl answers an ASA member question related to talk of another COVID-19-related lockdown, plus he takes a look at the short-term outlook for the PHCP-PVF industry, including thoughts on the oil and gas patch. How Europe factors into the current COVID-19 landscape? What part of the economy would be hit the worst if another stoppage happens? An update on the oil and gas sector; What will the price of oil look like at year’s end? Short-term outlook for the PHCP-PVF industry? Percentage likelihood of another lockdown? How to prepare for the upcoming year

View Details

Episode 9: The Consequences of Another COVID-19 LockdownASA Chief Economist Dr. Chris Kuehl is back with his weekly “Keeping it Real with Dr. Kuehl” economic update podcast. In Episode 10 (8:10 in length), Dr. Kuehl, who recorded this episode at a forging industry convention live in Cleveland, takes a look at the what’s going on with the pandemic and what potential future responses could be: Will there be another full COVID-19-related lockdown in the United States? How other countries are currently responding Three factors that can turn the tables on the economic front right now When will see significant economic recovery in the U.S.? The importance of the American consumer in all of this What happens if there is another lockdown?

View Details

Episode 8: Economic Indicators Everybody Should Be Following Purchasing Managers’ Index Credit Managers’ Index Industrial production numbers Why there is concern heading into 2021 as it relates to manufacturing And why there is optimism with these other key indicators Why mining numbers are important to the PHCP-PVF industry The correlation between the PMI and a bag of Cheez-It

View Details

Episode 7: Dr. Kuehl takes us to school on unemployment statisticsExplanation of different DOL statistics provided and what to watch for Is the unemployment rate 8.4% or 14.7%? Where is consumer confidence right now and how does that relate to labor statistics? The city in the U.S. where you don’t want to be a job hunter right now Where do ASA member companies fall in this equation? What does the term “targeted recession” mean?

Ask Dr. Kuehl a question Have a question you want Dr. Kuehl to answer on a future podcast? Email Ayesha Salman at asalman@asa.net.

View Details

Episode 6: Dr. Kuehl Takes a Deep Dive Into Industrial Production Numbers ● Why industrial production numbers are so important ● What’s going on in the oil and gas sector right now? ● What caused industrial production growth to plummet? ● What can we expect for the rest of 2020 and into 2021? ● Why utilities play such a large role in this equation ● 3 things to look at when assessing the short-term and long-term outlooks

View Details

Episode 5: Dr. Kuehl Answers ASA Listener Questions! How long is the current housing expansion likely to go on? Change in how millennials look at housing? What do current housing permits indicate and what happens after Jan. 1? Retail expectations for remainder of the year? The influence of the male holiday shopper? Airline and hospitality impacts?

View Details

Episode 4: The Importance of the Credit Managers’ Index Why this index is a highly valuable economic measurement tool? Did this index really predict the Great Recession? How bad was the index earlier this year? What the current index is telling us? Using this measurement, what does Q4 look like?

View Details

Episode 3: Housing Market Issues That Might Arise How will continued surging housing demand be met? Home purchases spurring other sectors of economy? Remodeling: Creating home entertainment? How can there be a labor shortage in COVID-19 crisis? Will supply chain be able to meet housing demand?

View Details

Episode 2: The Weird Housing Market Why is there growth in the housing sector right now? How high of an uptick is there in pending home sales? What is driving people to move? How do home offices and senior living factor into the current landscape? Where does the stock market fit into everything?

View Details

Episode 1: Deep Diving in the Oil Patch When will the price of oil rise above $50 per barrel? What is causing demand issues in the oil sector? What percentage of the world’s cargo is stuck right now? Are we looking at a slow or fast recovery? Consolidation in the oil patch?

Keeping it Real Podcast with Dr. Kuehl: Recent Episodes

American Supply Association