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Americans often view saving for retirement as a choice between contributing to a workplace 401(k) plan or funding an IRA, even though the majority of people are allowed to contribute to both at the same time. A new report by Fidelity Investments indicates that as companies cut down on pension plans, more workers are contributing to both Individual Retirement Accounts and 401(k) plans. Those who contribute to both end up saving much more overall, the study showed. In addition, workers are more likely to save for retirement if they seek financial advice.

As more employers introduce employees to consumer-driven health plans with a health savings account, utilization grows of those HSAs. Last week, UMB Healthcare Services announced a growth of 36% of HSA account balances, surpassing $400 million dollars following 2011 open enrollment. The number of HSAs stood at nearly 220,000 at year-end.

HR/benefits professionals play an important role in an organization, but a common complaint is that when it comes to being involved in C-suite-level decisionmaking, they’re commonly left out of the mix. According to Jonathan A. Segal, partner and managing principal at Duane Morris LLP, sometimes pros shouldn’t be asking to be at the table, but instead asking when the table is meeting and showing up. Segal offers a few tips that he says CEOs don’t tell HR/benefits pros, but wishes they knew nonetheless. These seven strategies might help smooth communication and strengthen partnerships between you and executives.

When making decisions about benefit plans, plan sponsors should take some time to consider what role they are playing. I am working with a company that is terminating its health plan and the distinction between "settlor" functions and "fiduciary" functions became very significant. So I thought I might share some thoughts on the topic. …

Appitalism chooses top 5 apps that every CEO should utilize on their smartphones. The point of business is the bottom-line, and these helpful apps can streamline the process.

Here is a recent roundup of industry accomplishments. Check to see if a colleague is mentioned this week.

In a new report, titled “Opportunities in Reaching the Middle Market with Life Insurance,” Conning estimates the middle market life insurance protection gap to be $10.2 trillion — a 56% increase when compared to the firm’s last study of the middle market in 2006. The total protection gap across all income brackets has more than doubled.

Ironic as it may be, despite record-high unemployment and the perception of a surplus of talent, human resources professionals may be forced to choose from limited quantities of high-skilled workers, a new Deloitte study shows.

The estimated net costs of expanding health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act have been reduced by $48 billion through 2021, though fewer people would be covered under private insurance plans, a new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office shows.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee agreed to pay the agency $1.5 million to settle a potential HIPAA violation — the first resulting from a breach under the HITECH Act’s breach notification rule. So, obviously you’ve heard about this a million times already on CNN and other news outlets, right? Yeah, didn’t think so.