Employer Strategies

Since 2008, Mass Metal in Lawrence, Kan., has helped individuals buy, hold and sell gold and silver through its online service, SilverSaver. Now the company is offering SilverSaver as a voluntary benefit program.

For workers' compensation insurers, costs are going up as the market shrinks, according to a recent report released by the National Academy of Social Insurance, observing they are fighting to pay more for smaller slices of the pie.

This week, LIMRA reported variable annuity sales increased 19% to $80.7 billion in the six months ended June 30 compared with the same period a year earlier. Today, the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) echoed the increase, reporting first-quarter sales at $40 billion, up 2% from $39.2 billion in the previous quarter.

There is a clear difference between hard-charging bosses and those who cross the line into bullying, creating patterns of fear, says Harvard Business Review.

Historically, the retirement industry hasn’t been required to publish all fees and expenses associated with 401(k) products. That’s about to change. The Labor Department noticed that the majority of 401(k) plan sponsors are in the dark regarding the fees they’re paying. To add insult to injury, most are under the impression that their plan is free. …

The aging of the U.S. baby boom generation may slow an already weak recovery as boomers sell stocks to pay for retirement, according to research released Monday from the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank.

It’s been a little over two months since pharmacy chain Walgreens announced it would be leaving Express Scripts’ pharmacy provider network. Kermit Crawford, president of Walgreens’ pharmacy, health and wellness business, sat down with EBN recently to discuss his company’s position.

For workers' compensation insurers, costs are going up as the market shrinks, according to a recent report released by the National Academy of Social Insurance, observing they are fighting to pay more for smaller slices of the pie.

Consumer driven health plans continue to grow in popularity despite a waning impact on cost control, according to preliminary results in a recent United Benefits Advisors survey.

Although concerned about challenges in the business environment, brokers and consultants are confident they will find a variety of ways to prosper, according to MetLife’s Broker and Consultant Study released last week.