On today's episode of Wealth!, Host Brad Smith breaks down key stories you need to know, from Thursday's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report to the state of small businesses.

Wall Street is bracing for Thursday's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report. The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge is expected to show cooling inflation. The month-over-month CPI is projected to be 0.1%, down from August's 0.2%. The year-over-year reading is anticipated to drop to 2.3% from August's 2.5%. Meanwhile, Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is expected to have a month-over-month rate of 0.2%, down from August's 0.3%. The year-over-year core rate is projected to hold steady at 3.2%, unchanged from August.

Winthrop Capital Management CIO Adam Coons notes that current inflation data is "making it difficult" for investors to anticipate the Federal Reserve's next move. While the recent jobs report exceeded expectations, he points out that revisions have trended downward, creating "a tough place" for the Fed. Although Coons supported the Fed's initial 50-basis-point cut, he believes that moving forward, the central bank will "play it safe" and implement just one 25-basis-point cut for the remainder of the year.

Median job switchers see a 10% increase in pay, but their retirement savings rate often drops nearly 1%, according to a Vanguard report. Vanguard Investment Strategy Group head of retirement research Kelly Hahn encourages taking more ownership of your retirement planning to avoid losing the savings momentum. This means not only laying out your savings goals, but understanding what your employer is offering in terms of retirement plans and benefits. When switching jobs, Hahn emphasizes the importance of understanding how that retirement plan may change and whether it affects your savings goals.

The NFIB Small Business Uncertainty Index hit a record high as small business owners report persistent inflation pressures and uncertainty around the upcoming election. NFIB Research Center executive director Holly Wade explains that uncertainty "hit an all-time high for our 50-year survey, and a lot of that has to do with the uncertainty around the election [and] what that means for small business[es] moving forward, what type of environment they'll be operating in. And they're facing a big tax hike, possibly at the end of 2025. So all of that is weighing on small businesses."

Meanwhile, H&R Block unveiled its 2024 State of Women Small Business Report, which uncovers findings from over 6,000 applicants of its Fund Her Future Small Business Grant program. Jamil Khan, H&R Block chief strategy and small business officer, tells Yahoo Finance, "So interestingly, there's a really high level of optimism and confidence about the next year. When they think about the business, their financial position over the next year, they feel really good. Having said that, there's a little bit of a contrast. There's also some concerns around inflation, and over the next year, as you can see in the data here, 44% feel they may be forced to cut expenses and also will need to raise prices again. But despite that, there still is a lot of optimism about the next year and the future state of their business."