The Clark Howard Podcast 02.24.26 Ask An Advisor With Wes Moss
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Feb 24, 2026 
Wes Moss, a CFP and author who offers retirement and market analysis. He explains why soaring beef prices matter beyond grocery bills. He discusses retiring early and trade-offs of aggressive saving. He warns about planning tools that assume optimistic returns. He explains why new market highs are not a signal to sell.
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Steak Night Sticker Shock
- Wes Moss describes a family 'steak night sticker shock' after noticing steak and ground beef prices surged since COVID.
- He cites per-pound averages rising from ~$7.50 to $12.50 for steak (+65%) and ground beef from ~$3.50 to ~$7 (~80%).
Investing Protects Specific Purchasing Power
- Inflation erodes specific purchasing power differently across categories, so investing protects the purchasing power of dollars earmarked for things like food or cars.
- Over five years Wes notes US consumer dollar purchasing power down ~20%, CPI up ~25%, beef up ~50%, while S&P 500 grew ~90%.
Why Beef Prices Stay Elevated
- Structural supply factors keep beef prices high: US cattle herd shrank from ~130M in the 1970s to about ~83M today while population grew.
- Ranchers often process cows now instead of rebuilding herds, so supply recovery takes years.