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FSA usage should be encouraged throughout the year. Budgeting is easy when using an FSA calculator before opting into the plan to help participants estimate their yearly expenses. And a broker's role when communicating to clients about better FSA budgeting should entail having multiple communications throughout the year.

The California Bankers Association recently announced a long-term care benefit for employees of member banks throughout the state. The initiative is one of the first of its kind for any large U.S. association, and could be a bellwether for the financial field and beyond.

Being present and competent is the order of the day once the ACA becomes a reality, says blogger and UBA CEO Thom Mangan. Brokers need to act as a conduit, or contract with a conduit, to help employees navigate through. A lot of these issues fall on the shoulders of the human resources department, but a broker or adviser needs to offer comprehensive care.

Too often brokers are pulled in different directions with just too much to do, too many people to do it for, and too little time. In too many situations, we are not able to treat all personal issues or business issues with the time and dedication they deserve, says blogger Sam Fleet. So how to overcome that burden?

Guest blogger Mark S. Gaunya talks about what advisers must do in the 'Obamacare' world where insurers are assuming more risk and consumers more cost.

After small group reform passed California ten years ago, brokers feared the worse, says blogger Andrew Torelli. What lessons can that bill teach us what to expect with the ACA?

There may be a slightly silver lining to the murky clouds of health care reform: ancillary benefits, which often include voluntary benefits, are expected to grow substantially in the coming years. Advisers may do well to leverage these offerings with clients, says EBA Blogger and UBA CEO Thom Mangan.

Guest blogger Chris McSwain of Walmart writes that in the constantly evolving field of health and productivity, we are overwhelmed with new tools to judge the performance of our health-related programs. But sometimes the right tool is the one that's easier to use.

In recent years, voluntary benefits have risen from a nice-to-have for employees to something that is quickly becoming crucial. Doug Mantz looks back at the evolution of voluntary benefits through the lens of one long-time client.

With two daughters in college, The Principal Financial's Aaron Friedman has come to appreciate that the three “R’s” continue into higher education. The traditional readin’, ‘rightin’, and ‘rithmatic, carry forward, but he's realized lately that a fourth “R” applies — an evolution with private higher ed in “R”etirement planning.