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Designing the Invisible into Awareness: UX Designer Yijing Wang and Her Skin Health App UVfree

Economic Insider Staff on January 28, 2026

By: Izzy Grace

In the fast-paced rhythm of New York City, sunlight is often taken for granted, welcomed on morning commutes, enjoyed in parks, and rarely questioned as a long-term health risk. For UX designer Yijing Wang, however, the invisible dangers of ultraviolet (UV) exposure have become the focus of a deeply personal and professional mission: using design to turn prevention into an everyday, intuitive experience.

Wang is the lead UI/UX designer behind UVfree, a preventive healthcare app concept that recently received three international design honors, including the K Design Award (Winner), the New York Product Design Award (Silver), and an Honorable Mention from the International Design Awards (IDA). Designed with a small interdisciplinary team and refined through iterative design reviews and expert feedback from a healthcare company, UVfree helps users understand and manage long-term UV exposure through real-time feedback, intuitive visuals, and gentle behavioral guidance.

“Most people know the sun can damage their skin, but the risk feels abstract,” Wang explains. “UV is invisible. You don’t feel it the way you feel heat or pollution. As a designer, I wanted to ask: how can we make something unseen become emotionally and cognitively real?”

Rather than presenting users with technical UV index numbers, UVfree translates exposure into visual cues, progress indicators, and timely alerts that communicate both current intensity and accumulated dose. A lightweight wearable sensor detects UV levels, while the mobile interface turns raw data into a simple, human-centered narrative: when it’s time to seek shade, reapply sunscreen, or take a break outdoors. This approach reframes environmental risk communication from abstract data into an actionable, emotionally intelligible design, an area increasingly critical in preventive healthcare UX.

The project began with extensive user research. Wang led surveys and interviews to uncover why people often neglect sun protection in daily life, despite being aware of long-term risks. The findings revealed a common pattern: low motivation, poor understanding of UV metrics, and a lack of tools that fit seamlessly into everyday routines.

Through journey mapping and co-design workshops, Wang and her team explored how users naturally interpret risk and respond to reminders. “People don’t want to feel controlled or overwhelmed,” she says. “They want support that is quiet, respectful, and personal. Prevention should feel like care, not like an alarm.”

These insights shaped UVfree’s design language, minimal, accessible, and emotionally reassuring. The interface favors soft color transitions over harsh warnings, and concise micro-interactions over dense data dashboards. “Good healthcare design doesn’t create fear,” Wang notes. “It builds awareness and trust.”

“Technology should empower people to understand their own bodies,” Wang says. “Especially for women, design can help remove fear, confusion, and social silence around health topics. It can replace them with clarity and confidence.”

The international recognition of UVfree has affirmed the value of this philosophy. The K Design Award jury praised the project’s balance of aesthetics and functionality, while the New York Product Design Awards highlighted its clarity, innovation, and real-world impact. For Wang, the awards are not an endpoint but encouragement to continue exploring how UX can operate at the intersection of science, empathy, and everyday life.

Designing the Invisible into Awareness: UX Designer Yijing Wang and Her Skin Health App UVfree

Photo Courtesy: Yijing Wang

Now based in New York, Wang designs complex fintech platforms while continuing her research and independent work in preventive health and wellness UX, where design is not merely about usability but about long-term well-being. As a female designer, Wang brings a particularly sensitive perspective to issues of the body and long-term health. Her broader research interests extend beyond skin protection. In 2024, her study on an augmented reality, guided breast self-examination app, designed to support women in early detection and self-care, was published and presented at the International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare (Pervasive Health 2024). “I believe the future of digital health is preventive, not reactive,” she reflects. “If design can quietly guide someone to take care of themselves before a problem becomes serious, then it has already done something meaningful.”

With UVfree, Yijing Wang has demonstrated how thoughtful interaction design can transform an invisible environmental threat into a visible, understandable, and manageable part of daily life. In doing so, she reminds us that often the most powerful role of design is not to dazzle, but to protect, gently, consistently, and humanely.

