Advisor strategies

Commentary: Many first impressions crash and burn because people are trying to present themselves as something they’re not. Here are four ways to avoid that fate.

Pilot program for Maryland Health Connection will have call centers directly transfer consumers to a broker to finish enrollment.

Brokers say they increasingly view the ACA as an avenue toward new revenue opportunities and roles around education and communication.

Commentary: Your clients need a roadmap, a strategic plan, to guide their tactical decisions; both their actions and reactions. To do this, you will need to become much more consultative in your approach, says columnist Jack Kwicien.

Commentary: Five ways to make positive progress with transforming your business, according to EBA Advisory Board Member Mark Gaunya.

This well-rounded Midwest adviser’s holistic approach to employee benefits, genuine character and trendsetting business practices set him apart.

Commentary: If the owner/seller has a management team that can’t sustain the growth of the company without his personal involvement, the business represents little value to a buyer.

Advisers need to help clients understand their workforce, outline clear objectives and communicate effectively if employers want to establish a successful wellness program.

Commentary: Is the way I think hurting my business, or is there a lot of groupthink going on? Should I do the opposite of what I think, like Seinfeld’s George Costanza, asks Joe Markland.

Commentary: EBA columnist Nelson Griswold says benefits RFPs are universally awful and HR should abandon them. Advisers, he says, should also be wary of them.

Some have compared the changes in health care to the changes that occurred in the retirement industry 30 years ago when companies switched from pension plans to 401(k) plans and put the responsibility on consumers to pick investments. But George Tzinas, chief experience officer at BenefitAlign, says it is not the same.

Warnings of billions in crippling costs and TV attack ads are the latest salvos from opponents of the Labor Department's fiduciary rule after hearings closed last week. The industry's newest claim is that independent firms could get hit with a bill tallying up to $3.9 billion in startup costs alone should the rule go into effect.

The uninsured rate in the United States is at one of the lowest points since tracking began, and in states with state-based exchanges the uninsured rate is lower than those using the federal marketplace. But is there enough incentive for brokers to continue to play a vital role in exchange enrollment?

For a private exchange to be successful, it needs to offer a full service solution in a box, says David Holton, vice president of private exchange business development at HealthPlan Services. His Tampa, Fla.-based company’s My Consumer Link is an individual exchanges for group brokers to offer. These brokers, Holton says, don’t want to walk away from the money of the individual sales, but don’t have the time to commit to it.

As private exchange technology providers are acquired, some brokers question what happens downstream to firms they partnered with. Along with the acquisitions, some brokers are not yet seeing a return on investment from their exchange, so what are their long-term plans?

After four days of public hearings, in which dozens of participants weighed in, the Labor Department is one step closer to implementing a new fiduciary standard, the scope of which heartens supporters and troubles critics.

Employers have some decisions to make regarding coverage for spouses and domestic partners following the Obergefell ruling. If there are any modifications to a policy, it’s crucial they’re reflected in the plan document and that employees and TPAs are informed about such changes.

Commentary: As you grow and hone your craft, you should feel the privilege and obligation to limit those who get your attention, for your own benefit as well as the clients’, says columnist Wendy Keneipp.

Complete, ongoing coverage on the Labor Department's hearings on its proposal to impose fiduciary requirements on retirement advisors from SoureMedia's Financial Planning, On Wall Street, Employee Benefit Advisor and Employee Benefit News.

Commentary: The broker’s dependence on the medical carriers — and their value to the broker’s business business — has about run its course, says columnist Nelson Griswold.