Episode
How Funflation Is Reshaping the Feds Inflation Battle
- Published
- Jul 12, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 545
- Processing state
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Summary
In this episode of The Federal Reserve Podcast, Lucas and Luna examine the 'funflation' trend — where the cost of at-home experiences like streaming, delivery, and gaming is rising faster than headline CPI. With the 10-year breakeven inflation rate ticking up to 2.24 percent and core PCE still elevated, they ask whether the Fed should care that staying in is no longer the cost-saver it used to be. Lucas breaks down new data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showing that 'home entertainment' prices rose 4.6 percent year-over-year in May 2026, outpacing both headline CPI (3.8 percent) and core CPI (4.1 percent). They discuss how this could distort official inflation measures, particularly the substitution bias in CPI, and what it means for the Fed's preferred PCE gauge. Luna pushes back on whether this is a structural shift or just a statistical quirk. The conversation ties back to the June payrolls miss of 57,000 and the falling labor force participation rate, asking whether funflation complicates the dual mandate. A focused, numbers-driven look at an underreported inflation wrinkle. #Funflation #FederalReserve #Inflation #CPI #PCE #CoreInflation #BreakevenInflation #HomeEntertainment #EconomicData #MonetaryPolicy #DualMandate #LaborForceParticipation #Payrolls #BureauOfEconomicAnalysis #SubstitutionBias #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo