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Email and websites are becoming outdated when communicating with health plan participants as social media moves to the forefront, says one industry expert at the annual International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Employee Benefits Conference.

The long term care market continues to be in turmoil for group benefits and voluntary producers. You probably noticed the federal government couldn’t figure it out and has punted as of a recent announcement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Health officials said that after 19 months of analysis, they could not come up with a model for the so-called CLASS Act that keeps it voluntary and budget-neutral.” …

If you are an aggressive producer, how can you become an agency owner or practice leader? In the November issue EBA contributor Jack Kwicien shares how you can not only play the game, but also take home the trophy but it requires preparation and dedication.

Everyday services that help strike a better work-life balance have become an increasingly valuable part of the benefits package - even if employees are the ones who pick up the tab. But what is the best way to deliver this assistance to the workplace to ensure satisfaction and boost program utilization?

We know that HR directors, benefits managers and C-suite executives are horribly frustrated with employee benefits - not simply with the high cost of the medical, but perhaps most with their lack of control over the process.

The downswing in the economy over the last several years has hit HR personnel hard. A recent Aberdeen Group study shows that both line of business managers and even HR managers themselves see HR as less aligned with the strategic needs of their business and overly tactical in practice. So, you want to be a rising star and adviser? Then work with your HR clients and help them change this trend.

These are exciting times. That may sound strange coming from a benefit adviser, but they really are.

Building customer relationships parallels the concept of personal addiction. An addiction requires an occasional fix. According to Dictionary.com, "fix" is a term that means "a compulsively sought dose or infusion of something: to need one's daily fix . . ." Think about giving your customers a fix during this frenetic renewal season.

Are you writing as much business as you would like? Has your revenue been steadily increasing over the last six to 12 months? Do you want to write more business and increase your revenue in the next 60 days?

You now have a strong advocate, retirement advisers. Read in the November issue of EBA as contributor Fred Barstein talks about the recent launch of the National Association of Plan Advisors, a sister organization of the ASPPA.