Advisor strategies

Commentary: Gone are the days of century-old insurance carriers’ dominance at conferences and expos. In are new products, new technology, new vendors and new partnerships. As a result, unique ideas and models are thriving, says Zenefits’ Tim Cerimele.

A new hotline for agents and brokers will not be able to answer specific questions from agents about their clients, disappointing broker organizations, which expected a hotline similar to what navigators have.

To date, adoption of private benefit exchanges by employers has been modest, but Holley Maher, partner at St. Louis-area brokerage MRCT, sees them as a highly relevant solution. And, despite issues Healthcare.gov has caused for brokers and consumers alike, the site is changing the health care landscape, says Maher, whose company operates its Smart Benefits Marketplace using bswift technology.

Commentary: There are a few major culprits behind the challenges women face, and advisers must be mindful of the best ways to address them.

Commentary: With so much uncertainty, your clients need your expert advice and counsel now more than ever before. They need a trusted adviser, and you can fulfill that role, says columnist Jack Kwicien.

Commentary: Whether we call ourselves consultants, relationship managers, advisers, producers or anything else that tends to disguise our objective, we’re salespeople.

In today’s increasingly technology-focused benefits industry, brokers need to compete on a new level in a new playing field. How can brokers reposition themselves as trusted advisers and use technology to their advantage?

A more competitive health insurance market is favorable, but not always possible. Brokers operating in a market controlled by only a few carriers need to offer a wide variety of services in order to retain clients and increase sales.

Commentary: Hundreds asked adviser Eric Silverman for the secret to his prospect-winning thank you note. Now, he shares the formula to his success.

ADP has agreed to drop its defamation lawsuit against Zenefits after a months-long dispute fought in the public eye. What does the Zenefits win mean for established industry stakeholders and the benefit startups that threaten their way of business?

The agents have completed mandatory training to sell on the federally-facilitated marketplace for 2016, with 10,000 more in the process. For the first time, producers can train through non-government organizations, including NAHU and AHIP.

Commentary: Female leaders have the unique challenge of cultivating perception to avoid the typical stereotypes, walking a tight rope between the bitchy tyrant and the obliging child, says ACI Specialty Benefits’ Erin Krehbiel.

Commentary: Although the assistance is appreciated, are advisers truly capturing the potential opportunity by outsourcing this process, asks Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.’s Andy Torelli.

The professional employer organization industry is experience massive growth, but the co-employment arrangement isn’t right for everyone. Here are the benefits of a PEO and the red flags to watch out for.

The ACA’s 2018 Cadillac tax looms large in the minds of employers and benefit experts have already begun to see trends in the plan design options and benefit offering changes employers have made to avoid the hefty excise tax.

Commentary: He’ll tell you his efforts were imperfect. And he didn’t get to everything. But what one adviser did do — his commitment to action, to implementation — produced 55% growth in 24 months.

Brokers and agents are meeting with senators in an effort to garner support for the Equalizing the Playing Field for Agents and Brokers Act, which aims to offer advisers the same access to marketplace enrollment information as is available to navigators and certified assisters.

Baby boomers, Generation X and millennials all have different attitudes about saving for the future and varying work styles, and it’s crucial that advisers know these differences before discussing retirement savings options.

Commentary: Rookie adviser Brian Murphy embraces “the complexity, the challenge and the intellectual stimulation” of onboarding a new client for the first time.

Education is often hailed as the key to employee benefit satisfaction, but new research shows it also increases enrollment and employee engagement. Experts say advisers are well-positioned to expand employer education and communication strategies.