At SmartBrief and Future B2B, we keep our fingers on the pulse of the trends and market forces shaping the industries we cover, and the leaders, organizations and businesses that are making a difference. Examining the stories our audiences find most valuable helps us better understand the trends that matter -- and enables us to more effectively serve our professional readers and clients.

Here is some of what our audience of industry decision-makers found most valuable last month.

INSURANCE AND BANKING

Top stories from January

Property casualty insurance (APCIA)

Senator: Calif. FAIR Plan has $377M on hand to pay claims

Opinion: Calif. wildfires highlight regulatory disruption

4 trends set to affect collision claims this year

L.A.-area wildfires may be the costliest blazes ever in US

Malibu official: Wildfire response hindered by politics

Consumer/retail banking (CBA)

CBA recommends steps for overhauling CFPB

Bessent orders CFPB to pause rulemaking, enforcement

Minimum credit card payments hit 12-year high in Q3

Some CFPB rules may be repealed, others fought in court

JPMorgan plans to bring employees back to office full time

Top trend

Property casualty insurance: Hands down, the Los Angeles-area wildfires. The industry has long been focused on California’s rate-setting constraints, and the state has only very recently addressed some of those, lifting bans on the use of catastrophe modeling or consideration of reinsurance costs in rate-setting. The damage also highlights the ever-growing risk of development on the wildland-urban interface in the Western US, and it raises questions about utilities’ liability when their equipment is linked to a wildfire.

Consumer/retail banking: The CFPB’s leadership from the Biden to Trump administration is what CBA is watching the closest, in hopes that rules on overdraft fees, credit card late fees, etc. will be rolled back.

Additional trends:

Property casualty: Tariffs, insurance cost and affordability, third-party litigation finance

Banking: M&A, commercial real estate lending

CAPITAL MARKETS  

President Trump returning to the White House is viewed as a decidedly positive thing for the financial services industry. Light- to no-touch regulation means market participants will be free to push into areas of the markets that were previously forbidden (or shunned). Tariffs and other geopolitical headlines will boost volatility in the markets. And while ‘volatility’ might sound like a scary word, it is a VERY GOOD thing for our biggest clients.

What does this mean for your clients?

• Solutions providers that focus on compliance risk will struggle to survive. However, solutions providers who focus on trading risk should thrive.
• New investment products abound! Countless firms will be launching new investment products (ETFs, indices, crypto, futures, options, etc), so we should position ourselves as a key partner for marketing those products.

INSIGHTS FROM OUR BRIEFS

Tariff-Induced Market Turbulence

• Trump's proposed tariffs could have significant economic implications:
  • Potential to reduce US economic growth
  • Present material risks to employment
  • Impact on construction sector with up to $29,000 increase in home building costs
• JPMorgan's electronic trading survey indicates increased market volatility throughout 2025 due to US tariff announcements 

Financial Sector Developments

• Regulatory easing is expected - compliance concerns to be diminished
• Money market funds showing significant shifts in investment patterns 

• Cryptocurrency industry sees positive outlook for expansion
• Vanguard announced its largest-ever fee reduction, putting pressure on competitors, especially smaller active managers with higher fees.

Marketing Strategy Implications

1. Risk Management Focus: Consider developing marketing content around trading risk management solutions given the expected market volatility.
   
2. Sector-Specific Messaging: Tailor marketing approaches for:
   • Financial services adapting to new market conditions (less regulation, more volatility)
   • Consulting services focused on the impact of tariffs
   • Buildout of expanded cryptocurrency ecosystem
3. Content Strategy: Focus on educational content about:
   • Market volatility protection
   • Economic impact of policy changes
   • Crypto and other new product offerings

Timing Considerations: Plan for increased market activity and potential volatility spikes throughout 2025.