Media Coverage

Let me give you the punchline that describes the insurance industry.

They are taking on a specific risk for the insured. They are exchanging the assumption of that risk for a series of payments that are usually monthly.

What you have to keep in mind is that these companies are FOR PROFIT. They are not doing this from the perspective of kindness or caring.

Here is a protective warning for you. If the deal seems too good, you must read all the fine print. You must. I have been offered car insurance for a $19 per month payment. Really??? I don’t think so.

“We are in a disturbing fiscal trend,” said Fred Hoffman, a former fund manager who turned to academia about seven years ago and is now a professor of finance at Rutgers Business School.

Hoffman said he’ll monitor the results of the auction next week while he’s at his vacation home in Martha’s Vineyard. Details such as the auction “tail” — where yields settle versus the when-issued level — and the extent to which orders exceed the amount of debt for sale will provide clues about demand. Foreign participation will also be in the spotlight.

“If this auction and the next auctions continue to break down with lousy tails and horrible bid-to-cover ratios, then we have a problem,” said Hoffman, who discusses debt markets and mechanics in some of his class lectures.

Marc Kalan from Rutgers Business School spent 40 years in the industry and expects advertisers to be more cautious when it comes to spending.

MARC KALAN Associate Professor of Professional Practice Rutgers Business School "How do you protect stock? You protect earnings. How do you protect earnings? You take short term hits to expenses."

He says what this means for major media companies like Disney, Fox, NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery is that they may need to offer advertisers more value for their money.

MARC KALAN Associate Professor of Professional Practice Rutgers Business School "My belief is my feeling. And I'm not running ABC or NBC or CBS, but I do believe they're going to have to negotiate and probably offer a lot of extra make goods or time, they'll give up some inventory and try to hold their costs, their costs, if they can."

“Our Supply Chain Management program is full of talented students set to become the next generation of supply chain leaders. Support from partners like Gebrüder Weiss helps empower them to reach their goals,” says Lei Lei, Dean of Rutgers Business School.

The H20 was built specifically for the China market under the old export rules. Because of the chip’s design and limited capabilities, it may be difficult to use in other countries. “It doesn’t really fit anywhere else without a lot of expensive tweaking,” says Arash Azadegan, a professor of supply chain management at Rutgers Business School.

“Everything is in play; we still have so much uncertainty with what’s going to happen next,” said Parul Jain, associate professor of economics and finance at Rutgers Business School. “If you look at the data, both businesses and consumers did preemptively accelerate purchases ahead of any tariffs being imposed. They did stockpile a bit, but at the same time, how long can this go on?”

The products currently on American store shelves were imported to the U.S. anywhere between two and six months ago, meaning they would have avoided any Trump tariffs, said Rudi Leuschner, a supply chain management professor at Rutgers Business School in Newark.

Leuschner said the 90-day pause on 145% tariffs for goods coming in from China should give businesses more time to stockpile more goods, products and raw materials, albeit with a 30% tariff that companies may simply have to absorb.

Jay A. Soled, professor and chair of the Department of Accounting and Information Systems at Rutgers Business School, New Jersey, previously told Newsweek: "Even with the tax-filing extension, interest will apply to any 2024 tax payments received after April 15. This means that unpaid tax-year 2024 tax balances will begin accruing interest, currently at the rate of seven percent per year, compounded daily, after April 15, 2025."

Commenting on why individuals working and living abroad have a two-month filing extension, Soled said it was "undoubtedly a relic of a bygone era when it was difficult for those living overseas to receive third-party information returns."

He added that "in light of current technological developments, Congress would be wise to eliminate this exception."

Americans largely agree that women have made significant gains in the workplace over the past two decades. But what about men? While many Americans believe women are thriving, over half believe men’s progress has stalled or even reversed.

To make matters more complex, recent research has revealed a massive divide along gender and partisan lines. The majority of Republican men think full gender equity in America has been achieved, while the majority of Democratic women think there’s still work to be done.

