Benefits Think

Telecommuting and, by extension, virtual work, is a positive force for both employers and employees. But aren't there plenty of cases of virtual employees crossing that work/life boundary, perhaps staying glued to their screens well into the evening hours?

Besides death and dismemberment benefits, policies typically provide medical payments, temporary disability payments, and coverage for costs associated with repatriating employees from foreign soil.

Commentary: It’s not too late to set up a 2013 retirement plan. It may not be flexible, but it is available for those seeking last-minute savings.

Commentary: You don’t need to be one of the world’s best writers to communicate effectively with clients about their retirement needs.

Commentary: Online enrollment that gets participation in voluntary benefits as good as or better than one-on-one enrollment meetings at the worksite — while letting brokers keep twice as much of the voluntary commission. Is it possible? Columnist Nelson Griswold explains.

Worry is never constructive. It is even less helpful when it alters the way we manage our 401(k) plan investments. Recent behavioral finance studies have shown that the more we worry about our investments, the more conservatively we invest.

Commentary: Game on at the DOL means game on for employers. Are your employers prepared for a DOL audit? Are you prepared to advise them on what an audit involves and the fines for non-compliance?

Commentary: Although your customers may be placing a greater emphasis on voluntary plans, their millennial employees often are unaware of the reasons to elect coverage. If this younger employee base doesn’t understand voluntary options, it could result in lower enrollment and hurt your clients financially. Learn how to harness the millennial’s demand for information to your advantage.

Commentary: Automatic features have all helped retirement plan participants, but what should employers and committees discuss this year as they plan for future improvements in their plans as a way to seek to improve the retirement outcomes for their participants?

Commentary: The Catalyst for Payment Reform scored each state on its level of health care cost transparency — 29 received an F, only two scored an A. Transparency of health care cost and quality must be the founding principle of sustainable change, says Borislow Insurance’s Mark Gaunya.