Edward Gottfried

With affordability and confusion serving as key barriers, benefits leaders can adopt design-led strategies that prioritize the user experience.

Financial wellness offerings in particular can have a broad positive impact on employee well-being.

Key strategies include seeding emergency savings to cover six months' worth of expenses with the help of a financial adviser and matching contributions.

Treating student loan payments as eligible for a 401(k) match will help young employees save for retirement while staying on top of their debt.

Education-focused benefits will help support employees once the more than three-year moratorium on federal student loan payments and interest ends.