Employer Strategies

A significant number of advisers who serve 401(k) plans will ramp up their retirement income planning practices over the next few years, according to a new report from Principal Financial, called the “2011 Best Practices in Retirement Income Planning Study.”

After several years of relatively modest premium increases, annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage increased to $15,073 this year, up 9% from last year. On average, workers pay $4,129 and employers pay $10,944 toward those annual premiums.

Twenty-five percent of employers have little or no understanding of specialty pharmacy and 53% have only a moderate understanding of this challenging benefit according to a new survey released by the Midwest Business Group on Health.

Things have changed. Health care costs have turned benefits from HMOs to consumer driven health care. Pensions have long been a thing of the past and the process has shifted onto the consumer and onto benefit managers.

Executives, business owners and other high net worth individuals are actively looking for ways to preserve their estates, not only for their family members, but also for charitable organizations.

I couldn't believe my eyes. I stood a mere three feet away from the mentalist Alain Nu, who lightly pinched the handle of the heavy, solid spoon between his thumb and fingertip. As I watched in amazement, the curved handle of the spoon . . . slowly began to . . . bend! . . . and it continued to bend . . . without Nu touching it.

As successful and focused defined contribution retirement plan advisers continue to grow their businesses at a rapid pace, they logically look to hire salespeople to take advantage of the many opportunities coming their way.

Experts agree that taking a loan from your 401(k) plan is rarely a good idea. But research suggests participant loan-taking from 401(k) plans is on the rise, particularly since 2008, when layoffs and financial turmoil left many American workers with nowhere else to turn for funds.

Most advisers know the basics of FMLA. The Family and Medical Leave Act is the federal law that requires employers to provide employees with a job-protected, unpaid leave of absence from work for a variety of family reasons, including military leave or their own medical-related needs. FMLA strictly regulates the process that employers must follow to comply with the law.

Pharmacy-related wasteful spending topped $403 billion in 2010, up from $163 billion in 2009, according to the 2010 Drug Trends Report by Express Scripts. Between 2010 and 2014, estimates put the figure at more than $1.2 trillion.