How Value Appeal Pro Can Help You Find the Mistake Hiding in Your Property Tax Bill

Economic Insider Staff on January 28, 2026

Every year, millions of American homeowners receive a property tax bill and pay it without question. The amount feels official. The assessment carries the weight of government authority. The process of challenging it seems opaque, complicated, and probably futile. So they write the check, absorb the expense, and never consider whether the number was accurate in the first place. This passive acceptance is one of the most expensive financial mistakes a homeowner can make. Property tax assessments are frequently wrong. The homeowners who challenge them save thousands. The homeowners who don’t overpay for years, sometimes decades, never knowing what they lost.

The economics are staggering when examined at scale. Studies consistently show that a significant percentage of residential properties are over-assessed relative to fair market value. The errors compound annually. A homeowner who overpays annually can accumulate significant unnecessary expenses over time. That money does not disappear into the abstract. It comes directly from household budgets. From college savings. From retirement accounts. From the financial security that homeownership is supposed to provide. The tragedy is that most of this overpayment is preventable.

Value Appeal Pro has positioned itself as the solution to this silent drain on household wealth. The platform specializes in property tax appeals for homeowners, combining technology-driven valuation analysis with expert consulting to identify overassessments and successfully challenge them. Their approach treats property tax not as an immutable fact but as a number that can and should be verified. When verification reveals an error, they have the expertise to correct it.

The case studies illustrate what this correction looks like in practice. A suburban homeowner discovered their assessment had been inflated based on speculative future development projections rather than current market comparables. The assessment reflected what the property might theoretically be worth someday, not what it was actually worth today. Value Appeal Pro’s analysis exposed the methodology flaw. Their team prepared documentation, filed the appeal, and managed all communication with local tax authorities. The outcome was a significant reduction in tax liability, achieved through a single successful appeal.

The barrier preventing most homeowners from pursuing appeals is not stubbornness. It is intimidation. The assessment process feels technical and inaccessible. The appeal process feels bureaucratic and uncertain. Most homeowners have no idea whether their assessment is accurate, no framework for evaluating it, and no confidence that challenging it would produce results. They default to payment because payment is simple. Value Appeal Pro removes every obstacle in this chain. Their technology platform analyzes assessments against current market data. Their consultants identify appeal grounds. Their team handles the entire administrative process. The homeowner’s role is minimal. The potential savings are not.

The firm reports an average 30% reduction in assessed value for clients who proceed with appeals. The number reflects a market reality that should alarm every property owner: assessments are frequently inflated by margins that would be unacceptable in any other financial context. Imagine discovering your mortgage payment had been miscalculated by 30%. You would demand correction immediately. Property tax deserves the same scrutiny.

The pricing model eliminates risk entirely. Value Appeal Pro operates on a success-based fee structure. If they do not successfully lower the assessment, there is no professional fee. The homeowner pays nothing for an unsuccessful appeal. This alignment of incentives is critical. The firm profits only when the homeowner profits. There is no financial risk to exploring whether an appeal is warranted. The only cost is the cost of not trying: continued overpayment that accumulates year after year.

Homeownership is supposed to build wealth. Property tax overpayment erodes it. The homeowner who accepts an inflated assessment is not being conservative. They are being uninformed. The appeal process exists because assessments are imperfect. Local governments acknowledge this. They build challenge mechanisms into the system. The homeowners who use these mechanisms pay fair value. The homeowners who don’t subsidize government revenue with money that should remain in their household.

The team at Value Appeal Pro has been navigating this landscape since 2015, analyzing over 12,000 properties and securing more than $25 million in collective client savings. The expertise is available, and the process is designed to help. The only question is whether homeowners will continue accepting unverified assessments or take action to ensure their household budgets reflect accurate values. It’s worth taking a closer look at your property tax assessment.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as legal or financial advice. Results from property tax appeals may vary depending on individual circumstances. Homeowners should consult a professional for personalized guidance on their property tax assessments and appeals.

The Launch of BrainHome and the Role of Lesley Ray in Connecting Neuroscience, Design, and Technology

Economic Insider Staff on January 28, 2026

In recent decades, the connection between neuroscience and interior design has become increasingly recognized by academics and the public alike. As stressful urban living becomes more prevalent, design and architecture professionals are working to apply this reality to provide places that fulfill functional needs, as well as to reduce anxiety and foster health and well-being. The World Health Organization has predicted that nearly 60 percent of the world’s population will be urban by 2030, which raises the question of what the brain is experiencing in a home or at work, an existential dilemma for many, raising considerable concern. This will ultimately result in much promise for innovation in environmental psychology, as well as new interest in applying ideas from science to everyday built interior environments.

It is against this backdrop that BrainHome was launched and founded by musician and interior designer Lesley Ray in 2025. The company aims to bring cognitive science and smart-home technology together in a fresh approach to how homes are experienced. In contrast to either emphasizing the visual appeal of the home or the ease of technological access, BrainHome situates itself at the intersection of neuroscience and technology, with the expressed mission to enable the home to be an extension of the residents’ health, serving as the operating system connecting home and body. Its mission is part of a larger trend towards human-centered technology, an area that Deloitte forecasts will expand substantially as more customers seek products that enhance health and lifestyle, in addition to their previous functionalities.

In April 2025, USA Today profiled the company in an article exploring how intelligent technology is reshaping home living. The article positioned BrainHome alongside other cutting-edge solutions to home automation, noting that it aimed to combine health sciences with home design, rather than merely providing convenience. In a later feature that year, Benzinga released a comprehensive report on how BrainHome was constructing what it called the “next generation smart home,” and the company’s potential to shape a market forecasted by Statista to reach more than $230 billion in the U.S. by 2028.

Coverage has extended beyond business and tech publications. Lifestyle publication NYLON featured Ray in a profile piece discussing how her musical background influenced her design approach and, in turn, BrainHome’s focus on creating products with emotional and sonic resonance. This coverage reflects BrainHome’s operation across multiple disciplines, addressing both design communities and wellness trend-seekers. Equally, Sunset Magazine and Inhabitat featured projects associated with BrainHome as part of biophilic design, highlighting the potential for enhancing quality of life through interior design. Cumulatively, these publications mark the project’s increasing profile among various readerships.

Ray’s establishment of BrainHome can also be explained in the context of the broader arc of her career. Before starting the company, she had worked on multimillion-dollar commercial developments in Silicon Valley and Ohio, and collaborated on sustainability projects with the U.S. Green Building Council. Her certification from the National Council for Interior Design Qualification made her one of the professionals known to have passed the highest industry certification. The founding of BrainHome in 2025 built upon this foundation, leveraging experience to create a company that combined home design expertise with new research objectives.

Increasingly, design professionals are being asked to respond not only to the visual appearance of a project but also to its psychological and environmental impact. Research, as documented in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, has shown high correlations between well-designed living environments and enhanced mental health, efficiency, and social interaction. Through the inclusion of this type of evidence, BrainHome places itself in a dialogue that goes beyond interior design to show how homes can be elevated with well-designed, thoughtful technology that doubles as art.

Ray’s unique background significantly shaped her professional journey. Her years as a violinist, including performances with Pat Benatar and Jon Anderson of Yes, provided early exposure to the emotional impact of sound and artistic collaboration. While BrainHome isn’t a music project, its focus on acoustics and creating an affective atmosphere draws inspiration from those formative experiences. Media profiles have consistently highlighted this overlap between music and design, reinforcing BrainHome’s identity as the only artist-led technology company.

Despite being relatively new, BrainHome’s move into the design-tech market is part of a larger trend toward homes that are smart and adaptive. The smart-home market is expected to grow, with worldwide usage expected to increase by several million households annually. Whether BrainHome becomes one of the top names in this growing category remains to be determined, but its emphasis on neuroscience sets it apart from competitors.

In a nutshell, BrainHome is a development and extension of Lesley Ray’s career. It synthesizes elements of her earlier work as a designer, her interest in sustainability, and her musical upbringing into a business that mirrors larger cultural trends as a natural next step into technology. With mentions in publications as far-reaching as USA Today to NYLON, BrainHome is already gaining ground as a front-and-center participant in the discussion of the future of home design.

Space Technology: How Are Private Space Missions Changing the Industry?

Economic Insider Staff 2 on January 28, 2026

Space missions are no longer dominated by national agencies alone. Private companies are playing an increasingly prominent role, reshaping how space exploration and commercial operations function. The rise of private players in spaceflight has transformed industries such as research, communications, defense, and tourism. For those unfamiliar with the economics of aerospace, this shift might seem complex. Understanding how private missions operate, what drives their growth, and how this shift impacts the broader industry helps clarify this transformation.

How Private Missions Are Reducing Launch Costs and Expanding Access

Space missions historically depended on government funding and lengthy development cycles. However, private companies are now building and launching rockets more frequently and at lower costs. Innovations like reusable rockets and smaller vehicles have helped lower the cost per kilogram of cargo to orbit significantly.

Commercial space companies have played a key role in reducing launch costs, making space access more attainable for smaller organizations that previously relied on government partnerships. According to the Open University, these companies have driven innovation, offering more opportunities for research institutes, startups, and private firms to deploy satellites. Smaller companies, once dependent on large-scale government contracts, now have the ability to contract launches directly with commercial providers. This trend opens the door to broader participation in space science and technology, although it raises important questions around regulation, safety, and debris management as orbital traffic grows.

Impact on Business Models and the Structure of the Industry

Private space missions operate on business models that differ from traditional state-led programs. While some companies focus on launching satellites for telecommunications or Earth observation, others are exploring areas like in-orbit manufacturing, asteroid resource extraction, and space tourism. These ventures go beyond traditional exploration, introducing sustained economic activity in space.

According to NASA’s Commercial Space program, private companies are responsible for building and operating spacecraft, while NASA purchases transport and service contracts instead of developing these systems internally. This shift in responsibility reduces costs for the government while enabling agencies like NASA to focus on research and long-term goals.

This evolution brings both opportunity and uncertainty. More competition can drive innovation but also pose challenges in supply chains, infrastructure duplication, and quality control. As the sector grows, ensuring effective coordination, financing, and sustainable growth will be key for long-term stability.

Policy and Regulation Adapting to Changing Space Missions

As private companies expand their reach into new orbits and even interplanetary missions, government agencies and international organizations are working to update regulations to keep pace. The need for clear guidelines on safety, licensing, and liability has never been greater.

According to the Brookings Institution, as private firms increasingly control space operations, industrial policies must adapt to address emerging challenges, including export controls, orbital traffic management, and international partnerships. Policymakers are tasked with balancing the promotion of innovation with security and accountability.

Collaboration between private companies and governments is evolving as well. Many companies depend on cross-border partnerships for components, launch facilities, and data services. While these interconnected supply chains strengthen cooperation, they also introduce vulnerabilities in the face of political or economic disruptions. As more companies enter the market, coordinated efforts on debris management, data sharing, and satellite communication will become essential to maintaining safety and preventing overcrowding.

Economic and Market Implications

The commercial space industry has transitioned from a niche sector to an integral part of the global economy. Falling launch costs, private capital influx, and expanding revenue models have positioned space missions as a key market for investors and businesses alike.

Space manufacturing, satellite broadband, and suborbital tourism now hold considerable potential, but each requires significant upfront expenditure and ongoing technological development. Governments remain important as anchor customers, but these sectors still face substantial risk.

For national economies, the commercial expansion of space brings job creation in high-skill sectors, innovation in supply chains, and technology spillover. However, the growth also means increased competition for orbital resources, bandwidth, and regulatory oversight. Balancing these outcomes is a key challenge for industry planners.

The Future of Space Missions and Commercial Activity

The increasing involvement of private companies means space missions are evolving into a dynamic, interconnected marketplace rather than just a competition between national agencies. Private firms now manage communications satellites, weather monitoring, Earth observation, and more. Governments continue to prioritize exploration and security, while the commercial sector expands services that directly benefit everyday life, such as broadband internet and climate data.

