Employee benefits

Despite some progress in making employees smarter consumers of health care, pockets of resistance remain, sometimes in surprising places.

Many 401(k) plan participants are convinced that active management no longer works. But is a passive-only strategy appropriate?

As private exchange technology providers are acquired, some brokers question what happens downstream to firms they partnered with. Along with the acquisitions, some brokers are not yet seeing a return on investment from their exchange, so what are their long-term plans?

After four days of public hearings, in which dozens of participants weighed in, the Labor Department is one step closer to implementing a new fiduciary standard, the scope of which heartens supporters and troubles critics.

Anticipated payrolls are expected to remain flat in the coming year, though the use of variable pay schemes based on employee performance may rise as competition for talent increases.

Retirement plan sponsors have tried to make it easy for employees to participate in their plans and save enough for retirement and their efforts appear to be paying off.

Employers have some decisions to make regarding coverage for spouses and domestic partners following the Obergefell ruling. If there are any modifications to a policy, it’s crucial they’re reflected in the plan document and that employees and TPAs are informed about such changes.

Public exchange plan participants spent less money on medications in the first quarter of 2015 than the first quarter of 2014 amid changes in the demographic mix of enrollees, according to newly released data from Express Scripts Holding Company.

Large employers are playing a waiting game in the coming year on health care cost saving strategies as many wait and see how Washington politics play out.

Student loan debt affects employees of all ages, not just new grads.

The DOL’s proposed fiduciary rule would likely push some commission-based brokers out of the retirement market altogether, NAIFA’s JuIi McNeely testified during the second day of DOL hearings on the proposed rule.

While it’s widely assumed that defined benefit plans provide better retirement benefits than defined contribution plans that might not always the case.

Commentary: How do we help employees get to the point they can feel they can retire, asks columnist John Ludwig.

As the Department of Labor hears from the retirement plan services industry this week during hearings into its proposed fiduciary rule, new research reveals many 401(k) plan sponsors are eyeing formal reviews of their plans.

Complete, ongoing coverage on the Labor Department's hearings on its proposal to impose fiduciary requirements on retirement advisors from SoureMedia's Financial Planning, On Wall Street, Employee Benefit Advisor and Employee Benefit News.

Of the many industry critiques of the Department of Labor's fiduciary proposal, one of the most oft-repeated is the assertion that new regulations would cut off access to advice for low- and middle income investors — precisely the segment of consumers the initiative aims to protect.

Commentary: With employees fighting back and winning against high fees and a new fiduciary standard on the way, we’re on the cusp of some radical changes to the corporate retirement landscape.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has awarded consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton a $202 million contract to be the marketplace system integrator, or general contractor, which includes the federally-facilitated health insurance marketplace, parts of the state-run marketplaces and more.

The Plan Sponsor Council of America outlines its concerns over the DOL’s proposal to impose fiduciary requirements on retirement advisers.

Despite potential savings offered, voluntary programs that provide discounts on products, services and tickets to employees are rarely used and seeing almost no growth year-over-year.