Voluntary

As more companies embrace consumer-driven health care models and prepare for the full implementation of health care reform, employees need voluntary benefits more than ever. This chart pack includes the latest data on voluntary benefits from the Aflac WorkForces Report and UBA’s Ancillary Products Survey.

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.

MetLife Inc. said it would combine an offshore reinsurer with three U.S. life units after regulators began an investigation into the use of intra-company liability transfers, saying such arrangements could mask risk.

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.

More than a third of Americans say they don’t feel financially secure, according to a survey from Unum. Moreover, the number of those who feel “not at all secure” is up from the last year. Women, meanwhile, feel more financially insecure than men.

In an advance copy of Disability Divide: Employer Study provided to EBN, only 26% of HR professionals surveyed believe employees feel it’s very important to prepare for a disability; the same amount thinks employees are in fact properly prepared to withstand a disabling event.

When helping employees with end-of-life decisions for their loved ones, brokers say offering choices and information is key.

Private disability insurance DI is more successful than public at getting people back to work, but millions remain uninsured so what lies ahead.

This formerly discounted, underinsured and underpenetrated generation now presents a larger sales opportunity than boomers.

As brokers continue to search for voluntary benefits to supplement their sales in the coming years, legal plans might just be one of them.