Client communications

Extras matter: Three things employers should expect from their brokers

Shhh …. don't tell anyone, but I've infiltrated the broker/consultant world of employee benefits. After 12 years of working in corporate benefits with seven different benefit broker/consultants, big and small, I recently crossed the line into their world – I'm the director of compliance of a midsize benefits broker/consulting firm in southern California. I'm here to report back to you, my fellow corporate benefit professionals, on three things you reasonably can expect in your broker/consultant relationships – in addition to competitive fees, top-quality service and proven employee benefits negotiation expertise.

By Ed Bray

February 1

Practice management

Survey: Majority of plan participants lost on retirement planning

Employees around the country are in need of direct, simple guidance to help them reach their retirement goals, according to a survey released by State Street Global Advisors.

By Marli D. Riggs

January 30

Healthcare plans

In tough times life insurance may be an untapped resource

In this rough economy consumers look to credit cards, an IRA or 401(k), even under the couch cushions for emergency cash. Many may be overlooking life insurance as a potential source of immediate funds, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

By Marli D. Riggs

January 5

Voluntary benefits

Choosing better benefits

As employees take on more responsibility for paying for health care, voluntary benefits can provide much-needed additional coverage. EBN spoke to a number of voluntary benefits providers to get their thoughts on the major trends they see coming in 2012. Not surprisingly, all the trends and influences in the HR world at large – health care reform, employer cost-shifting, technology and communications – affect the voluntary benefits industry as well. Here, we provide a summary of key trends, along with charts and data to help employers plan their voluntary benefits strategy going forward.

By Andrea Davis

Editor-in-Chief

Employee Benefit News

January 1

Client communications

Fidelity’s advice: Get couples to agree on retirement planning

Most couples disagree on a lot of important points when it comes to retirement planning. That lack of agreement can translate into lost financial planning business, making it important for advisers to get couples to work together, according to Fidelity Investments.

By Danielle Reed

December 21

Client communications

Prosperous advisers know when the price is right

A key difference between prosperous and low-performing financial advisers is how they price their business, a new report from Toronto-based wealth management research company PriceMetrix finds.

By Lorie Konish

Former managing editor

On Wall Street

December 13

Financial planning

MetLife finds employee financial wellness a growing global concern for employers

As the effects of the recent financial crisis continue to spread across the globe, financial stress is an issue for both women and men.

By Lisa V. Gillespie

Writer

December 7

Healthcare plans

What employees want in a health plan

Consumers, facing worries over being able to afford adequate health care, want their employers to do more to help them improve their health and get the most from their employer-provided health and wellness plans, according to a new survey.

By Pat Speer

President

Speer Content Strategy & Development

December 7

Healthcare plans

Survey: More than half of insured are confused when selecting health insurance plans

As another open enrollment season comes to a close, millions of consumers are finalizing their benefits packages for 2012. Unfortunately, more than half of insured adults are confused with several important aspects related to choosing a health insurance plan, reveals a survey released Monday.

By Marli D. Riggs

December 6

Practice management

Cost-basis reporting changes portend ‘messy’ tax season ahead

With new cost-basis reporting requirements in effect for the 2011 tax year, Charles Schwab is warning investment advisers to brace for a hectic tax season and prepare for a flood of questions from clients who for the first time will receive a revised 1099-B form packed with new transaction information.

By Kenneth Corbin

Contributing Writer

Financial Planning

November 29

Client communications

Consumers more likely to buy larger policies with financial needs analysis

Consumers who receive a financial needs analysis are more likely to buy life insurance, and purchase larger face amounts, than those who dont receive an analysis, according to LIMRAs 2011 U.S. Buyer-Nonbuyer study.

By Marli D. Riggs

November 29

Benefits Think Post-enrollment review, communications rollout key to starting 2012 on the right foot

I know of an employer which shall remain nameless that began communicating its benefits enrollment period the day enrollment began. No, Im not kidding. Yes, its a real company.

November 29

Healthcare plans

Financial advisers can help bereaved cope with loss

Bereaved spouses who have a relationship with a financial adviser can find the support invaluable in recovering their family’s financial bearings, according to a new survey. The poll, conducted by the New York Life Foundation and the National Alliance for Grieving Children, surveyed 548 parents who lost a spouse or partner and who still had children under the age of 19 at home.

By Michael Cohn

Editor-in-chief, AccountingToday.com

November 17

Client communications

Marketing advisory services to nonprofits, foundations

Many of the nearly 1.6 million nonprofits and charities in the country are in need of advisory services. With assets growing at 8.5%, this group represents a healthy market for advisers looking to grow their client base, according to Gary Price, managing principal at Fund Evaluation Group.

By Ann Marsh

November 8

Client communications

5 tips to meeting online expectations

Online expectations of insurers Web presences are higher than ever, according to a new report from Forrester Research, for a confluence of reasons; the economic instability has increased demand in certain sectors, insurance advertising is a billion-dollar venture, with most of it directing consumers to Web presences, etc. As a result, whether quote-seekers or self-serving policyholders, consumers expect sites to be available, easy to use and fast. And if a site doesnt live up to these expectations, a competitor is only a click away.

By Justin Stephani

November 7

Client communications

Special report: marketing tips, techniques for financial advisers

Financial advisers are constantly on the lookout for new and more engaging and effective ways to market their services to prospective clients.

By Financial Planning

November 2

Client communications

IFEBP conference: Web, email now outdated in health e-communication

Email and websites are becoming outdated when communicating with health plan participants as social media moves to the forefront, says one industry expert at the annual International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Employee Benefits Conference.

By Brian M. Kalish

Online Managing Editor, Health Care Group

SourceMedia

November 1

Healthcare plans

Insight: firms to charge smokers, obese more for health care

Like a lot of companies, Veridian Credit Union wants its employees to be healthier. In January, the Waterloo, Iowa-company rolled out a wellness program and voluntary screenings.

By Jilian Mincer

October 31

Retirement benefits

Variable annuities key to successful portfolios

Independent and insurance brokers/dealers are the strongest sales channels for variable annuities, according to The Insured Retirement Institutes 2011 Portfolio Construction Dynamics report. But, generating income throughout these broker/dealers clients retirement doesnt come without challenges. The report from IRI in partnership with Cerulli Associates explores these challenges and offers insight on how to grow adviser acceptance of variable annuities as a retirement income solution.

By Carrie Burns

October 12

Benefits Think Put your benefits communications on a diet

Weight management is a popular wellness trend as the country deals with the health implications of obesity in our society. Similarly, benefits communications have become more and more bloated. Brokers need to help their clients communicate their benefits suite properly.

October 3