Stagflation “Lite”: How to Survive the Squeeze

When most people hear stagflation, they think of the 1970s: gas lines, 15% mortgages, and stock markets that went nowhere for a decade.

Today isn’t that — but the warning signs are flashing again. Economists are calling it stagflation lite: slow growth, sticky inflation, and policymakers running out of easy answers.

The U.S. economy is projected to grow just 1–1.5% in 2025. Inflation has cooled from its 2022 peak but is proving stubborn around 3–3.5%, above the Fed’s target. Meanwhile, w…