For consumers, this shift could lead to improved connectivity and more resilient infrastructure worldwide. Businesses stand to gain access to new technologies and data streams, while policymakers will need to develop frameworks that promote both competition and cooperation. As private companies push forward, space missions will continue to shape global infrastructure and economic growth in ways that were once unimaginable.

Public Funding Under Pressure: Why Accountability Now Defines Government Trust, According to Yusef-Andre Wiley

Economic Insider Staff on January 28, 2026

By: AK Infinite

Public funding plays a central role in supporting essential community services across the country. As government agencies increasingly partner with nonprofit organizations to deliver programs related to housing stability, reentry support, and community care, attention has shifted toward how these funding relationships are structured, monitored, and sustained.

While public discussions often focus on funding amounts or program outcomes, practitioners working within these systems emphasize a different factor—organizational infrastructure.

According to Yusef Andre Wiley, founder and executive director of Timelist Group and principal consultant at YW Consultants, long-term success in publicly funded programs depends less on intent and more on preparedness.

Wiley has spent more than a decade designing, operating, and advising programs that function at the intersection of government contracting and community-based service delivery. His experience includes nonprofit leadership, compliance development, audit navigation, and direct collaboration with county and state systems.

“I speak from the position of a practitioner,” Wiley explains, “not as an academic observer, but as someone responsible for ensuring organizations remain compliant, sustainable, and capable of delivering services responsibly.”

Infrastructure as the Foundation of Funding Success

From Wiley’s perspective, many challenges within public funding environments emerge not from mismanagement, but from mismatched expectations. Organizations are often asked to manage complex contracts before fully developing the systems required to support them.

Nonprofit readiness extends beyond mission alignment. It includes governance structures, documented board activity, financial controls, internal policies, and staffing capacity that align with contractual scope.

“When infrastructure grows slower than funding,” Wiley notes, “organizations become vulnerable, not because they lack commitment, but because systems have not caught up with responsibility.”

This imbalance can place strain on both service providers and funding agencies, particularly when compliance requirements increase over time.

Establishing Clear Qualification Standards

One area Wiley consistently emphasizes involves nonprofit qualification criteria. While many agencies reference baseline requirements, verification practices vary widely across departments.

From his experience, effective qualification includes evidence of active governance, documented board meetings, filed IRS Form 990s, defined bylaws, financial oversight procedures, and operational capacity proportionate to funding size.

Clear standards, he explains, benefit all parties. They create transparency, reduce uncertainty, and allow organizations to understand what readiness truly entails.

“Qualification should be demonstrated, not assumed,” Wiley says.

Tiered Funding Encourages Sustainable Growth

To reduce risk while supporting access, Wiley advocates for graduated funding models. Under this approach, organizations begin with smaller funding levels and scale upward based on demonstrated performance, audit outcomes, and compliance history.

This structure allows emerging organizations to build capacity without being overwhelmed and provides agencies with measurable benchmarks.

Rather than limiting opportunity, tiered funding creates a structured pathway toward sustainability.

Audits as Tools for Organizational Health

Early in his leadership journey, Wiley shared that audits initially felt burdensome, an experience common among nonprofit executives focused on service delivery.

That perspective changed through firsthand experience.

“Audits offer clarity, financial discipline, and early identification of risk. They strengthen credibility with funders and protect organizations from both internal errors and external pressures. When audits are approached as guidance rather than punishment,” Wiley says, “they become one of the most valuable tools an organization can have.”

The Role of Supportive Oversight

Oversight models also shape outcomes. Desk-based reporting alone often fails to capture the realities of service delivery.

Wiley points to field-based engagement as a more effective approach, where agency representatives observe operations, provide feedback, and identify gaps early.

This model promotes improvement rather than disruption and helps organizations address concerns before they escalate.

Several jurisdictions have adopted structured oversight systems that combine compliance review with technical assistance, demonstrating that accountability and support can function together.

Investing in Capacity Strengthens Impact

Another key observation involves the importance of infrastructure funding separate from program delivery.

