Weekly Wrap-Up October 10 2025
WebCE Staff
By
October 10, 2025
Welcome to the Weekly Wrap-Up.
The IRS is in the spotlight this week, simultaneously announcing key tax adjustments for 2026 while also furloughing nearly half its staff amid operational closures.
In the insurance sector, we're looking at homeowners' growing comfort with DIY digital claims and the continued profitability of the workers' compensation market.
For real estate professionals, we explore a new report on the investors buying up homes and feature a podcast on how to transform networking into a powerful lead-generation engine.
We also cover updates to casino anti-money laundering guides, a case study on boosting team productivity, and a uniquely enchanting Zillow listing for your Weekend Wind-Down.
Let’s dive in.
Top Stories of the Week
IRS Reveals Tax Adjustments for 2026 (ThinkAdvisor)
“For tax year 2026, the standard deduction increases to $32,200 for married couples filing jointly. For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, the standard deduction rises to $16,100 for tax year 2026, and for heads of household, the standard deduction will be $24,150.”
Survey Shows Homeowners Warming to DIY Digital Claims, Insurance Processes (Carrier Management)
“Nearly 80 percent of U.S. homeowners would use their smartphones to document property damage for an insurance claim, according to a new survey that suggests self-service digital tools could play a larger role in future claims handling.”
Workers’ Compensation Continues to Lead P/C Industry With Strong Profits (Insurance Journal)
“A key question for the workers’ compensation line is how much longer will rate and pricing declines continue and cause dissipating profit margins before insurers begin to hold the line on pricing, since, for many companies, workers’ compensation profits help offset more uncertain underwriting results for other lines of coverage,” said David Blades, associate director, Industry Research & Analytics.
Regulators near completion of guidance on compliance with annuity rules (InsuranceNewsNet)
“The working group met on Tuesday [October 7, 2025] for some final minor wording changes and voted for another 14-day exposure for public comment. "I would like to get this document completed," Ommen said.”
IRS furloughs nearly half its workers, closes most operations (Journal of Accountancy)
“Under the updated plan, which covers Oct. 8 through April 20, 2026, 46.4% of IRS employees are furloughed. That leaves 39,870 employees working, most in jobs dealing with the public.”
WINNER of The 2025 Jared Shlaes Prize: Energy Transmission is a Real Estate Issue (The Counselors of Real Estate)
“The $10,000 prize is awarded annually to the author of an article published in Real Estate Issues®, the peer-reviewed professional journal of The Counselors of Real Estate, that most exemplifies the goal of making real estate clear to the broadest possible audience.”
What agents should know about the investors buying 1 in 3 homes (Real Estate News)
“Over 90% of investor-owned homes belong to small-time operators with fewer than 11 properties, the report found, while larger, corporate landlords who own 1,000 homes or more control just 2.1% of the inventory. Roughly 95% of all investor inventory — just under 16 million homes — is owned or controlled by landlords with 50 properties or fewer.”
Content planning to boost a funeral home’s online presence (Funeral Director Daily)
“As a funeral home owner, you can use your website not only to inform but to connect, comfort and build trust long before a family walks through your physical doors. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through a thoughtful, consistent blog strategy. A well-maintained blog boosts your visibility in search engines, drives more local traffic, and positions you as a trusted resource in your community.”
AGA Updates Casino Best Practices Guide on Anti-money Laundering (Play USA)
The guide encourages casino employees to be aware of unusual behavior at casino cages, where money laundering and trafficking intersect, including individuals “being present for another person’s money transactions or who speaks on behalf of the customer conducting the transaction” or “filling out paperwork for another customer without consulting that person.”
How a Leader at Fidelity Supercharged Productivity (MIT Sloan Management Review)
In this video interview, Lauren Dreyer explains how she increased her team’s productivity by 60% — by letting go of control and embracing shared decision-making.
Top Podcast of the Week
The Networking Group Blueprint: Transform Connections Into Closings With Ryan Gillen
The Millionaire Real Estate Agent
30 Minutes
Ryan Gillen built a $90M real estate business by flipping the script on lead generation, turning community into his greatest asset. Growing up in a real estate family, Ryan learned to hustle early and quickly realized cold calling and chasing FSBOs wasn’t a long-term game. Instead, he leaned into what he loved: golf, country clubs, and connecting people.
By starting small networking groups and masterminds, Ryan became “the mayor” of his circles, introducing like-minded professionals and solving problems together. That sense of community not only gave members real value, it also fueled millions of dollars worth of annual referrals to his team. In this episode, Ryan breaks down his simple but powerful model: find a problem, gather people who share it, and create consistent spaces to connect.
If you’ve ever dreaded lead gen, this conversation is proof that it doesn’t have to be painful. When you build groups around your passions, business flows naturally and relationships become your most profitable investment.
Weekend Wind-Down
A Zillow listing from another time with some otherworldly and enchanting photography of a propery in Sharon, Connecticut.
