WebCE's Weekly Wrap-Up: August 24-30, 2024

Welcome to the second installment of WebCE’s Weekly Wrap-Up, a curated selection of the latest developments and ongoing conversations throughout the industries we serve. (Read the first Weekly Wrap-Up here.)

This week saw developments in real estate, insurance, securities, cybersecurity, and the funeral industry. It was busy. Real estate, for example, saw luxe brands like Mercedes investing in commercial and residential properties, while the funeral industry continues to innovate. Insurance Journal reports more Americans are shopping around for insurance, creating a ripe opportunity for competition.

See the complete list of the week’s top stories are listed in no particular order below. If there’s a link you’d like to share or a news topic you think we should cover, let us know!

This Week's Top Stories

1. Luxe Landlords: High-End Brands are Moving into Real Estate (The Week)

   
   

   "These brands are investing in a mix of commercial and residential real estate in an attempt to both promote their products and create a new form of marketing for high-end brands."

   
   

2. NAR Members Blanket Media with Pro-Consumer Messaging (NAR)

   
   

   "Members of the National Association of REALTORS launched a full-court press over the past two weeks to address the question on the lips of national and local news media around the nation: What do the practice changes in residential real estate mean for consumers?"

   
   

3. 401(k) Auto-Enrollment Features Don't Help Savings as Much as Expected, Study Finds (CNBC)

   
   

   "Previously “underexamined” factors — like workers cashing out 401(k) balances when they leave a job — “meaningfully reduce” the long-term impact of policies like automatic enrollment and automatic escalation, according to a new paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research."

   
   

4. Intuit and Education at Work Partner on Program to Boost Accounting Talent Pipeline (CPA Practice Advisor)

   
   

   This new pilot program aims to help college students gain valuable industry experience in tax, accounting, and financial services while earning money to offset college expenses.

   
   

5. Engineering the Human Out of Cybersecurity (Security Magazine)

   
   

   "Current cybersecurity frameworks rely on employees being able to thwart cyber risks with basic training, but as cyber threats become more elaborate, it has become increasingly difficult for employees to successfully identify and avoid cyber risks."

   
   

6. Americans Shop Around for Insurance More Than Ever as Costs Soar (Insurance Journal)

   
   

   "Americans are seeking to change their insurance coverage more frequently than in the past, after a surge in premiums that’s squeezed household budgets, a new industry report shows."

   
   

7. Climate Change, Disaster Risk, and Homeowner's Insurance (Congressional Budget Office)

   
   

   "In this report, the Congressional Budget Office analyzes recent changes in property insurance markets and considers alternative insurance products as well as policy approaches to increase the availability and affordability of insurance for homeowners and renters."

   
   

8. Stanford's Joseph Grundfest on Upcoming SCOTUS Securities Class Action Case (Stanford Law School)

   
   

   "In its next term, the United States Supreme Court will hear two cases from the Ninth Circuit that concern the standards for the dismissals of securities class actions, one involving Meta and the other Nvidia."

   
   

9. Start-Up is Producing Biodegradable Mushroom Caskets for Wholesale Distribution (Funeral Director Daily)

   
   

   "In less than two and a half years, our coffins break down entirely, allowing the body, including the teeth, to return to the soil without leaving a trace."

   
   

10. Tech is Making Funerals Simpler and Less Expensive, from 3D-Printed Urns to RFID Tracking (Technical.ly)

    
    

    "Much of what Spring Holding Group does relies on existing technology, just applied to different parts of mourning."

    
    

This Week's Top Podcast

You 2.0: Taking Control of Your Time (The Hidden Brain)

“Many of us feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day. We struggle to make time for all the competing demands at work and at home, and inevitably feel like we’re letting someone down.

"But what if there were a way to reclaim our time and, as a result, get more joy out of our lives?

"This week, psychologist Cassie Mogilner Holmes explains how we’ve fallen victim to the illusion of time scarcity, and what we can do to spend our time more wisely.”