WebCE's Weekly Wrap-Up: August 8, 2025
WebCE Staff
By
August 8, 2025
This week’s stories capture industries at an inflection point, where tradition meets pressure for change.
Insurance headlines highlight both the quirky and the consequential, from prize coverage for half-court shots to serious gaps in vendor cybersecurity oversight and new research on preparing for a rapidly aging population. Policy shifts loom large as Medicaid recipients brace for added work requirements and the investment world eyes the potential of private equity, real estate, and crypto investments in 401(k) plans.
In real estate, steady incomes mask deeper challenges as the agent workforce skews older and fewer young professionals weather today’s market headwinds. Meanwhile, California is once again fighting wildfires.
It’s a week where the fine print in policies, investments, and market trends could signal much bigger changes ahead.
Let’s dive in.
Top News of the Week
From Golf Greens to Sausage Fests: The Wild World of Prize Insurance (Insurance Journal)
The story of an insurance company offering a very unique type of coverage: insurance coverage for contests and competitions like hole-in-one competitions or half-court basketball shots.
Managing Vendor Risks in Cyber Insurance (Insurance Thought Leadership)
“When vetting, don't just assess the vendor. Understand how deeply they integrate with your systems and how they intersect with other vendors. That's where hidden risk lives.”
Work Requirements and Red Tape Ahead for Millions on Medicaid (KFF Health News)
“Beginning in 2027, the law will require adults on Medicaid who are under 65 to report how they engaged in at least 80 hours per month of work, education, or volunteer activities. Alternatively, these adults could submit documentation showing they qualify for an exemption, such as being a full-time caregiver.”
Industry Leaders Launch New Long-Term Care Insurance Industry Experience Study (NAIC)
“With more than 11,000 Americans turning 65 each day over the next four years, the demand for long-term care services is likely to surge. Our industry needs to understand how consumers are using LTCI policies to help carriers develop fiscally sustainable products that meet the needs of present and future retirees,” said David Levenson, president and CEO, LIMRA and LOMA
How much is too much when it comes to alternatives? Advisors say: 'It varies' (Investment News)
Wealth managers weigh in on their alternative asset allocations, as well as name their favorite private market investments.
Date to start filing season not set despite IRS commissioner’s comment (Journal of Accountancy)
“Although Commissioner Billy Long said last week that the next tax filing season will open in mid-February, the IRS said Tuesday that an official start date has not been set.”
Income Steady, Even as Market Slows: 2025 NAR Member Trends (REALTOR Magazine)
“Overall, responses showed the median gross income of a REALTOR® rose to $58,100 in 2024—up from $55,800 in 2023. The typical member completed 10 transaction sides in 2024, holding steady from 2023’s numbers. The typical sales volume remained at $2.5 million in 2024, also unchanged from the previous year.”
Fewer younger agents holding on amid market headwinds (Real Estate News)
“The median age of NAR members is now 57 years old, the report found, an increase from 55 the prior year. Only 11% of agents are under 40, compared to 17% last year, while the share of agents who are 60 or older has jumped from 35% to 44%.”
Trump opens the door for private equity and crypto as 401(k) retirement plan options (Associated Press)
“There is no immediate change in how people invest part of their work earnings. Federal agencies would need to rewrite rules and regulations to allow the expanded choices, and that would take months or more to complete. But once done, employers could offer a broader array of mutual funds and investments to workers, according to the White House. New plans could invest in alternative assets, particularly private equity, cryptocurrencies and real estate.”
Canyon fire explodes to nearly 5,000 acres; thousands evacuated in L.A., Ventura counties (Los Angeles Times)
“The Canyon fire was the largest of several fires sparked by days of intense heat in Southern California. To the north in San Luis Opisbo County, the much larger Gifford fire has burned 100,000 acres.”
Top Podcast of the Week
Tax-Free Weekends: When Popular Policy Meets Poor Economics
18 Minutes
They’re popular, highly visible, and marketed as tax relief—but research shows sales tax holidays are inefficient, create compliance headaches, and often miss the mark for the taxpayers they’re meant to help.
Kyle Hulehan is joined by Katherine Loughead, Senior Policy Analyst and Research Manager at the Tax Foundation. Together, they break down why these policies persist—and what better alternatives might look like.
Weekend Wind-Down
Spanish Village Declares It Illegal to Die Due to Cemetery Shortage
A few excerpts from a truly bizarre story out of Lanjarón, Spain:
“The mayor issued a formal edict stating it was “hereby forbidden to die in Lanjarón,” asking residents to “take utmost care of their health so they do not die until town hall takes the necessary steps to acquire land” for burials. The law, while not enforceable in practical terms, symbolized the urgency of resolving the town’s burial capacity problem.”
"Rubio acknowledged the absurdity of the statement but insisted it served a purpose. “I am just a mayor,” he said, “Above me there is God, who is ultimately the one who runs things.” He added that locals took the law with humor and good spirits."
“Another place where it’s illegal to die is Longyearbyen, Norway. Since 1950, the town has banned burials due to the extreme cold preventing bodies from decomposing, raising public health concerns over the preservation of viruses like the 1917 influenza.”