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Commentary: Creating a differentiator to open new doors when you are an adviser without a big venue to display your talents can be a challenge.

Commentary: From implementing automatic enrollment to eliminating participant loans, here are five actions plan sponsors can take this year to improve their 401(k) plans.

The ACA allows states, beginning in January 2017, to ask the federal government to waive almost every major coverage requirement of the health care reform law, including the employer mandate. Employers and other benefit industry stakeholders hoping to be relieved from ACA requirements may consider state waivers the elixir they’ve been waiting for, but are they?

Commentary: How do you start or build an employee benefit agency with no marketing budget? Use social media.

New reporting requirements are forcing public agencies to deal with a massive amount of liability, largely due to unfunded retiree health benefits. One California city helped solve the problem with a private exchange. The format is gaining popularity with plan sponsors for their early and post-65 retirees.

Commentary: Since 2010, the ACA has avoided 50 repeal votes in Congress and two lawsuits in the Supreme Court. Until October, no structural changes were considered — then magically, compromise appears. What does it mean?

Systemic problems are keeping HSA balances from meeting their full investment potential, experts say.

The business of benefits continues to shift, with industry mergers and acquisitions filling news feeds this year. Meanwhile, brokerages remain committed to meeting clients’ needs through innovative ideas that also stole headlines in 2015.

Commentary: Have you ever rocked an enrollment to then have the owner of the company call you afterward and say they need to meet with you immediately?

Despite the chance to impact daily decision making on critical healthcare, employee benefit and broker industry issues, many politically active advisers agree they are among just 10% of brokers who are involved in local and national politics. EBA presents leading brokers in each region of the country who are actively working to change the industry.

These automatic retirement plan programs have been disrupting the industry with computerized investment formulas and low prices, but do they have an unfair advantage at the regulatory level?

Commentary: Today’s usage of the word healthcare is “care for the sick.” The only way we are going to solve our cost crisis is to change its meaning, says adviser Craig Hasday.

The IRS on Monday extended the deadline for 2015 ACA information reporting, giving employers subject to the requirements some highly-sought after relief.

In many states, just one-tenth of brokers are involved with state and national politics, leaving the heavy lifting to a small group who enjoy the time-consuming and challenging work. But, they agree, the rest of the agent community should get involved.

Dependent eligibility verification audits are sometimes tough to communicate to employees, but as employers look for financial savings in their health plans, many are contemplating them.

The Affordable Care Act’s reporting requirements topped the list of regulatory issues for 2015. This year also saw two major Supreme Court decisions, a four-day hearing about the DOL fiduciary rule and debate surrounding the impending Cadillac tax.

Commentary: We’ve all heard the discussion of transparency. Imagine if you could type in a condition, even multiple conditions, and up pops the physicians who have the greatest success and do it at the lowest cost.

Commentary: New ACA regulations, increasing employer demands and shorter workweeks due to holiday schedules make for difficult work. But the broker who rallies rather than wanes in this environment will be set apart.

Between our Advisers of the Year, Rising Stars in Advising and Most Influential Women in Benefit Advising, EBA highlighted five dozen individuals in 2015 who are bringing meaningful advancements to the field of benefit advising and elevating expectations of what it means to be an exceptional broker.