Mike Nesper

Just because a plan is compliant with the Affordable Care Act doesn’t mean it’s a compatible health savings account plan. Advisers need to be careful when designing HSAs to make sure plans satisfy all necessary rules.

Advisers should be providing year-round support of consumer-driven health plans, says Scott Mardis, who will kick off EBA’s Workplace Benefits Renaissance in March.

While the first year of the ACA reporting requirements could create headaches for employers, it’s also an opportunity for advisers to increase their value and secure clients for the long-term.

Technology and better educated consumers are two factors that are reducing the costs associated with retirement plans — which in turn are seeing exchange-traded funds grow in popularity, industry experts say.

New reporting requirements are forcing public agencies to deal with a massive amount of liability, largely due to unfunded retiree health benefits. One California city helped solve the problem with a private exchange. The format is gaining popularity with plan sponsors for their early and post-65 retirees.

The Affordable Care Act’s reporting requirements topped the list of regulatory issues for 2015. This year also saw two major Supreme Court decisions, a four-day hearing about the DOL fiduciary rule and debate surrounding the impending Cadillac tax.

2015 was a busy year in retirement: Collective investment trusts are gaining traction, plan sponsors are mulling what it means to be a fiduciary and Americans are starting to address their lack of savings.

Zenefits made the list of the year’s most-read EBA stories twice, including a defamation lawsuit that ADP filed against the Silicon Valley startup. Other attention-grabbing articles included the Aetna-Humana merger, Cadillac tax repeal efforts, attempts to tweak the ACA and the elimination of broker commission.

EBA Advisers of the Year, as well as other industry insiders, share their insight on some of the major issues employee benefit brokers face. Take a look as these experts reflect on everything from the Cadillac tax to benefits technology to voluntary products.

Employees’ financial circumstances are unique, and an employer’s retirement plan must prepare to meet those different needs. Here are five questions that employers and their advisers must have strong answers to in order to help employees save for the future.