As researchers at the Rutgers Center for Women in Business, we think this divide matters a lot. And for business leaders, this gap isn’t just a social or political issue. It’s a leadership challenge with direct implications for team cohesion and morale. If gender equity efforts are seen by some employees as a loss rather than a collective gain, leaders risk inadvertently entrenching division.

“The pandemic accelerated everyone’s comfort level with, and technological ability to, work from home,” said Dr. Terri Kurtzberg, professor of management and global business at Rutgers Business School, whose areas of expertise include negotiation strategies and tactics, electronic communication and distraction, virtual work, and disability employment. “This ability helps to minimize random disruptions like the failure to be able to commute to work on a given day. People can certainly piece together a process and minimize disruption for a short amount of time without changing anything fundamental about how work gets done. But if days swing into weeks or months, then companies may have to decide if they want to embrace the remote option or reject it.”

During a May 1 celebration at The Rutgers Club in New Brunswick, RICSI Executive Director Jeana Wirtenberg said, “These award winners exemplify how business can be a powerful force for positive change. We are proud to recognize their leadership and to shine a spotlight on the meaningful work being done across industries and communities.”

The products currently on American store shelves were imported to the U.S. anywhere between two and six months ago, meaning they would have avoided any Trump tariffs, said Rudi Leuschner, a supply chain management professor at Rutgers Business School in Newark.

The 90-day pause should give businesses more time to stockpile more goods, products and raw materials, albeit with a 30% tariff companies may simply have to absorb, said Leuschner of Rutgers.

"In fundamental ways, and for the worse, [technology including email] has shifted our focus," says Dr. Terri R. Kurtzberg, Ph.D., a professor of management and global business at Rutgers Business School. "It's the curse of the incoming message notification that has done the most damage—studies have shown that seeing the notification flag is as distracting as actually stopping what you're doing and checking the actual message. Our minds are already gone, wondering what it is."

Dr. Kurtzberg never gets email notifications on her phone, so she has to consciously open the app to check them. When you check in, ask yourself, "Is this email so important that I must respond now?"

Republicans are looking everywhere for ways to raise more revenue short of raising taxes. This magic trick is not easily accomplished. Taxpayers, even those embracing the MAGA mindset, are not holding out their wallets and, in a burst of civic patriotism, pleading with the government to take their money.

However, hiding in plain view is a revenue source the government has completely overlooked.

Millions of taxpayers go through the drudgery of making quarterly estimated tax payments. Congress, however, could obviate a large part of this process — and raise billions of dollars — by instituting tax withholding on passive income (e.g., interest, dividends, royalties and retirement savings withdrawals). And here’s a key component of this initiative: Those who do not want to participate could opt out.

What does it say about car insurance companies that so many have celebrity endorsers?

The prevalence of celebrities in car insurance advertising suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of the customer. Rather than focusing on the core value proposition – security, reliability, and service – these companies are attempting to substitute superficial familiarity for genuine trust. This indicates a failure to innovate and differentiate through superior operational effectiveness and a deep understanding of the customer's needs and anxieties. The question should not be, “who can we hire to make us seem trustworthy?” but rather, “how can we become truly trustworthy through our actions and our offerings?”

Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old billionaire widely known as the “Oracle of Omaha” because of his investment acumen, says he is getting ready to retire as CEO and hand the reins of Berkshire Hathaway to Greg Abel, his 62-year-old designated successor.

Berkshire Hathaway owns a broad range of businesses that, among other things, make candy, run freight trains, and provide insurance. Along with its shares in many other companies, the conglomerate’s market capitalization stands at more than US$1 trillion.

Buffett made this announcement toward the end of an hours-long Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in an Omaha arena on May 3, 2025.

Rutgers Business School professor John M. Longo said that in most secondary sales, assets are sold at a discount, meaning HMC would only benefit if they need extra cash on hand — or if they believe the stakes up for sale will lose value in the future.

“In most cases, the sale of private equity securities on the secondary market is at a discount to the Net Asset Value of the investment. If this is the case with the Harvard sale, then it seems they prefer to have the extra liquidity or cash on hand as opposed to realizing the full potential of the investment,” Longo wrote in a statement.

