In this August 12, 2026 episode of the One of a Kind Financial Show Daily, Certified Financial Planner Mike Milligan opens with a market recap, noting modest declines in the S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq ahead of the upcoming Consumer Price Index (CPI) release. He outlines expectations for headline and core CPI numbers and explains how they influence Federal Reserve policy and investor positioning. Milligan then highlights three macro‑level stories to watch: the CPI print and its impact on rate‑cut probabilities, the extension of the Trump‑China tariff truce which removes a tail‑risk for goods inflation, and Cisco’s earnings that signal AI‑related capital spending. Shifting from market analysis to personal legacy, he answers a prior interview question about the three pieces of advice he would leave if today were his last day. The advice centers on (1) living an authentic life and protecting one’s time, (2) beginning every financial plan with the human question “Why is money important to you?” and crafting a concise, one‑page plan, and (3) writing an “I love you” letter and having brave conversations with loved ones. He concludes with a brief look at Google trending searches on August 11, noting the public’s focus on weather, sports, and a meteor shower rather than the CPI, reinforcing his “never miss a moment” mantra. The episode ends with contact information, a reminder of his mission to educate and coach, and a standard disclaimer that the content is educational, not investment advice.
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This is the One of a Kind Financial Show Daily for Wednesday, August 12th. This is Mike Milligan, Certified Financial Planner, coming to you from San Juan, Puerto Rico, my home. This is day 4 of my 50-day countdown to my 50th birthday, which means 47 days till I turn 50. Yesterday, I sat down for an entrepreneur podcast as a guest, and the host asked me a question that really just stopped me. If today was your last day, what are the 3 pieces of advice you would want to leave behind I promised him I would answer it on his show, and I'm going to tell you what I said today, along with a market recap, what is making news today, and what America's searching for on August 11th at the Educate Coach Plan. Never miss a moment. Let's go.
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Tuesday was a positioning day in the stock market, and the market drifted lower into the print. The S&P 500 gave back 0.32% to close at 7,728. It opened the week at 7,757 from its close on Friday. The Dow slipped 0.34% to 53,791. The NASDAQ was the softest, off 0.60% to 26,445. That's the second modest drop since Friday's all-time high. The tape was doing exactly what it usually does the day before a Consumer Price Index number, lightening up, taking chips off the table, and waiting for the read. Now here we are Wednesday, CPI hits this morning before the opening of the market. The consensus is looking for headline inflation to come in around 3.0. To 3.4%, year over year, depending on which desk you read. Core CPI at 2.5%, month over month headline around 0.1% to 0.2% after last month's decline. That is the number the Federal Reserve or the FOMC is watching before its September meeting. We're not chasing returns as much as we're building a one-of-a-kind financial plan. So we are not trading this number. We are reading it.
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3 stories to watch today. First, that CPI print I talked about. If headline inflation comes in soft, the September rate cut probability rises. If— and long-duration assets, think NASDAQ and long bonds, tend to catch a bid. If it comes in hot, especially on core services, the Fed's hands stay tied. Either way, this is a signal, not a strategy. The second thing to watch for today is the Trump-China trade truce. Reports overnight indicate the administration has extended the tariff truce with China for another 90 days. That removes one tail risk from the table for now in matters for goods inflation and for multinationals with China exposure. And third is earnings. Cisco, Reports today after the bell. Cisco was a useful read on enterprise IT and networking spend, which flows directly into the AI infrastructure story we covered yesterday around the NVIDIA $500 billion financing platform. The impact for you sitting where you sit is not about picking a winner today. It's about noticing that inflation, trade policy, and AI capital spending are the 3 variables shaping the next 12 months of your plan. That is what educated investors track. That's what an advisor who builds a one-of-a-kind financial plan informs you on.
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Now, to answer to that question I opened with, if today was my last day, here are the 3 things I would leave behind. No, I'm not going to leave an investment tip, not a market call, These are the things I would want my kids, my clients, and the people I coach to hear from me one more time. Number 1, live your life. Get out of the sea of sameness. I grew up poor. I would not say poverty, but I grew up poorer than most. I lost my brother Jonathan when he was 41 years old. And what those 2 things taught me is that nobody gets to live the same life as everyone else and be at peace at the end. Stop borrowing other people's desires. Stop running someone else's plan. Protect your time like it's money because time is the one asset you cannot get back. So say no with purpose so you can say yes to the moments that matter. This is why I say never miss a moment because a moment only lands if you are actually present for it. Number 2, start every plan with one human question. Why is money important to you? Not a product, not a spreadsheet, that question. Because until you can answer it out loud with spoken words, every dollar you save is aimed at a target you have not defined. But when you can answer it, retirement stops being what I call Endless Saturdays and becomes what I'm writing about now. The next book I'm going to release becomes about retirement chi. It becomes about the inner peace you have when you define a vision for your community that you want to be a part of, the health that you want to aspire to, and the impact that you're going to make. That is why money is important to you. That is return of investment, not just return on investment. Write the plan down clear, concise, one page if you can, because transformation only happens when understanding turns into action and action gets anchored in your plan. And then number 3, the legacy piece really of your life and of your financial plan is really just an I love you letter to your family. A plan in equal parts emotion and money. So the last thing I would leave behind is this: have one brave conversation this week with your spouse, with your child, with your parent. The postponed conversation is the one that never unlocks the next chapter. End life with dignity. Tell your people you love them in writing and do not wait. This is what I want to leave behind. This is what I hope you will also.
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Every once in a while to end the show, I'll just take a peek and see what Americans are Googling to see what really they're trying to educate themselves on. So I did that for August 11th, because sometimes the search bar tells you where the country's head is. Top of the trending list, Jamie Lee Curtis, a tornado in Cincinnati, and severe weather across the Midwest. The Kansas City Royals versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. Really? A Chicago tornado warning and the meteor shower peaking tonight into tomorrow morning, August 12th and the 13th. That is the Perseids. Hope I pronounced that right. But notice what is on the list: weather, sports, a meteor shower. Almost nothing about the Consumer Price Index print. That is going to move trillions of dollars in a couple of hours. That is the country reminding you what it actually cares about. Cares about the moments. If the Perseids peak tonight and you have a clear sky, walk outside, look up. That is a never miss a moment in practice.
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This is the show for Wednesday, August 12th, 2026. If you want to reach me, text IDEAS, I-D-E-A-S, I-D-E-A-S, IDEAS, to 600-700. That's the phone number you put in when you're sending the text. Or call me directly at our corporate line, 757-909-7151. One more time, live your own life, ask why money matters, write the I love you letter. That is what I would leave behind. This is Mike Milligan, Certified Financial Planner. Estoy aprendiendo, and so are you. Educate, coach, plan. It's my mission. Never miss a moment is my motto. I'll see you tomorrow. The content of the One of a Kind Financial Show Daily is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing shared on the show constitutes investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice, and nothing shared should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security, product, or strategy. Individual results will vary. I am a Certified Financial Planning Professional and the founder of One Oak Financial. To visit our company, go to www.oneoakfinancial.com. That's the number one oak financial dot com. Any references to specific companies, securities, indexes, or economic data are made for educational context and are not solicitations. Consult your own Qualified financial, tax, and legal professionals before making any decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Be one of a kind with Mike's plan. In a face shot growth, take a stand. Visibility, strategy, take the lead. Transformation's yours, fulfill the need. Mike's got the way to help you rise and stay. Leadership impact you'll find in your one of Be one of a kind. Take the flight. Mike's the guide. You shine bright.
