Views

Commentary: If you can’t articulate your marketing position clearly in two or three sentences, value-conscious prospects and clients certainly are not going to take the time to figure it out, says columnist Jack Kwicien.

Committees and plan sponsors alike have discussed ways to improve their investment menus over the last several years as a way to help drive successful retirement outcomes for employees. Regulatory changes, market instability and large numbers of investment options have led plan sponsors to devote more attention to their plans’ investment menus. What steps can committees take to help the problem that has plagued so many participants over the years? …

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.

Commentary: The quality of writing that appears on a brokerage’s website, newsletters and even social media needs to improve to represent the industry in a more client-centric, modern and sophisticated way, says Wendy Keneipp.

Commentary: Our minds tell us we’re on the right track, that we’ve got a winner. Unfortunately, we don’t even know we’ve been tricked and it all results in costly and embarrassing missed opportunities, says sales expert John Graham.

Commentary: Proactive case management is the first step to creating a process for disability leave management that clients can count on, says The Standard’s Sandy Johnson.

Commentary: It’s harder for women to get ahead in business, thanks to pay inequality and other factors, says ACI Specialty Benefits’ Erin Krehbiel. But, they can do something about it.

Commentary: Three reasons Individual contracts are incompatible with ERISA plans and how to handle it, according to The Principal’s Aaron Friedman.

Commentary: While these FMLA changes don’t require any immediate action or changes to employers’ benefit plans, they could serve as a catalyst for federal officials and agencies to further extend their reach into benefits programs, says Sam Fleet.

Commentary: It depends, says Borislow Insurance’s Mark Gaunya, who points to the Massachusetts system. The national model must evolve first.