Capacity-building support, including compliance training, financial system development, and governance education, allows nonprofits to operate more effectively without diverting resources from client services.

Strong missions, Wiley notes, require equally strong systems to sustain them.

Coordination Improves Transparency

Fragmented oversight across departments can create duplication and confusion. Wiley emphasizes the value of shared vetting processes, aligned reporting expectations, and continuity across funding cycles.

When agencies coordinate standards, nonprofits experience greater clarity and accountability, which becomes easier to maintain.

Preventing Challenges Through Early Intervention

Funding challenges rarely appear suddenly. Governance gaps, documentation issues, or staffing limitations often surface early.

Wiley emphasizes that early identification allows agencies and organizations to collaborate on corrective actions before issues affect program continuity.

Proactive engagement protects credibility, preserves funding integrity, and supports long-term service delivery.

Designing Systems That Build Confidence

From a practitioner’s standpoint, trust within public funding systems is built through consistency and clarity. Clear expectations, accessible guidance, and dependable oversight create confidence for both funders and providers.

“This work is not about adding bureaucracy,” Wiley explains. “It’s about designing systems that support ethical operations and sustainable service.”

As public–nonprofit partnerships continue to expand, practitioners like Wiley argue that infrastructure, accountability, and coordination will remain essential components of responsible funding stewardship.

When systems are designed thoughtfully, public dollars can move efficiently, organizations can grow responsibly, and communities receive services built to last.

Overtourism Crisis Pushes Destinations to Rethink Tourism Economics

Economic Insider Staff 2 on January 28, 2026

Global tourism has rebounded strongly since the pandemic, with many destinations seeing visitor numbers surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Cities such as Barcelona, Venice, and Paris are reporting record crowds, while island destinations like Mallorca and Santorini are struggling to manage the overwhelming influx of tourists. This surge in travel has reignited debates about how to manage the negative impacts of overtourism, particularly on infrastructure, local culture, and residents’ quality of life.

Tourism remains a vital economic driver in many regions, but the rapid return of visitors has brought a new set of challenges that destinations can no longer ignore. From housing shortages due to short-term rentals to overcrowding in historical districts, the key question is no longer whether overtourism exists but how destinations can manage it effectively.

New Taxes and Visitor Caps

In response to the pressures of overtourism, cities and governments are introducing new measures aimed at regulating tourism flows. Venice has introduced entry fees for day-trippers, while Barcelona has enforced tighter restrictions on short-term rentals to protect local housing. Mallorca has seen protests from residents calling for stricter tourist limits, and Amsterdam has implemented caps on cruise ship arrivals to reduce congestion.

These actions reflect a growing recognition that tourism economics must evolve. Traditional models that focused on maximizing visitor numbers are giving way to strategies that prioritize balance, with measures like tourist taxes, visitor caps, and more stringent regulations becoming common tools. These are designed to ensure that tourism’s economic benefits do not come at the cost of residents’ wellbeing or local ecosystems.

The Cost of Overtourism

The overtourism crisis raises fundamental questions about who should shoulder the financial burden. Tourists often expect affordable travel experiences, but destinations argue that higher fees may be necessary to maintain infrastructure and public services. Local governments are under increasing pressure to fund services that are stretched by high visitor numbers, while businesses that benefit from tourism may not contribute enough to mitigate its impact.

In Paris, reports of price disparities—where tourists are charged higher prices than locals—have sparked debate over fairness. Similarly, in Barcelona, residents are concerned that rising rents, partly driven by short-term rentals, are pushing locals out of their neighborhoods. These examples highlight the hidden costs of tourism, which are often not reflected in the price of a hotel room or café meal but have real consequences for local communities.

Impact on Local Communities

Overtourism’s impact goes beyond economics. Local communities often experience the strain of overcrowding, which can disrupt daily life. Historic sites and popular attractions may lose their authenticity when overwhelmed by mass tourism. Local traditions can become commercialized to cater to tourists, undermining the very characteristics that make these places special.