“If the value of the private equity investment decreases in value after the sale, an event that is difficult to forecast, then selling today, even at a discount, may prove to be financially beneficial,” he added.

“I believe it is not a coincidence that universities are looking to raise financing given the uncertain status of federal government funding,” said John Longo, a finance professor at Rutgers University. “The recent drop in intermediate to long-term interest rates is also likely a factor that favors issuance at this time.”

Mahmud Hassan, a finance and economics professor at Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick said: "The margins are shrinking every day, constantly, so it is becoming really difficult for those smaller businesses to survive.

"They have to be innovative to attract people to their business by adding more niche services, niche products."

Said Rutgers-Newark Interim Chancellor Jeffrey Robinson, “The research highlighted today is about how we can create knowledge for social good. Here at Rutgers Newark, it’s something we cherish deeply.”

What tips do you have for celebrating Easter on a budget?

Focus on shared experiences rather than expensive gifts. Plan a potluck-style meal with friends and family. Organize free outdoor activities like egg hunts in local parks. Prioritize time and connection over material possessions.

What are some of the big money wasters on Easter?

Overspending on elaborate, single-use decorations and excessively large Easter baskets is a common issue. The impulse to purchase trendy, high-priced candy and gifts often leads to unnecessary expenditures.

Jay A. Soled, professor and chair of the Department of Accounting and Information Systems at Rutgers Business School, New Jersey, told Newsweek previously: "Even with the tax-filing extension, interest will apply to any 2024 tax payments received after April 15. This means that unpaid tax-year 2024 tax balances will begin accruing interest, currently at the rate of seven percent per year, compounded daily, after April 15, 2025."

“Once you let something go, then to go bring it back on shore, that’s not something you can flip a switch and be able to restart,” said Parul Jain, who teaches economics and finance at Rutgers Business School in Newark.

“The Trump administration is likely to resist states individually negotiating with foreign countries on the grounds, factual or specious, that tariffs are a matter reserved for Congress and the executive branch, and that moreover, there is a so-called ”national emergency,” noted Farok J. Contractor, a professor of management and global business at Rutgers Business School.

Rutgers Business School professor John M. Longo wrote that raising additional capital “may be prudent for Harvard and other universities” due to the economic uncertainty fueled by the Trump administration’s across-the-board tariff hikes and its rollbacks of research funds.

“The turmoil in financial markets related to the tariffs has lowered interest rates across the maturity spectrum versus even a few weeks ago,” Longo wrote.

“Concomitantly, the uncertain federal funding of grants for Harvard and many other national universities has complicated and negatively impacted operating budgets,” he added.

Do you think using a percentage-based budget strategy, such as the 50/30/20 rule or the 70/20/10 rule, is the most effective approach?

The 50/30/20 rule is more practical for most people. The 10% part of the 70/20/10 rule is difficult for many people to achieve since they often have mortgage debt, student loan debt, car loan debt, and perhaps credit card debt. Donating 10% of your income to charity is a nice aspirational goal once you are on firm financial footing. Similar to helping others on a plane after an emergency, once you put on your oxygen mask.

Small business owners discuss the coming effect of the Trump administration's tariffs on prices of automotive parts and appliances. Professor Farrokh Langdana explains the impact won't be limited to major products like foreign-made cars. Prices of American cars will quickly spike as well, he said.

A leading economist says that foreign car prices will spike, and American cars will follow.

"Here's the price and once there's a tariff they go up, so-called domestic cars will also go up, why? because immediately people will switch to domestic so they go up right away," Farrokh Langdana of Rutgers University said.

“If the idea is to try and improve the deficit, which is not that substantial to begin with, take a look at the numbers which you just quoted, it’s less than 5% of U.S. GDP,” responded Parul Jain, professor of finance and economics at Rutgers University. “And so consequently, there’s a better way to go about things rather than to have tariffs imposed universally and influence world trade patterns. We’ve been there, we’ve done that, and it has never succeeded. I harken back to the holy tariffs of the 1930s, and in which case the volume of world trade just shrank.”

