Inflation Explained with Fexingo: CPI, Prices, and the Cost of Living for Everyday People

Episode 82 of Inflation Explained with Fexingo dives into the gap between the rent CPI reports and what tenants actually sign on leases. Lucas and Luna break down why the Bureau of Labor Statistics uses a methodology called Owners’ Equivalent Rent that lags real-time market rents by 12 to 18 months, and how that distorts the inflation picture for the 35 percent of households who rent. They anchor...

Episode 81 of Inflation Explained with Fexingo: CPI, Prices, and the Cost of Living for Everyday People. Lucas and Luna dig into why your rent check keeps climbing even as headline CPI for shelter shows only a 4.2% annual increase. They explain the BLS's 'imputed rent' methodology — how the CPI estimates what owners would pay themselves, not what tenants actually pay. Using fresh May 2026 CPI data...

Episode 80 of Inflation Explained with Fexingo: Why the Fed's preferred inflation gauge—core PCE—hit 3.4 percent in May 2026, its highest since October 2023. Lucas and Luna break down the gap between CPI and PCE, the stubborn services inflation from housing and insurance, and what it means for rate cuts. With the Fed Funds rate at 3.63 percent, the conversation explores how the central bank's favo...

The Fed's preferred inflation measure, the core PCE price index, hit 3.4 percent in May 2026 — its highest since October 2023. Lucas and Luna dig into why this number matters more than CPI, how it's calculated differently, and what it means for the timing of rate cuts. They explore the role of services inflation, the divergence between PCE and CPI, and why the Fed is unlikely to cut rates before S...

Rent is up 6.2% year-over-year while CPI shelter shows 4.8%. Lucas and Luna unpack the gap: how landlords are using 'market-rate resets' and 'amenity fees' to push effective rents far above official inflation measures. With the Fed's preferred PCE core hitting 3.4% in May 2026, this episode explains why your rent check tells a different story than the government's inflation data — and what it mean...

In Episode 77 of Inflation Explained, Lucas and Luna examine why grocery store margins are climbing even as headline CPI moderates. With the latest PCE data showing core inflation at 3.4%, they unpack how companies like Kroger and Walmart are using 'margin recapture' — quietly raising prices faster than costs to recover profits lost during the pandemic supply-chain crunch. Lucas explains the diffe...

Core PCE inflation hit 3.4% in May 2026, the highest since October 2023. Lucas and Luna break down why this matters more than CPI, how it complicates the Fed's rate-cut timeline, and what it means for your monthly budget. They look at the breakdown—services inflation staying hot, goods disinflation fading—and why the Fed's preferred metric is giving a different signal than the headline CPI number....

In this episode of Inflation Explained, Lucas and Luna dig into the growing gap between official CPI shelter numbers and what renters actually pay. Using May 2026 data showing core CPI at 3.4%, they explain how the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures rent — and why the lag makes inflation feel worse than the headline number. They walk through the difference between new-lease rents and the CPI's 's...

In this episode of Inflation Explained, Lucas and Luna examine why electricity prices are climbing faster than the headline CPI. With the May 2026 CPI at 334.0 and core CPI at 336.1, the hosts drill down into the specific components driving utility inflation: rising natural gas costs, grid upgrade expenses, and the growing impact of data center demand. They connect this to the broader story of sti...

Episode 73 of Inflation Explained with Fexingo digs into a puzzle: the CPI shows inflation cooling, but the average monthly car payment keeps rising. Lucas and Luna examine how higher interest rates, longer loan terms, and record negative equity are trapping borrowers. As of June 2026, the Fed funds rate sits at 3.63 percent, down only a fraction from its peak. Auto loan rates for new cars have pu...

Episode 72 of Inflation Explained with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna examine why the price of a gym membership has risen nearly twice as fast as headline CPI over the past three years. They break down the specific cost drivers — commercial real estate leases, insurance liability premiums, and labor shortages for trainers — and explain why this feels different from the broad inflation numbers you hear ab...

In this episode of Inflation Explained with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dig into why your homeowners and auto insurance premiums keep surging even as overall inflation cools. With the latest CPI data showing core inflation still sticky at 336.1, insurance costs are rising at double-digit rates — and the reasons go beyond simple supply and demand. Lucas breaks down the role of climate-driven catastroph...

