The 9Innings Podcast

Welcome to the 9Innings Podcast where we Educate, Empower and Engage. ON THIS WEEKS PODCAST: In 2005, I purchased my first home in Benbrook, Texas. It was 1,400 square feet, cost approximately $98,000, and required very little money down. Today, that same home is worth nearly $300,000. So what happened to the American starter home? In this episode of Econ 101, we examine why builders have shifted...

On this weeks episode of the 9innings Podcast.. A crypto exchange reportedly lost $6.4 billion after a DevOps engineer left a laptop accessible to a North Korean operative and, Tyrone Ross Jr. argues, keeping so much crypto in online “hot wallets” made the damage worse. He joins the show to unpack what’s known, whether Binance can afford to reimburse users, and why Ross thinks crypto customers sho...

ON THIS WEEKS PODCAST: What happens when your bank calls, but the person on the other end isn't actually your bank? In the debut episode of The Scam Playbook , Kevin Thompson shares a personal experience involving a spoofed bank call that nearly fooled his wife. From fake Microsoft support calls and romance scams to suspicious text messages and high-pressure door-to-door sales, scammers are findin...

On this weeks Facts Over Feelings Episode on the 9innings Podcast Station... A couple earning $150,000 may be living on closer to $102,500, not the full amount a retirement calculator might tell them to replace. This episode breaks down where the rest goes, from taxes and retirement savings to health benefits, and shows why two households with the same income can have very different retirement nee...

A business owner may be financially ready to retire, but what happens when their spouse is a decade younger and still needs health insurance? In this episode, I'm joined by Andy Panko of Tenon Financial to discuss the costly and often complicated road to Medicare. We explore how employer-sponsored health insurance can mask the true cost of coverage, the challenges of retiring before 65, and the de...

In this episode of the 9innings Podcast: GDP is growing, yet September added just 29,000 jobs, and households are spending more even as real disposable income stays roughly flat. In this Econ 101 episode, Kevin looks beneath the headline numbers to trace how lower savings and rising consumer credit may be helping sustain spending, and why that could become a strain if incomes don’t catch up. He al...

In this episode of Facts of Our Feelings , Kevin Thompson expands on five topics he was recently quoted on in major publications. He explores why loosening credit standards won't solve housing affordability, how declining insurer competition is reshaping Medicare Advantage plans, and why Social Security COLA increases aren't necessarily good news given rising retiree costs. He also explains how ul...

In this episode of Econ 101 , I break down the Federal Reserve’s latest 25-basis-point rate hike, bringing the federal funds target range to 3.75%–4.00% , and what higher interest rates actually mean for you. From credit cards and car loans to mortgages and business investment, higher rates are designed to slow spending and cool the economy. But there’s another side to the story: massive investmen...

In this episode of Facts Over Feelings , I tackle an overlooked retirement challenge: dying with too much money . After spending 30 or 40 years saving and investing, flipping the switch from saver to spender can be harder than it sounds. I explore the psychology behind that transition and ask a simple question: What was all that money actually for? Whether your goal is enjoying retirement, maintai...

In this episode, host Kevin Thompson sits down with Ryan Luckey, an adjunct professor at TCU specializing in NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) in college sports. They discuss how NIL has transformed college athletics, giving athletes the ability to profit from their personal brands while also opening the door to direct compensation from schools. The conversation explores the growing financial divide...

In this episode of the 9Innings Podcast’s Econ 101 segment, the host explores the subscription economy and why businesses and investors increasingly favor recurring revenue over one-time purchases. The episode examines the shift from ownership to access across software, music, entertainment, apps, and other services and why predictable recurring revenue has become such an attractive business model...

In this Econ 101 segment on the 9innings Podcast, we explore America’s growing “payment economy,” where consumers increasingly focus on the monthly payment rather than the total price. From longer-term financing and Buy Now, Pay Later services to the ever-growing subscription economy, we examine how breaking purchases into smaller payments can create the illusion of affordability without actually...

Welcome to the 9Innings Podcast where we Educate, Empower and Engage. In this episode of Facts of Our Feelings, tKevin breaks down key differences between tax professionals-CPAs, Enrolled Agents (EAs), and PTIN holders. We clarify that not all CPAs specialize in taxes, while EAs are federally authorized specifically for taxation and IRS representation. PTIN holders can prepare returns but lack equ...

