WebCE Weekly Wrap-Up: May 16, 2025
WebCE Staff
By
May 16, 2025
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This week’s top stories showcase how industries are adapting to the future of work, finance, and leadership.
The AICPA and NASBA approved a new licensure path aimed at modernizing the CPA profession, while McKinsey & Company emphasized the urgent need for large-scale upskilling to meet tomorrow’s workforce demands.
Meanwhile, Gen Z is emerging as a serious financial force, seeking trusted guidance early and reshaping client-advisor relationships. A new HBR podcast explores how asking the right kinds of questions can unlock better decision-making and drive strategic clarity across organizations.
Finally, to end the week on a lighter note, Anna Kendrick lends a witty, relatable edge to LPL Financial’s first-ever consumer campaign, offering a glimpse at how the financial sector is rethinking how—and who—it speaks to.
Let’s jump in.
Top News Stories of the Week
AICPA and NASBA Approve Model Legislation for New CPA Licensure Path (NASBA)
“The changes add a pathway to CPA licensure requiring a baccalaureate degree, including an accounting concentration, plus two (2) years of experience, and passage of the Uniform CPA Examination.”
“Incalculable” Damage: How a “We Buy Ugly Houses” Franchise Left a Trail of Financial Wreckage Across Texas (ProPublica)
“Carrier is accused of orchestrating a yearslong Ponzi scheme, bilking tens of millions of dollars from scores of investors, according to multiple lawsuits and interviews with people who said they lost money. The financial wreckage is strewn across Texas, having swept up both wealthy investors and older people with modest incomes who dug into retirement savings on the advice of the same investment advisor used by Carver.”
US P&C insurance industry posts strongest underwriting result since 2013 (Insurance Business Magazine)
“The U.S. property/casualty (P/C) insurance industry posted a net combined ratio of 96.6 in 2024, a 5.1-point improvement from the previous year and its strongest underwriting result since 2013, according to a report by the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) and Milliman.”
Gen Z getting serious about finances (Insurance News Net)
“From a financial advisor’s perspective, there are two things here,” she said. “One is that if a financial advisor has a relationship with the parents of I Gen Zer, I think it would behoove that financial advisor to build relationships with the Gen Zer. You build relationships with the children and as a family, because if you don’t, those children will go and find their own advisor.”
Active Cyber Risk Management Drives 7% Decrease in Claims Frequency: Coalition (Risk & Insurance)
“The nature of a business significantly influences its cyber risk profile. Organizations handling sensitive financial data, personal health information, or valuable intellectual property face increased targeting by cyber criminals, Coalition noted. Those connected to critical infrastructure contend with heightened risks from state-sponsored attacks and disruptive ransomware campaigns.”
A Financial Guide for 2025 College Graduates (MorningStar)
“Congratulations, graduates! Now that your march to “Pomp and Circumstance” is over, here comes the fun part: navigating your first job, setting up your retirement plan … the list goes on. This guide will help you with the many “firsts” you’ll face during this turning point in your financial lives.”
Fed's Bostic sees one cut, no recession in 2025 (Investment News)
Bostic said economists at the Atlanta Fed see tariffs as putting upward pressure on inflation. That’s a view shared by many forecasters.
“That means that our policy is going to have to anticipate — and to some extent — potentially push against those inflationary forces to the extent that we see them, so that will put a limit on where our current policy stance is,” Bostic said.
Housing Inventory Is Rising But Not Enough, a New Report Warns (REALTOR Magazine)
“Shoppers see more homes for sale today than one year ago, and encouragingly, many of these homes have been added at moderate income price points,” says Danielle Hale, realtor.com®’s chief economist. “But as this report shows, we still don’t have an abundance of homes that are affordable to low- and moderate-income households, and the progress that we’ve seen is not happening everywhere. It’s been concentrated in the Midwest and the South.”
Real Estate Agent Commissions Haven’t Changed Much Since the NAR Settlement Took Effect (Realty Times)
“The average buyer’s agent commission was 2.40% for homes sold in the first quarter, according to a new report from Redfin. . .That’s up slightly from 2.37% in the fourth quarter of 2024 and 2.36% in the third quarter of 2024—when the new National Association of Realtors (NAR) commissions rules went into effect—but down slightly from 2.43% in the first quarter of 2024, when the new rules were announced.”
The Upskilling Imperative: Required at Scale for the Future of Work (McKinsey & Company)
“Employers, not-for-profit organizations, and educational organizations can focus on eliminating the barriers—primarily lack of time and money—to a more upskilled workforce. In addition, they can conduct outreach to potential workers (such as by hosting career fairs and having alumni speak to their employees) to find workers who would be attracted by upskilling programs.”
Top Podcast of the Week
The Best Leaders Ask the Right Questions
HBR On Leadership
30 Minutes
Few leaders have been trained to ask great questions. That might explain why they tend to be good at certain kinds of questions, and less effective at other kinds. Unfortunately, that hurts their ability to pursue strategic priorities.
Arnaud Chevallier, strategy professor at IMD Business School, explains how leaders can break out of that rut and systematically ask five kinds of questions: investigative, speculative, productive, interpretive, and subjective. He shares real-life examples of how asking the right sort of question at a key time can unlock value and propel your organization.
With his IMD colleagues Frédéric Dalsace and Jean-Louis Barsoux, Chevallier wrote the HBR article The Art of Asking Smarter Questions.
Weekend Wind-Down
Anna Kendrick Stars in LPL's First Consumer Ad Campaign
LPL Financial’s latest campaign starring actress Anna Kendrick is drawing praise from marketing experts. Not only does the ad represent “a departure in style, tone and audience” for LPL, but creates a “halo effect” for advisor recruiting.
