Advisor strategies

To stay two steps ahead of the herd, advisers should seek out partners with a complimentary set of skills.

The agency uses Letters 226J and 227 to assess ACA penalties, and firms that receive them could have millions at stake.

Outcomes were generally positive and can be used by advisers to help clients get more out of the program.

The agency uses Letters 226J and 227 to assess ACA penalties from employers, and clients who receive them could have millions at stake.

The most successful benefit advisers move beyond routine service offerings and position themselves as trusted business consultants.

Enhancements in decision support tools, e-enrollment and more are coming, The Standards’ Kevin McNamara says.

An employee’s return to work is fraught with compliance and productivity challenges. A disability carrier can help.

Profitable firms have several best practices in common to survive the early years of little revenue and funding struggles.

An employee’s return to work is fraught with compliance and productivity challenges. A disability carrier can help.

These young benefit strategists are breaking through the benefits status quo and reimagining the brokerage market.

Institute an outbound call center and don’t rely on overtaxed account management staff.

Next generation benefit firms owe it to employers and to themselves to invest in solutions beyond those that align with their financial interests.

It’s a good time to remind plan sponsors to adhere to long-term investing techniques built upon discipline and best-practices.

Passed hastily, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act may have unintended consequences that could soon be identified by the IRS.

For a business-to-business organization like a benefit advisory firm, a core function of growing the brand is to support sales efforts.

Trusted advisers have an emerging opportunity to broaden their value to clients by embracing a new expertise around provider quality.

Advisers who rely on the Best Interest Contract Exemption need to comply with the three Impartial Conduct Standards, otherwise they fall under non-exempt prohibited transactions.

Kimberly Eckelbarger credits elite adviser group with helping explain benefits in a larger business concept for a competitive edge.

Employers tried new strategies to tame benefit expenses, such as self-funding and association health plans.

Tying compensation to outcomes has proved successful for several brokers, but they must overcome their skepticism and fear of change.