**Inflation Risks Loom with Incoming Trump Administration, Says SEI's Jim Smigiel**

Jim Smigiel, the chief investment officer at Pennsylvania-based investment company SEI, has voiced significant concerns that the Trump administration's policies are more likely to result in rising inflation rather than improving government efficiency and reducing expenses. SEI, a company which manages, advises, or administers assets totaling approximately $1.6 trillion, monitors economic trends closely.

According to Smigiel, inflation worries have increased alongside President-elect Donald Trump's political ascension. He highlighted specific plans, such as the mass deportation of undocumented immigrant workers and the imposition of tariffs on trade partners, as inherently inflationary strategies. These anticipated actions could exacerbate inflationary pressures, leading to rising consumer prices.

Smigiel further asserted that while the Federal Reserve might consider additional interest rate cuts, current indications suggest that we are closer to the conclusion of this rate-cutting cycle than to its initiation. This perspective underscores the potential for significant economic shifts as the new administration takes office.