Jay A. Soled, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Accounting and Information System at Rutgers Business School, thinks that the growth of the movement also has to do with the U.S.'s greying demographics. "Those on fixed incomes feel the pressure of increasing rates more than when they were income earners," he told Newsweek. "As America greys, there may be increasing pressure to reduce property taxes."

Rutgers-Newark is planning to partner with the University of the Virgin Islands on a program that would bring graduate students pursuing STEM careers to Rutgers-Newark.

“This is just another opportunity for us to attract quality students,’’ said Rutgers-Newark Interim Chancellor Jeffrey Robinson. “And it was another way for us to broaden participation in STEM areas.’’

“Our social lives and our jobs are all online now, mixed up with commerce,” says Kristina Durante, a psychologist and professor of marketing at Rutgers Business School. “We want to be involved, we want to belong, and we want to feel in control of our world. And when those desires are seamlessly linked to things you can buy right there on your phone, of course that’s what you’re going to do.”

On May 13, the INNOVATE100 leaders from across the state will be honored and celebrated in New Brunswick. These professionals from various sectors are important to New Jersey’s robust economy and strong community. From startups and corporations to universities, nonprofits and the government, all have a role in our innovation ecosystem.

Community Leaders
Alfred Blake, AD, Undergrad Entrepreneurship Programs, Rutgers

Do you think the Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s benefits are worth the price?

I understand that the Chase Sapphire Reserve card charges a $550 annual fee, plus an extra $75 annually per additional authorized user. So, we are talking $625 per couple. The benefits include a $300 travel credit and a point-reward system for trips, dining, entertainment, wellness, and other activities. Evidently, the price is steep, and the offer simply intends to make the card the cardholders’ preferred option. It targets high-spenders, and it may be worth the cost only if you are what marketers call a heavy user. If you travel, you get a rebate that covers almost 50% of the annual cost, but what if you do not travel on a specific year? You are confronted with only the annual fee.

Introductory speakers at the tournament include Rutgers-Newark Interim Chancellor Jeffrey Robinson and Roget León, Superintendent, Newark Public Schools. The Rutgers-Newark debate team partners with city schools through the Newark Debate Academy (NDA), mentoring and educating students from grade school through high school.

Rutgers University-Newark follows in second place with 263 MBA degrees awarded in 2024, according to the NJBIZ list of the state’s top programs. Dean Lei Lei heads the Rutgers Business School.

“This is not an easy time,’’ added Rutgers-Newark Interim Chancellor Jeffrey Robinson. “We need places where you can recharge. What I see in this room is important for Americans to understand. When we bring everyone together to talk to one another…There’s a certain joy, no matter what background or lived experience you’re coming from.’’

Tariffs would be paid by whoever is importing the foreign goods. They typically pass those costs on to the American consumer, said Parul Jain, who teaches finance at the Rutgers Business School in Newark. Other companies might also use the tariff-induced increases as a reason to raise their prices, Jain said.

Companies might absorb the costs rather than pass them onto consumers, but that could prompt them to put off investments, such as additional hiring, expanding to a new location or the development on additional products, Jain said.

Trump is also hoping that companies would find it cheaper to manufacture products in the United States, said Jain, the Rutgers professor.

Steve Adubato sits down with Jasmine Cordero-West, Associate Director of Rutgers Advanced Institute for the Study of Entrepreneurship and Development and Co-Founder & Co-Director of Urban Solutions Lab at Rutgers University – Newark, to discuss supporting young entrepreneurs in urban areas.

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What makes a car either cheap or expensive to insure?

The price of the car is likely the main determinant. Other factors that come into play are the safety features, crash test ratings, anti-theft devices, and the likelihood of the car being stolen. Of course, the driver's age and driving history also play an important role as well. Generally, insurance premiums are higher for very young and old drivers, as well as those with a history of several accidents or driving infractions.

Jay A. Soled, professor and chair of the Department of Accounting and Information Systems at Rutgers Business School, New Jersey, told Newsweek that he thought the previous employee layoffs would not "immediately affect refund issuance, my understanding is that this process is primarily automated. However, staff cuts will have a major impact on response time to telephone calls and, if a problem arises, getting it resolved."


