In this episode of The One of a Kind Financial Show Daily, Certified Financial Planner Mike Milligan warns listeners about the upcoming Federal Reserve rate hike scheduled for 2 PM Eastern on a Fed day—the first increase in almost three years. He outlines a precise timeline (FOMC statement, dot‑plot, economic projections at 2 PM; Chairman Kevin Warsh’s press conference at 2:30 PM) and stresses that the market will price the decision in seconds, making any attempt to time trades futile. Milligan identifies three macro drivers influencing markets—consumer sentiment, AI capital‑expenditure, and high oil prices—and explains how they shape Fed policy expectations. He then details how a rate hike simultaneously harms borrowers (higher costs on variable‑rate debt such as HELOCs, credit cards, and adjustable mortgages) and benefits savers (higher payouts on money‑market accounts, CD ladders, fixed and indexed annuities). Retirees, who typically hold both types of positions, should treat the event as a rebalancing opportunity: review their balance‑sheet, flag liabilities that will reprice, and highlight assets that will benefit, then refer back to their personalized One of a Kind Financial Plan to decide on actions. Milligan advises financial professionals to offer calm, short conversations to clients on Fed day, focusing on the plan rather than market predictions. The episode concludes with promotional mentions of his books and a standard compliance disclaimer.
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At 2:00 PM Eastern today, the Federal Reserve is going to move rates up for the first time in almost 3 years. If you are retired, you need to hear the next 5 minutes before that press conference starts. And if you're a financial pro, listen for wisdom that's going to come on today's episode of the One of a Kind Financial Show Daily. I'm Mike Milligan, Certified Financial Planner, the founder and chairman of One Oak Financial. My personal mission is to educate, coach, plan, and my life's motto is to never miss a moment.
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Before we get to the news today, I want to talk about what happened in the markets yesterday, September 15th. The market did not wait on the Fed's decision The market told the Fed what it thought. The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ, and Russell 2000 all down since Labor Day. We got back to the markets, 5 of the 6 days have been down. That's not a reason to panic. It's not a reason to move. It's a reason to dust off the One of a Kind Financial Plan and see if you Are as protected as you need to be. See, small caps have been hit the hardest. Volatility has increased. And there's been 3 big drivers in the room, and they're the same 3 we've been talking about for weeks. Number one, how is the consumer dealing in light of the news in the market? Number 2, what is happening with AI CapEx spending? And number 3, oil, oil, oil. Over $100 a barrel. And many are saying that they expect it to remain high for a period of time. It's not a prediction. I don't give 'em. It's just what is being read in articles and written in articles around the country. But today, today is about Chairman Kevin Warsh. The announcement and what will come at the, at, at the end of that announcement.
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Let me give you a timeline for today. At exactly 2 PM, the FOMC statement drops. The new dot plot drops. The summary of economic projections drop. At 2:30, Chairman Kevin Warsh will take the podium for his September press conference to give highlights and answer questions from what happened in the room where it happened. Market pricing coming into today of about a 90% probability of a rate increase. I think that has continued to go up over the last 24 hours. It's going to take the Fed funds rate to 3.75% to 4%. That would be the first rate hike since July 2023. Here's what I want you to listen for. Not a number, the dot plot. 9 members already projected higher rates for June. If today's dot plot moves further up, That is the Fed telling you that this is not one and done. If the dot plot stays flat, that is the Fed telling you this hike is defensive against oil and tariff inflation and that they may not be done. Watch the wording on the labor market. Watch the inflation projections for 2027 and watch how Warsh handles his first press conference with the live-to-sit question. We're gonna see what's coming from the Fed's point of view. Here's the part I do not want you to do. Do not trade around this. Do not move money before 2:30. Do not call your advisor a couple minutes before 2 and say, let's try to time this right, because the market will price this in 8 seconds. You're not going to beat that. That's why you build the one-of-a-kind financial plan, not for moments in the market like this, but to feel confident you are moving in the right direction.
Be one of a kind with Mike's plan.
Here is what a rate move actually means for retirees today. A rate hike does 2 things to a plan at the same time. It punishes those who owe money and it rewards those who save. If you have a home equity line, a variable rate credit card, or variable rate mortgage, your monthly cost will go up as a result of a Fed increase. That is real money leaving your household. If you have money in a money market, a CD ladder, a fixed annuity, a multi-year guaranteed annuity, a single premium income annuity, or a fixed index annuity, Things that are interest rate dependent, higher rates help you. The payouts get bigger, the crediting gets stronger. That is real money coming in, even in protected environments. Most retirees have both money they owe, money that gets credited. That means Fed Day is not a one-direction event for your plan. It's a rebalancing event. Here's the one-of-a-kind move today, not tomorrow, but today. Pull out your asset, your balance sheet asset list. Look at the liability section of that balance sheet. Look at those debts. Look at the fixed income page of where assets are coming from that are interest rate sensitive. Circle any product That is repricing, or you think rates will help, and underline those where higher rates hurt. Then, then it's time to go back to the philosophy document, the One of a Kind Financial Plan, and see where you could potentially benefit in this environment. We are not chasing returns because the One of a Kind Financial Plan helps you react and make decisions When things like this happen. The plan is what tells you which of these pages matters most to you. It's not for me. It's not for your neighbor. It's for you. And if you are a financial pro listening, this is the day your clients and prospects want to hear from you, not with a prediction, just that you're paying attention. Offer to have the conversation, a short one, a calm one, and help them put their plan in writing.
Be one of a kind with Mike's Plan.
It's been a little more than 25 years since 9/11. We're not going to come back and talk about it on today's show, but I will tell you tomorrow, We're going to talk about what happened 25 years ago when the markets reopened on September 17th. But today, your job is not to overreact. Your advisor's job today is to make sure the plan accounts for moves you cannot control. My job today is to remind you that the written plan beats the headline Every single time. I'm Mike Milligan, Certified Financial Planning Professional. I'm the chairman of One Oak Financial. If you have Fed questions or you don't have a written one-of-a-kind financial plan, text the word ideas to the number 600-700 or call our office, 757-909-7151. Grab The Retirement Handshake on Amazon. It's getting into tax planning season before the year ends. That is the new bestselling book I have on Amazon. Not— and it's there for you to understand the silent partner you have in your retirement accounts and the partnership agreement in place so you can retire their share early. Educate, coach, plan's my motto. Never miss a moment. I'm learning, guys. Estoy aprendiendo. Estoy aprendiendo. So are you. This show is for educational purposes only. This is not investment, tax, or legal advice. SEC compliant, where we are not giving advice. This is educational in nature. Individual product mentions, including annuities, CDs, and mortgage products, are illustrated but do not constitute a recommendation for you to make moves in your portfolio. Consult Consult your own advisor and read all product disclosures before making any decision. Rate levels, index levels, and forecasts cited are point in time and subject to change. One Oak Financial, Mike Milligan, LLC, doing business as the One Oak Collective and One Oak Educates, may hold positions in securities mentioned. We will disclose those to you in writing as you meet with us. For more information on the book, The One of a Kind Financial Plan, Retirement Déjà Vu, or The Retirement Handshake, go to mikemilligan.com or Amazon and search for those. This has been The One of a Kind Financial Show Daily. We'll see you on Thursday with information on what happened at the Fed meeting and what happened when the stock market opened on September 17th, 2001.
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. Be one of a kind. Take the flight. Mike's the guide. You'll shine bright.