At the same time, tourism brings benefits, including cultural exchange and global visibility. Cities like Paris and Rome depend on tourism to support museums, theaters, and heritage sites. The challenge is finding ways to preserve the authenticity of these experiences while still accommodating the millions of tourists who visit each year.

Global Examples of Change

In response to the pressures of overtourism, many cities are taking steps to limit the impact of high visitor numbers:

  • Venice has introduced day-trip entry fees and placed limits on the number of cruise ships allowed to dock in the city. 
  • Barcelona has tightened regulations on short-term rentals to protect local housing availability.
  • Mallorca has seen protests from locals calling for limits on the number of tourists allowed each year. 
  • Amsterdam has restricted the number of cruise ships entering the city and placed limits on new hotel construction to reduce overcrowding. 
  • Santorini has implemented caps on the number of visitors allowed per day to preserve the island’s fragile infrastructure.

These examples reflect how different destinations are approaching the problem of overtourism, with each city or region experimenting with its own solutions. The common thread is a focus on sustainability, ensuring that tourism can continue without overburdening local resources.

The Role of Tourists

As destinations introduce new rules and fees to manage overtourism, tourists themselves are being asked to play a role in the solution. Paying entry fees, respecting local customs, and traveling during off-peak seasons are all ways tourists can contribute to easing the burden on overcrowded destinations. The idea of responsible tourism is gaining traction, encouraging travelers to consider the impact of their choices on the places they visit.

For many, this represents a shift in the way tourism is perceived. Travel has long been marketed as a carefree escape, but the overtourism crisis suggests that there are new responsibilities associated with travel. As destinations become more regulated, the conversation is moving toward shared accountability, where tourists, businesses, and governments all contribute to a more sustainable tourism economy.

As 2026 progresses, overtourism is expected to remain a major issue for many destinations. Global travel demand shows no signs of slowing down, and destinations will continue to experiment with new policies to manage visitor numbers. The success of these measures will depend on how well they can balance the economic benefits of tourism with the social and environmental costs.

The overtourism crisis is not just about the number of visitors; it’s about creating a tourism model that prioritizes sustainability, fairness, and respect for local communities. The recent surge in travel has sparked an important conversation about what kind of tourism destinations want to encourage in the future. While the challenges are significant, the ongoing dialogue suggests a growing awareness that tourism must evolve to remain viable for both locals and visitors alike.

Common Hurdles Faced by Divorcing Couples

Economic Insider Staff on January 28, 2026

Ending a marriage comes with difficult decisions about finances, housing, parenting routines, and future planning. Even spouses who share similar goals may find that the volume of required information, paperwork, and negotiations can create problems that are hard to anticipate at the outset.

Divorce is not handled the same way in every part of the country. States use different terminology, impose different timelines, and apply different approaches to issues such as property division, parenting arrangements, and financial support. In many situations, an attorney can help by explaining the requirements under state laws, preparing necessary filings, and guiding discussions toward workable resolutions.

Identifying Grounds for Divorce

One of the first hurdles is understanding the steps required to start a divorce. Many states allow “no-fault” divorces, meaning neither spouse must prove the other’s wrongdoing. In those states, a common approach is to cite irreconcilable differences, meaning the relationship has broken down to the point that it cannot be repaired.

Some states also recognize fault-based grounds, which may include issues like adultery, cruelty, or abandonment. Even where fault grounds exist, not every spouse chooses to use them. Fault-based claims can require more detailed allegations and proof, which may increase conflict, extend the time needed to complete a divorce, and add expenses. Still, some people believe a fault-based filing will better reflect the history of the marriage, or that it could affect the outcome of a case.

Additionally, a number of states have mandatory waiting periods between filing and finalizing the divorce, and some require spouses to live separately for a certain period before a divorce will be granted. These requirements can feel frustrating for people who want to move forward quickly, but courts may view them as a way to slow down the process and encourage thoughtful decision-making. Learning whether a waiting period will apply can help spouses plan for interim arrangements, such as temporary support, parenting schedules, and handling ongoing bills.

