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When you think of client diversity, what comes to mind? Do you believe being a generalist is the appropriate course for your future?

Taken to its extreme, the case could be interpreted as effectively foreclosing participant claims based upon how a well-funded defined benefit pension plan is invested.

Third biggest U.S. health insurer says the share of health care premiums it spends on patient care rose to 84.1% from 80.7% a year earlier. The insurer finished 2012 with 18.2 million members in its medical plans, an increase of 64,000 over the third quarter.

The IRS and HHS released new regulations Wednesday for the individual mandate portion of PPACA. The proposed regulations shed new light on the process the agencies will take in determining which individuals are subject to the mandate or whether they’re exempt, and whether their insurance coverage is sufficient.

The researchers in England followed almost 45,000 adults, one-third of them vegetarians, for an average of 11 1/2 years and accounted for factors such as their age, whether they smoked, alcohol consumption, physical activity, education and socio-economic background.

More U.S. employees have seen the light on workplace wellness initiatives, according to Principal Financial, with 62% now saying they believe the programs are improving their health and a majority saying the benefit helps them work harder and better.

Employees can receive government tax credits to buy insurance for their families if the coverage their employers offer would cost more than 9.5% of their income, the IRS said Wednesday in final regulations. However, that calculation will be based on the cost of single coverage, not family coverage, which is more expensive and would give more people access to the credits.

Guest blogger Aaron Friedman, a national practice leader with Principal Financial, writes that amid the ongoing tax debate, helping all plan participants achieve retirement readiness should be of paramount importance and that tax reform and retirement policy should not be at odds.

Since 32% of employers reported that top performers left their organizations in 2012 and 39% are concerned that they'll lose top talent in 2013, many are asking current employees for feedback on how to increase job satisfaction. According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 26% of workers said that providing special perks is an effective way to improve employee retention. Here are the 10 that scored highest when workers were asked to identify one perk that would make their workplace more satisfying. [Images: Shutterstock]

The overall pace of investment prompted Forrester to warn insurers making only limited mobile efforts soon will lose competitive ground to insurers more aggressively pursuing the technology.