Indicators of the Year, Past and Future

This message comes from Somnee, the award winning smart sleep headband aimed at helping you fall asleep and stay asleep with neurotechnology developed by UC Berkeley scientists, including doctor Matt Walker. Try forty five days risk free at somnisleep.com. Hey. Erica Barris here. We are almost at the 2025, and there is no way to sugarcoat it. It has been a tough year for NPR and for local stations. But with your support, NPR will keep reporting the news. And here at Planet Money, we'll keep doing what we do best, explaining the economy in the most entertaining and accessible ways we possibly can. If you're already an NPR Plus supporter, thank you so much. If not, please join the community of public radio supporters right now at +.npr.org. Signing up unlocks a bunch of perks like bonus episodes and more from across NPR's podcast. Visit +.npr.org today. Thanks. This is PLANET MONEY from NPR. Hello, and welcome to PLANET MONEY. I'm Waelin Wong, normally cohost of PLANET MONEY's short daily podcast, The Indicator. Today on the show, I'm here to offer you this indicator Planet Money crossover event. We have given thanks. We've stuffed and emptied stockings. We are crossing off the last days of the calendar and spending meaningful time with loved ones. And for us, that means doing what families do best, engaging in brutal, soul breaking arguments in a fashion most public. We call it indicators of the year, a Planet Money family competition to out nerd each other with stats and storytelling. And with that, I'm gonna turn it over for a bit to my colleagues who battled it out. Representing the indicator was Darien Woods. Darien, take it away. That's right. It's time for another Family Feud. Today, I'm competing head to head with my Planet Money colleagues, Kenny Malone Bring it, you egg. Is that what they say in New Zealand? Something like that. That's right. And Greg Rosalski. Can't we all just get along? No. Not for the next nine minutes. And in case you aren't up to speed, here are the rules. Each of us has a spiel for our indicator of the year. We will each have sixty seconds or less to make our case or else. And in the end, you, dear listener, will vote on who had the indicator of 2025. Coming up on the show, we have Kenny Malone rightfully explaining why consumer sentiment for the third straight year is obviously the indicator of the year. And I'm Greg Rosalski. I'm championing the idea that tariffs were the story of 2025. And we'll have me, Darrie Woods, seeing terrifying signs in the stock market. Plus predictions for the indicator of 2026. That's coming up after the break. This message comes from DonorsChoose. DonorsChoose connects public school teachers with donors to fund classroom needs, including school supplies. Donations put books, art supplies, and students' smiles into the classrooms that need them most. Make a difference today. Donate now …