Healthcare

Employers around the world are pushing free transparency and seeking better investment outcomes for their workers, which is leading to a greater availability of low-cost investment options in employer-sponsored plans.

Top- rated states and localities have shortchanged payments to retirement plans as rallying stocks ease the funding pressure while services such as schools and crumbling infrastructure scream for resources.

Time was when the word marketplace conjured up images of village locals peddling their wares to eager residents, or tourists looking to sample native foods or purchase artistic creations from an open-air market nestled within a quaint town.

Given the pressures of everyday work, employees from different generations will likely experience anxiety, depression and performance issues in very different ways.

Enrollment in private health care exchanges hit 6 million for the 2015 plan year, according to Accenture — doubling the 3 million figure from 2014. Most of the growth is in the mid-market segment.

The psychological effects of unemployment can have long-lasting effects on workers and employers may want to bear this in mind when assessing job candidates.

Modestly higher equity markets in the first quarter of 2015 were not enough to offset the effects of lower interest rates, resulting in lower pension funding ratios among U.S. defined benefit plans.

Employees of all ages want disability coverage, but rising health care costs, stagnant wages and cost-shifting keep participation rates low.

Designing the ultimate defined contribution plan isn’t just about the investments chosen to be in the plan. It is about strategy, a company’s mission and core values and the demographics of the workers being served by the plan.

Commentary: Additional benefits or coverages that adapt to an employer’s needs can create a niche offering that often can help employers think holistically about their employees’ financial future, says The Standard’s Breanna Scott.