Client communications

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Consumers who receive a financial needs analysis are more likely to buy life insurance, and purchase larger face amounts, than those who don’t receive an analysis, according to LIMRA’s 2011 U.S. Buyer-Nonbuyer study.

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

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. …

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.

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 doesn’t live up to these expectations, a competitor is only a click away.

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

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.

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.

Independent and insurance brokers/dealers are the strongest sales channels for variable annuities, according to The Insured Retirement Institute’s “2011 Portfolio Construction Dynamics” report. But, generating income throughout these broker/dealers’ clients’ retirement doesn’t 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.

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.

The meaning of success is different for each of us. Whether we are talking about business or personal achievement, we define success by what matters most to us. Is it any wonder that your clients have different ideas about what spells success for a corporate wellness program?