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A nearly 7% spike in health care costs in 2015 can be attributed to a revitalized economy, the modernization of health care technology and the drastic increase in specialty drug use.

At SHRM's annual conference, leaders from Disney and Western Union address creating a better company culture through better recruiting, and how to boost employee learning and development through technology.

Road to Workplace Benefits Mania: Ahead of the July conference, speaker Craig Lack blogs about why employers need to change their health care strategy and not just stay “safe."

The ACA has increased incentives for employees to quit smoking, but employers are wondering where e-cigarettes fit into the equation.

Attendees at this year’s Society for Human Resource Management conference have been voicing their opinions on the organization’s new competency-based certification system, and its somewhat jarring introduction to the industry it serves.

Many employees who change jobs choose to roll their 401(k) accounts into IRAs rather than leaving them in place or rolling them into their new employers 401(k) plan. Rolling a 401(k) account into an IRA is generally a really bad idea, for the following reasons.

Find out how to nominate your colleagues, or yourself, for our three annual awards in overall health, retirement and voluntary categories. The submission deadline is July 11.

Commentary: Improve external communications, including your sales system and your marketing efforts, to enhance benefit brokerages overall.

More than four years before the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, a county government in the state of Washington took action on its skyrocketing health care costs, becoming one of the first counties in the country to tie out-of-pocket health care expenses to participation in wellness activities.

As the Affordable Care Act continues to necessitate the evolution of the benefit adviser’s role with individual and employer clients, knowing about the tax ramifications of the health law is a must.

The UnitedHealth Group Inc. executive whose Optum division helped states and the federal government fix Obamacare health exchanges will become second-in- command at the agency that runs the U.S. program.

Recently, the Internal Revenue Service has focused enforcement activity on examining the implementation of a strong internal control system. The IRS has publicly stated that if a plan is selected for audit the agent will use their evaluation of the plan’s internal controls to determine whether the scope of the examination will be focused or expanded.

How a father and daughter benefit broker team worked together to launch a private insurance marketplace that serves small and mid-size businesses as well as other local advisers.

Early health plan rate filings for 2015 signal premium rate hikes that could force individuals to consider switching plans. Confused consumers will be looking for help from benefit brokers and agents well-versed in plan options.

A new proposal from the Department of Labor plans to extend the reach of the Family Medical Leave Act to all eligible employees in same-sex marriages, as the federal government continues to offer guidance after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in United States v. Windsor.

In contradictory fashion, paying off debt was cited as the top reason for taking out a loan from retirement plan savings (46%), yet only 26% of respondents said paying off debt was a good reason to take out a loan.

Despite a surge in sign-ups through public exchanges, the newly insured have many of the same fears about explosive health care costs as those who have dealt with the issues of coverage in previous years.

How the ACA has drawn attention to vision care coverage and prompted employers to ask advisers about this voluntary benefit.

Commentary: Blogger Aaron Friedman reports good news for benefit advisers interested in working with employers on 403(b)s

The United States Supreme Court ruled that funds held in an “inherited IRA” are not retirement funds. As such, these funds are not exempt from the IRA holder’s bankruptcy estate and are subject to the claims of creditors in bankruptcy.