Factory job cuts in June 2026 are nearing levels seen during the financial crisis and Covid, according to S&P. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore why a softening labor market in manufacturing doesn't mean deflation is coming. They break down the 'wage-price spiral' that runs in reverse, how service sector inflation stays sticky even as goods cool, and what the divergence between the S&P 500 a...

Lucas and Luna dive into shrinkflation: the practice where companies reduce package sizes instead of raising prices. They examine why the CPI data often misses this phenomenon, using real examples like cereal boxes shrinking from 20 ounces to 18 ounces while prices stay flat. They discuss how consumers can spot shrinkflation and what it means for measuring true inflation. Tying in the latest CPI r...

Lucas and Luna dig into the May CPI report to show how your auto insurance premium is driving core services inflation. The CPI rose to 334.0, but it's the 336.1 core reading that has the Fed's attention. Using real data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they explain why motor vehicle insurance is up over 20% year-over-year and how the CPI weights actually make it matter more than you think. The...

In Episode 67 of Inflation Explained with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dig into why the Federal Reserve is now laser-focused on services inflation—things like haircuts, doctor visits, and concert tickets—while goods prices have stabilized. Using fresh May 2026 CPI data, they explain why core services inflation is stickier and what that means for rate cuts. They also break down the 10-year breakeven rat...

Episode 66 of Inflation Explained with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna dig into why homeowners insurance premiums are rising at triple the rate of overall inflation. With CPI at 334.0 and core inflation still sticky at 336.1, insurance costs are outpacing both. They explore how climate risk, reinsurance costs, and state regulations are combining to hit homeowners hard. Lucas points to the surprise 2025 wi...

In this episode of Inflation Explained, Lucas and Luna dig into why the Fed's preferred core PCE inflation gauge is still running hot even as headline CPI has moderated. They examine the sticky services inflation—things like rent, insurance, and medical care—that the central bank can't seem to shake, and what it means for rate cuts in 2026. With the Fed funds rate at 3.63% and the 10-year breakeve...

In Episode 64 of Inflation Explained, Lucas and Luna dig into the data point that has the new Fed chair, Kevin Warsh, boxed in: core services inflation, which excludes housing and energy, has barely budged even as headline CPI cools. They break down why the Fed's preferred PCE measure is stuck above its target, how the 10-year breakeven rate hints at market skepticism, and what this means for your...

Episode 63 of Inflation Explained. Lucas and Luna look at a single inflation blind spot: child care. The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures market prices, but millions of families pay a nanny or a relative off the books—and that spending never reaches the CPI. The hosts walk through a real example: a family paying $2,400 a month for child care without a formal receipt, and how that distorts offic...

In this episode of Inflation Explained with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna examine a strange disconnect in the auto market: used car prices are dropping for the first time in two years, yet auto loan rates and insurance premiums keep climbing. With the Fed funds rate still at 3.63 percent and CPI sitting at 334, Lucas uses the latest data to explain why falling wholesale values at Manheim auctions haven'...

In this episode of Inflation Explained, Lucas and Luna examine why car insurance premiums are rising at triple the rate of overall inflation, even as core CPI shows signs of cooling. They break down the specific factors—repair costs, medical payouts, and reinsurance pricing—that create a sector-specific inflation loop the Fed can't touch. With the May CPI at 334.0 and the 10-year breakeven falling...

Streaming prices keep climbing even as headline inflation cools. In this episode, Lucas and Luna unpack the specific economics behind the steady price hikes on services like Netflix, Disney+, and Spotify. They explain how licensing costs, content debt, and the shift from subscriber growth to profit extraction are driving the trend. Lucas points to the recent 10-year breakeven rate falling to 2.26...

In Episode 59 of Inflation Explained, Lucas and Luna break down why the Fed under new Chair Kevin Warsh is focusing on headline inflation while core services CPI is still running hot at 4.2%. They unpack the split between falling goods prices and sticky services costs, what the 10-year breakeven rate of 2.26% signals, and how this disconnect could hit your rent and insurance bills. Using May's CPI...

Episode 58 of Inflation Explained with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna dig into why gold mining stocks are surging even as inflation cools. With gold at $4,383 and the GDX up 15% in a week, they explore how miners benefit from both higher gold prices and falling input costs. They discuss the signal from the 10-year breakeven rate dropping to 2.29, the divergence between gold and inflation expectations, an...