Advisor strategies

The provider of benefit outsourcing solutions adds new tools to its private benefit exchange in collaboration with ConnectedHealth.

Zenefits is back in the spotlight with news of slower than expected revenue growth. The company also this week announced it will offer a free payroll option. The announcement follows a months-long public dispute with payroll giant ADP.

Brokers have been largely an afterthought on the public health care exchanges, industry insiders say, and one company says it is trying to change that at no cost to the broker.

Commentary: More than empty theories, columnist Nelson Griswold shares business-building and growth strategies that work.

NAIFA has launched a new initiative aimed at reinventing its role as an advocate for advisers. Its five-year strategic plan, dubbed NAIFA 20/20, aims to make the association a more effective resource for an increasingly diverse membership facing some challenging regulatory burdens.

Commentary: If you listen to your clients — and I mean really listen to what they’re saying and not saying — you’ll know exactly what they need and what they’re willing to spend money on, says columnist Wendy Keneipp.

Commentary: Add these talking points to your next plan review to ensure the year gets off to a good start, says adviser Michael Clark.

It all starts with a business plan and honest answers to some tough questions about the state of your company, says columnist Jack Kwicien.

Employee education is critical to health care cost management, says United Benefit Advisors’ Les McPhearson, who addresses rising plan costs in the company’s annual health plan survey.

Implementing top-tier plans poses unique obstacles for advisers and their employer clients.

Commentary: Advisers focused on life insurance and financial planning are missing an opportunity to stand out by introducing DI into the discussion.

In an exclusive interview, EBA’s 2015 Adviser of the Year Tim Olson describes “the single biggest thing” advisers should avoid if they want to grow their business. Also, Olson, managing partner at The Olson Group, shares how advisers can make money on licensing fees with little outward spend.

A new company founded by two former Munich Re Stop Loss executives is selling stop-loss insurance directly to self-insured employers, aiming to eliminate brokers from the equation altogether.

Commentary: Adviser Vinnie Daboul offers a three-step process to overcome the elements that pose the greatest threat to a broker’s business.

Commentary: Changes will attack the costs of health care and trickle down to benefit brokers. These outsiders may or may not see the broker as a valuable resource in their future world, says Joe Markland.

Commentary: Gone are the days of century-old insurance carriers’ dominance at conferences and expos. In are new products, new technology, new vendors and new partnerships. As a result, unique ideas and models are thriving, says Zenefits’ Tim Cerimele.

A new hotline for agents and brokers will not be able to answer specific questions from agents about their clients, disappointing broker organizations, which expected a hotline similar to what navigators have.

To date, adoption of private benefit exchanges by employers has been modest, but Holley Maher, partner at St. Louis-area brokerage MRCT, sees them as a highly relevant solution. And, despite issues Healthcare.gov has caused for brokers and consumers alike, the site is changing the health care landscape, says Maher, whose company operates its Smart Benefits Marketplace using bswift technology.

Commentary: There are a few major culprits behind the challenges women face, and advisers must be mindful of the best ways to address them.

Commentary: With so much uncertainty, your clients need your expert advice and counsel now more than ever before. They need a trusted adviser, and you can fulfill that role, says columnist Jack Kwicien.