Commenting on the importance of the EITC and ACTC for Americans, Soled added the tax credits were "very important for low-income families who count on these refunds to provide a once-a-year pool of resources that enables them to make purchases that they generally could otherwise not afford, for example, a used car."

Soled added: "The bigger issue is if tax scofflaws take the staff cuts as a sign that enforcement efforts are being put on hold and they're at liberty to cheat on their taxes."

“I think Costco tried to learn from the toilet-paper shortage,” said Rudolf Leuschner, a professor of supply chain management at Rutgers. “As soon as you announce the shortages, everybody goes to the store and buys eggs, which makes it a lot worse. It’s not a bad strategy to then institute some purchase limits.”

Boycotts often fail because consumers are prone to prioritizing convenience over commitment, according to King and Mike Barnett, a professor of management and global business at Rutgers Business School who also spoke to TODAY.com.

Barnett, like King, also cited the 2023 Bud Light boycott, which saw critics rally against the brand’s partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Anheuser-Busch Inbev reported sales dropped 10.5% after the campaign, per the Associated Press.

When taxpayers submit their returns this year, they will hope they have faithfully fulfilled their civic duties and can rest on their laurels — at least until next spring.

But for millions of taxpayers, there is no such closure. Instead, under current law, the IRS generally has three long years to audit their tax returns . Originally instituted in 1934 , this long period is a relic of a bygone era, when there were no calculators, tax returns were completed and submitted on paper, and most audits were conducted in person because most homes lacked telephones.

Selma, Alabama, occupies a unique place in U.S. history as the site of the pivotal civil rights march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965—an event forever remembered as “Bloody Sunday.” Each year, thousands gather for “The Jubilee” to honor the struggles and victories of the civil rights movement. While this annual commemoration is rooted in a painful chapter of history, it also presents a powerful opportunity to leverage the city’s historical significance to build industries like tourism and drive regional economic development.

International development agencies and non-governmental organisations often seek to advance community development by fostering entrepreneurship. The premise is that poor people can enhance their household incomes by establishing small businesses or by adding value to natural resources.

Such programmes commonly include training and the provision of loans to enable micro-entrepreneurs to get started. But these interventions aren’t straightforward and often fail to achieve their objectives.

At Rutgers Business School, the AACSB-accredited program has 800 students enrolled in its full- and part-time iterations for the Spring 2025 semester. That’s about 100 more than the Spring 2024 semester population, according to Weiwei Chen, senior director of MBA programs and professor of supply chain management.
“We have to keep exploring new opportunities, and we have to recognize the different needs for different student bodies. The demands for full-time MBA and part-time MBA are quite different,” he said.

“Partnering with Newark School of Fashion & Design (NSFD) was a natural fit, allowing students to apply their skills in a real-world branding project while shaping the university’s evolving identity,’’ said Kimberlee Williams, Director of the Rutgers-Newark Office of Communications, who initiated and co-led the effort.

Newark students from Rutgers Business School were also involved in the project, developing promotional strategies, working with Marketing Professor Yla Eason. She is the creator of Sun-Man, the first mass-market African American superhero action figure, now part of Mattel’s Masters of the Universe collection.

Professor Arash Azadegan, professor and vice chair of the Supply Chain Management Department at the Business School at Rutgers University, agrees that consumers are likely to feel the pinch in terms of price rises because of the new tariffs. “The administration is smart enough to know that that is what’s going to happen, so they’ll consider that, but the purpose is something larger than that,” he says.

Newark students from Rutgers Business School were also involved in the project, developing promotional strategies, working with Marketing Professor Yla Eason.

She is the creator of Sun-Man, the first mass-market African American superhero action figure, now part of Mattel's Masters of the Universe collection.

"Our relationship with the Newark public schools goes beyond today's event. It includes our Newark Public School students being involved with Rutgers-Newark,'' said Rutgers-Newark Interim Chancellor Jeffrey Robinson. "Each year, the new incoming class to Rutgers University -Newark has approximately 13 percent of new students from the city of Newark. Overall, Newark residents make up nearly 8 percent of the total undergraduate population."