Disputes About Marital and Separate Property

Property division is often the most complex part of divorce, because it is not just about “who gets what,” but also about what belongs in the marital pot in the first place. Generally speaking, marital property includes assets and debts acquired during a marriage, while separate property may include items owned before the marriage or received individually as a gift or inheritance. Unfortunately, not all assets fit neatly into either category.

A common problem is tracing assets. Tracing is the process of showing where an asset came from and how it changed over time. For example, if a spouse had savings before marriage and later used those funds as a down payment on a home, questions may arise about whether part of the home’s equity should be treated as separate property, marital property, or a combination. Documents such as bank statements, closing papers, and account histories can become critical when the parties disagree.

Commingled property is another common problem in asset division. Commingling occurs when separate property is mixed with marital property in a way that makes it hard to tell what is separate property and what is marital property. A typical example is depositing an inheritance into a joint bank account and then using that account for everyday expenses. When commingling is extensive, the separate portion may become difficult to identify, which can fuel disputes.

Retirement accounts, stock options, bonuses, and business interests can create additional hurdles because they may have components earned both before and during the marriage. Valuing a closely held business or professional practice can be especially contentious. Even debts can become a battleground, particularly when one spouse claims the other ran up credit card charges or took out loans without the other’s agreement.

Arguments Over Child Custody

When children are involved, custody disputes can become the most emotionally charged part of a divorce. Courts generally focus on the child’s best interests, but parents may have very different views of what that means. Some parents prefer equal parenting time, while others may believe a different arrangement will better fit a child’s age, school schedule, or special needs.

Custody is often discussed in two parts: legal custody (decision-making authority over major issues such as education and healthcare) and physical custody (where the child lives and how parenting time is divided). Disagreements can arise over either category. Even when parents agree on a general schedule, details like transportation, holiday rotations, school breaks, and how to handle last-minute changes can lead to ongoing conflict.

Practical concerns frequently drive these disputes. Work schedules, long commutes, a child’s extracurricular activities, and the distance between parents’ homes may all affect what is workable. Communication can be another pain point, especially if the relationship has deteriorated to the point where simple coordination feels impossible.

Parents may also disagree about relocation. If one parent wants to move to another city or state, the impact on parenting time can be significant, and many states have specific procedures for handling these situations. The result can be a high-stakes dispute where each parent may worry about losing meaningful time with their child.

Disagreements Regarding Spousal Support/Alimony

Spousal support, also known as alimony, can be a sensitive topic. Not every divorce involves alimony, but when it does, the amount and duration of support may be contested.

Disputes often stem from different views of the marriage itself. One spouse may see support as a bridge to help with job training or re-entering the workforce after years of focusing on the household. The other may view alimony as an open-ended obligation that feels out of proportion to their financial circumstances. When making decisions about spousal support, courts may consider factors such as the length of the marriage, the spouses’ incomes and earning capacity, and the standard of living during the marriage, but outcomes can vary widely.

Support issues can be especially complicated when income is irregular or hard to measure, such as when a spouse is self-employed, earns commissions, receives bonuses, or has seasonal income. Another common disagreement concerns voluntary underemployment, where one spouse claims the other is deliberately earning less than they could to reduce their support obligations. Even when the parties reach an agreement, they may struggle to decide whether support should be modifiable later if circumstances change.

Dealing With an Uncooperative Spouse

An uncooperative spouse can drag out an already-difficult divorce. For instance, a spouse might refuse to provide financial information, skip mediation sessions, fail to meet deadlines, disobey court orders, or just try to delay the process as much as possible. Sometimes, uncooperative behavior is driven by anger or fear. In other cases, it may be tied to control over money or parenting time.

Courts typically have procedures to address noncompliance, but using them can require time, documentation, and patience. Keeping organized records of communications, requests, and missed obligations can become important when cooperation breaks down. When one spouse will not engage in reasonable problem-solving, a divorce can become less about reaching an agreement and more about creating enforceable arrangements to reduce future conflict.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as legal advice. Every divorce case is unique, and the details and outcomes of individual situations can vary significantly. For personalized legal guidance, you should consult with a licensed attorney specializing in family law in your jurisdiction. 

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