Ah, the US economy… taking its temperature is sure to start heated discussions around the world. That’s no surprise because it is by far the world’s biggest economy. A popular saying in some economically adjacent countries is, “When the US economy gets a cold, we get pneumonia.”

Media often turn to David Bahnsen, Chief Investment Officer for the Bahnsen Group, for some thoughts on that econmy’s health.

For example,

● At CNBC’s Power Lunch, on current inflation worries: “If inflation was 2%, not the 3% people are worried about. 2% still erodes your purchasing power. So, no matter what, investors should always be sensitive to this because it’s the norm. Dividend growth we think gives a great solution.” [2:13 min]

● At Fox Business in June on the current denigration of capitalism in America: “It’s not an attack on capitalism as such. It’s on free enterprise, as such… its hopes and dreams. Elon Musk cannot become poorer without other people becoming poorer — without taking away jobs and opportunities and growth for all the people that work for him and customers of the business. The way you get wealthy is creating value for others.”

● At Bloomberg Tech on Saturday, re the recent microchips stock nosedive: “It’s a wakeup call. It’s a reality check. People need to understand that not only are these things very very overpriced and run up, but they are dependent on a whole lot of things continuing that may not continue… [.43 min]

Speaking of “reality checks”…

Bahnsen will be speaking at COSM 2026: Reality Check on Wednesday, November 18, 7:00 pm, on the topic everyone cares about, whether they admit it or not: Takeoff, Glide Path, or Stall: Where is the U.S. Economy Headed?

Joining him will be moderator John Tamny, the editor of RealClearMarkets, and Steve Forbes, Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Magazine, along with philosopher of technology George Gilder. at the Westin Kierland in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Not afraid to tackle sensitive issues

Bahnsen can talk about “futile conversation” between intellectuals about critical topics and “economic lunacy” at the White House when he feels the terms are warranted.

He has written a number of books, including There’s No Free Lunch (2021), Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life (2024) and — most recently — Profit from the Profit: The Past, Present & Future of Dividend Growth Investing (2026).

About Full Time, author Peter Biles has has said,

There are a handful of books that I can safely say served as vital paradigm shifters in my own life, and David Bahnsen’s Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life makes the cut without hesitation…

Bahnsen notes that a number of leaders, particularly in many churches, decry the “idolatry of work” but generally do not put as much effort into calling out what he regards as a more serious crisis: sloth, laziness, and resignation. He cites statistics showing how every age group, and specifically prime working-age men 25-65, have significantly dropped out of the workforce. Young men are now less likely to attend college and additionally less likely to enter into trade school as an alternative to a formal education. The failure to work, argues Bahnsen, does not just lead to a loss of contribution for the common good, but represents a lost opportunity to be fully human. We were designed for creative productivity.

Find out more at COSM, November 18

A seasoned team like Bahnsen, Tamny, Forbes, and Gilder will likely give us the best information available on the economy. Register here. Here’s the agenda. You can still get the standard rate but the clock is ticking…