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While the uniform definition of marriage and clarification that, for all federal purposes, the terms spouse, husband and wife will be defined on a gender-neutral basis, questions have remained with regard to the effects of the post-Windsor guidance on qualified retirement plans and other employee benefit programs.

After the exchange board moved this week to switch their state-run marketplace to the Feds’ model, brokers were cautiously optimistic about the next step because the last open enrollment experience was a “nightmare” and “fiasco.”

While pension cash outs for former employees are sometimes attractive to employers, several common concerns otherwise deter them from the option.

Even against the backdrop of a stronger economy, modern families are still feeling the pinch of financial security, pointing toward the need to tailor products to the needs of specific family structures that are considerably different than the traditional nuclear family.

Public sector employers in Oklahoma are one step closer to creating a defined contribution retirement plan for workers with the passage of House Bill 2630, also known as the Retirement Freedom Act. The bill was approved this week by a majority in the state’s House of Representatives.

A recent revenue ruling from the Treasury Department and the IRS eases the administrative burden for 401(k) plan sponsors wanting to accept rollovers from other employers’ plans, but the fiduciary risk posed by inactive accounts still remains.

In follow-up to two broker-friendly bills introduced in late March, a group of five U.S. Democratic senators are asking the agency again for changes that will help ACA-certified agents better enroll consumers.

As Memorial Day approaches, it’s a good time to consider how veterans’ unique skills might be a good fit for your organization. Veterans make the ultimate employees, says Megan Hawker, clinical manager with ACI Specialty Benefits. A veteran herself, Hawker shares three reasons to consider hiring a veteran and two tips for recruiting one.

UBA’s chief executive officer Thomas Mangan has left his position with the industry group to serve as president of employee benefits for the Market Financial Group.

The potential for passage of this agent and broker licensing bureau bill in Congress is within reach, leaders from this trade association say.