As Congress pushes the debt ceiling debate farther down the road, Americans’ personal finances are worse than ever. According to a new survey by the Personal Finance Employee Education Foundation, only 24% of respondents say they have “little financial stress.” That leaves 76% who would likely benefit from a financial education plan at work. According to PFEEF, a workplace financial fitness program can not only improve productivity, but also boost morale and company loyalty.

After a year of significant change in the LTC industry in 2012 Blogger Tom Riske Jr. seems 2013 as a year of growth in LTC sales through the worksite. He shares some key features an employer and adviser should look for when considering one of the newer multi-life LTC offerings.

The second-biggest U.S. health insurer’s 2013 forecast reflects “uncertainties” that include a flu outbreak, U.S. budget negotiations and implementation of President Obama’s health care overhaul.

As an employee benefits adviser with a major share of your business in health insurance, it is easy to focus on all the challenges in front of you. How can you turn lemons into lemonade? Live an attitude of gratitude and try to remember challenges bring opportunities and no matter how bad you think you have it, someone else usually has it worse.

It may be a while before we face the holiday season again, but since sooner is always better than later, now is the time to address what has come to be known as “the Christmas bonus.” Every year someone calls me the Grinch because I’m the guy who points out the ineffectiveness of the holiday bonus. Employee benefit advisers, brokers and consultants need to recognize there exists more creative vehicles that can serve as incentive programs to drive and maintain growth as well as recruit and retain key talent.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has appointed former Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson as CEO effective Monday.

A new survey suggests workers under the age of 25 are significantly more confident than others that they are on track for a comfortable retirement. Is it youthful arrogance, or has the younger generation absorbed some of the financial lessons we need them to learn?

Mercer, Willis North America, Burnham Benefits Insurance Services all announce personnel moves. Check to see if a client is mentioned.

Two of the largest U.S. drugstore chains, said they are running short of influenza vaccines as an earlier and more severe flu season drives up demand from Michigan to New Jersey.

UnitedHealth Group Inc., the largest U.S. provider of medical coverage, will join the Mayo Clinic in a research alliance designed to merge insurance records and medical data to find more efficient ways to deliver care.

Business owners are counting on increased referrals for a significant portion of their development plans. How successful those efforts will be is determined in large part by how well strategic plans are written. Read on for some key elements to address.

Today’s business world is global, and providing insurance mandated by the government for contractors with employees at oversea military bases can present a great opportunity for a broker, says EBA Blogger Sam Fleet.

With the core of PPACA set to begin in 2014, employers need to start making decisions now. UBA CEO Thom Mangan says that while the “pay” option might be worth considering, there are strong reasons why employers should look carefully at all of their options and do their best to calculate the actual outcomes of each.

Assurant Health, Health Dialog and The Segal Group all announce personnel moves. Check to see if a colleague is mentioned today.

The U.S. influenza season is off to a fast start, which may hurt insurers, hospitals and people lulled by the milder outbreaks of the recent past.

Mercer announced Thursday that it has launched a private benefits exchange developed by Benefitfocus and available to employers with at least 100 employees.

Health-care spending in the U.S. grew at less than half the pre-recession level for the third straight year, as employers shifted more costs to strapped workers and state governments limited payouts for the poor.

Guest blogger Linda K. Riddell shows how an eye for detail and some simple calculations could prove to be a life-saver for employees that are overusing/abusing narcotic painkillers. As always, share your thoughts in the comments.

As you look back on 2012, EBA Blogger Andy Torelli says now is the best time to develop a realistic business plan for 2013 and provides the real things to look back on.

Medical insurance markets crafted by four U.S. Republican governors won conditional approval by the Obama administration as the federal government nudges states toward full implementation of the landmark health-care overhaul.