In this episode of Econ 101, we explore the “Gen X Sandwich” —the financial and emotional squeeze many Gen Xers face while simultaneously supporting their children and caring for aging parents. Drawing from personal experience, we discuss why simply having a trust or power of attorney may not be enough. We cover the importance of understanding your parents’ financial accounts, establishing the pro...

Welcome to the 9Innings Podcast where we Educate, Empower and Engage. ON THIS WEEKS PODCAST: In this episode of "Facts of Our Feelings" Kevin explores the economics of convenience in modern consumer culture. He explains how technology has shifted labor costs from businesses to consumers, with examples like self-checkout, food delivery apps, and online banking. While companies reduce expenses and b...

In this episode of 9Innings , host Kevin Thompson sits down with Spear Invest founder Ivana Delevska to discuss one of the hottest investment themes in the market today: AI infrastructure and the explosion in data center demand. The conversation explores the growing political pushback against new data center developments in cities like Fort Worth and New York, while highlighting why many rural com...

Welcome to the 9Innings Podcast where we Educate, Empower and Engage. Facts Over Feelings In this episode, we separate the headlines from reality and examine whether Social Security benefit cuts are becoming more likely. With the trust fund projected to be depleted around 2032–2034, beneficiaries could face automatic benefit reductions of roughly 20–25% if Congress fails to act. We'll discuss why...

Who really pays for your 2% cash back? Every time you swipe your credit card, money changes hands long before your rewards hit your account. In this episode of Econ 101, Kevin Thompson breaks down where merchant fees go, how banks and payment processors make billions, and why your airline miles and cash back aren't actually free. Topics covered: How credit card transactions work What interchange f...

Welcome to the 9Innings Podcast where we Educate, Empower and Engage. ON THIS WEEKS PODCAST: Trump Accounts have been pitched as a new way to help children build wealth, but what are they actually, and who benefits the most? In this episode of Facts Over Feelings, Kevin Thompson breaks down what Trump Accounts are, what they aren't, and three major ways they differ from other IRAs. We discuss the...

In this episode, host Kevin interviews Dr. John T. Harvey, the "cowboy economist," about inflation and economic policy. Dr. Harvey distinguishes between demand-pull and cost-push inflation, criticizing the Federal Reserve's focus on core CPI while excluding food and energy prices. He challenges conventional thinking about government debt, supports paying living wages despite inflationary effects,...

On This Week's Econ 101... Data centers are becoming one of the fastest-growing industries in America, fueled by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and our increasingly digital lives. Communities across the country are competing to attract these facilities with promises of economic growth, new investment, and job creation. But are the benefits matching the promises? I...

In this episode, we break down the realities of Social Security's financial future, separating fact from emotion. He clarifies that the Social Security trust fund and the overall system are not the same — even if the trust fund is depleted, benefits continue, though potentially reduced by 20-25%. We explore contributing pressures including aging demographics, declining birth rates, immigration shi...

In this episode of the 9innings Podcast, host Kevin Thompson — CEO of 9i Capital Group — breaks down the current IPO boom featuring companies like SpaceX, OpenAI, and Stripe. Kevin cautions retail investors against getting swept up in the hype, noting that IPOs primarily serve as exit opportunities for early investors and venture capitalists. He highlights concerning trends including shortened loc...

Welcome to the 9Innings Podcast where we Educate, Empower and Engage. ON THIS WEEKS PODCAST: In this episode of Facts Over Feelings on the 9Innings Podcast, Kevin Thompson explores how inflation has fundamentally changed what it means to be a millionaire in America. Using historical inflation data, he breaks down why $1 million today doesn't carry the same buying power it did in 1980, 2000, or eve...

In this episode of Econ 101 on the 9 Innings Podcast, Kevin Thompson, founder and CEO of 9i Capital Group, explores how artificial intelligence, privatization, and cost containment are quietly reshaping Medicare. He discusses growing concerns around AI driven systems like the WiSer platform and how increased prior authorizations, delays, and denials could impact seniors seeking care. Kevin also ex...