WebCE's Weekly Wrap Up: August 22, 2025
WebCE Staff
By
August 22, 2025
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This week’s stories track significant economic signals, from the Federal Reserve hinting at potential rate cuts to Goldman Sachs predicting a stablecoin "gold rush." We also dive into the dual nature of Artificial Intelligence, exploring new studies on its time-saving impact for professionals alongside articles questioning whether AI can ever truly replicate human trust.
In industry-specific news, Lowe's makes a major acquisition to serve professional builders, while the insurance world evolves with new consumer protections and prepares for the liability shift coming with autonomous vehicles. We round things out with a podcast on the science of learning and State Farm's “punny” new NFL-themed ads for your wind down into the weekend.
Let’s dive in.
Top Stories of the Week
Powell indicates conditions ‘may warrant’ interest rate cuts as Fed proceeds ‘carefully’ (CNBC)
“In his much-anticipated speech at the Fed’s annual conclave in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the central bank leader in prepared remarks cited “sweeping changes” in tax, trade and immigration policies. The result is that “the balance of risks appear to be shifting” between the Fed’s twin goals of full employment and stable prices.”
Lowe's buying Foundation Building Materials for about $8.8B (Associated Press)
“The acquisition is part of Lowe's move to provide more options for professional builders. The Mooresville, North Carolina-based company recently closed on its $1.3 billion acquisition of Artisan Design Group, a provider of design, distribution and installation services for interior surface finishes, including flooring, cabinets and countertops, to home builders and property managers.”
Goldman Sachs says we’re on the verge of a stablecoin gold rush worth trillions (Fortune)
“Goldman Sachs and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expect a stablecoin gold rush, driven by new regulations and massive potential for payment market expansion. Stablecoins, which must be backed by U.S. dollars or Treasuries, could boost demand for government bonds, though some argue this mostly redistributes money, rather than increasing the net demand for debt.”
Think the 'Human Connection' Will Protect Your Practice From AI? Think Again (ThinkAdvisor)
“What AI has been unable to replicate or come close to yet is trust. That's actually a different thing than connection. Trust is, are you going to deliver what I expect you to deliver and are you going to fulfill the promises that you are making.”
Calculating AI’s impact on CPAs: New study quantifies time savings (Journal of Accountancy)
“A recent study found that the average accountant who used generative AI to assist with foundational accounting activities was able to reallocate approximately 8.5% of their time from routine data entry toward high-value tasks such as business communication and quality assurance — a pickup of about 3.5 hours in a 40-hour workweek. The generative AI adopters in the study also recorded a 55% increase in weekly client support over those not utilizing AI.”
Underwriting’s Quiet Revolution: Moving From Reaction to Precision (Carrier Management)
“Borrowing lessons from banking’s use of credit scoring and real-time fraud detection, insurers are integrating internal and external data across product lines—home, auto and health—to build holistic, dynamic risk profiles. Some are even making these risk scores customer-facing, akin to a credit score, encouraging risk-mitigating behaviors.”
Bank of America Says Autonomous Vehicles Can Boost Insurers’ Profitability (Claims Journal)
“Investors are concerned about liability when driverless cars become more mainstream. Under the current US system, the driver is responsible in the event of an accident. But with autonomous vehicles there is no driver, so liability will have to shift from personal to commercial carriers. That could remove one of the “impediments to insurer profitability,” BofA analysts led by Joshua Shanker wrote in a note to clients Thursday.”
NAIC Adopts Key Initiatives to Help Ensure Payment of Claims (NAIC)
“Last week, during the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Summer National Meeting in Minneapolis, Minn., NAIC members voted to adopt three proposals that will further protect consumers by helping guarantee insurers have the resources to pay policyholders’ claims. This action comes after the NAIC Life Insurance and Annuities (A) Committee passed the proposals in July.”
Turn Data into a Competitive Edge: How Brokers Can Leverage Local Market Insights (REALTOR Magazine)
“By tapping into NAR’s suite of research tools and reports, brokers can position themselves—and their agents—as trusted economic advisors in their communities. The ability to interpret and communicate data not only builds client confidence but also strengthens your brokerage’s brand as a market authority. “
The Missing Link Between Purpose and Performance (MIT Sloan Management Review)
“Corporate purpose often fails to translate into employee commitment because team leaders struggle to bridge strategic vision with daily operations. Research analyzing 57,000 employees across 469 companies reveals that team leaders who engage in regular dialogue about the organization’s purpose, maintain equitable relationships with all team members, and grant employees autonomy are able to significantly boost workers’ commitment levels.”
Top Podcast of the Week
How Our Brains Learn
Hidden Brain
84 Minutes
Have you ever fallen asleep in school or during a work meeting? Maybe you felt your eyes glaze over as your boss or a teacher droned on and on about a topic that had no relevance to you.
What’s missing from these classrooms and conference rooms is engagement: A state of being absorbed, alert, and eager to learn.
This week, psychologist and neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang explores why so many of us feel apathetic at school and at work, and how to cultivate the magic of engagement.
Weekend Wind-Down
State Farm Insurance has released two new commercials with two NFL stars leading up to the kickoff of the upcoming season. The ads revolve around puns.
The first stars Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Meghan Trainor in a pun on “trainer”:
The second stars Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and a pun on “captain”: