Some things only make sense in the aggregate. The issue of longevity is a prime example. While longer life spans is one of the unalloyed successes of the preceding century, the aggregate impact of aging populations also represents a major challenge for governments and benefit companies.

The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service are asking for public input on a proposed health care reform rule that would make it easier for employers to determine whether the health insurance coverage they offer is considered “affordable” for employees.

Whaddaya know? All this time, I thought it was just retirement plan participants who didn’t understand the fees they were paying. Turns out, according to a recent Spectrem Group study, plan sponsors don’t understand plan fees all that well either — only 45% of plan sponsors fully understand their retirement plan fees, according to the report that evaluated some 600 plan sponsors with assets under management of $10 million to $200 million. …

New research from Aflac underscores a big opportunity for advisers to help ease employees’ confusion during open enrollment.

A federal judge in Pennsylvania says the insurance-buying mandate in President Obama's health care overhaul in unconstitutional, the latest ruling over an issue likely to be taken up by the Supreme Court.

Facing the twin blights of constrained state budgets and eroding market value amid the still-sputtering economy, retirement programs for public employees are under siege, with numerous state and local employers either undertaking or considering massive restructuring of their benefit plans.

The second poll in a series of retirement pulse polls by Sun Life Financial suggests that discomfort over aging and hopes of remaining independent throughout the golden years prevent many Americans from planning long-term care. “Shut Your Eyes and Hope for The Best: American Attitudes Toward Long Term Care Planning,” surveys both mainstream and affluent Americans age 50 and older.

[IMGCAP(1)] WASHINGTON (Reuters) 8:13am EDT — Retirement programs could look different if a grand deficit-cutting bargain is struck in upcoming negotiations. On Thursday, the Senate Finance Committee will explore "Tax Reform Options: Promoting Retirement Security." Despite the sleepy title, the hearing will be one of the first outward signs of something that's been actively discussed privately all over this city in recent weeks and months: How to tweak retirement to make 401(k) plans more efficient, keep Social…

The need for additional Life Insurance for today’s working Americans is compelling. Consider the following from the front cover of USA Today on Dec. 3, 2010: “Millions of Families Missing Safety Net.” “The percentage of U.S. households with Life Insurance is at its lowest in 50 years.” “Only 44% of households have an individual life insurance policy.” …

Well, it’s been quite an interesting renewal/marketing season already, hasn’t it? Trend factors are lower than they’ve been in years. Some carriers are out there offering premium holidays for new clients who sign up before January 1. And when’s the last time you saw a carrier offer a double-digit rate decrease right out of the chute? …

One of the first (and most popular) changes brought on by health care reform was the mandatory extension of health plan eligibility to adult children up to age 26 regardless of student status or dependence upon the employee. Most people predicted that the rate of ineligible dependents would decrease after this provision took effect. Based upon a study my firm recently completed, comparing similar populations before and after the implementation of this provision, we can…

Here’s a recent roundup of industry accomplishments. Check to see if a colleague or agency is mentioned this week.

According to an online survey of 805 life insurance policyholders across the United States, the majority (70%) of them are confident their beneficiaries would know how to file a claim. In fact, most have taken proactive steps to help them prepare.

Half of America’s households (about 58 million) claim to be underinsured when it comes to life insurance, according to a new study from LIMRA. The study, “Trillion Dollar Baby Growing Up,” revealed as much as $17.5 trillion in untapped sales potential for the life insurance market.

The term “social media” was recently added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, reflecting the reality of its presence and power in both business and social settings. But there is a consumer-driven evolution underway in social media that is portending the end of an era, according to Brian Solis, an expert in new media and principle at Altimiter Group, a research advisory firm.

South Carolina does not want any more federal money to set up an insurance exchange, the state's health regulator said on Thursday, citing fears about the strings attached to the funds.

When I say Bernie Madoff, what do you say? Without more than a second, you might generate sinister synonyms such as “thief,” “crook,” “con-man,” or “man with no ethics.” The list could go on and on. And as we all know, the sad fact is that the damage Madoff inflicted was not just monetary. He also crushed the public’s opinion of the advisery community. Those of us in his wake have been given the task of…

Here's a recent roundup of industry accomplishments. Check to see if a colleague is mentioned this week.

Financial advisers and human resources managers looking for new and more effective ways to interact with their Baby Boomer employees should be inspired by a new report that finds social networking participation among this highly coveted group surged more than 60% in the past year.

In part two of a two-part blog series Robert Winslow, principal of Elm Street Partners, continues his blog about some of the opportunity that the new health care legislation has brought apart. Supplemental Coverages. PPACA accelerates a market change that has been evolving for some time, one that sees real business growth from supplemental coverages versus the base health plan. Supplemental products have come a long way in recent years, both by voluntary carriers and…