Employee benefits

Today, in a 6-3 decision written by Chief Justice Roberts, the Supreme Court ruled in King v. Burwell that subsidies used to purchase health insurance in the 36 states on the federally facilitated marketplace are legal, thus avoiding the “death spiral” so often referred to by Congress. What does this ruling mean for employers?

The time of “what-ifs” for employers ended Thursday as the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling upholding the challenge to state subsidies in King v. Burwell, and employers should maintain business as usual going forward, according to most industry observers.

A 6-3 decision in favor of the HHS secretary in King v. Burwell means tax credits can continue to be used to purchase health coverage in states using the federal exchange.

Employee recognition programs may not be doing enough to help employers overcome their retention and turnover challenges.

The funded status of local and state pension plans rose slightly from 72% in 2013 to 74% in 2014, in part driven by a rising stock market over the past five years.

An aging workforce, coupled with demands for the latest eyewear fashions, is putting pressure on employer-sponsored vision benefits.

Commentary: The term ‘fiduciary’ is often hard to define and can be interpreted in many ways, so it begs the question: How can plan sponsors best fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities in the context of a mandatory distribution program?

Commentary: In comes a generation that challenges the way we do things with how we could do things.

Commentary: The vast majority of employers are not prepared to meet — and some remain simply unaware of — the employer mandate’s complex reporting obligations.

Benefits decision-makers from Groupon, Radio Flyer, Lou Malnati’s and CareerBuilder share their biggest recruiting and retention issues and address whether benefits really matter.

The majority of investors still believe in the American dream but many workers do not have a written financial plan to help them achieve their retirement goals.

Commentary: Billions of dollars in federal subsidies are on the line in the Supreme Court’s highly anticipated King v. Burwell decision expected any day now. What does that mean for the benefits industry?

An “engagement chasm” is adding to the low adoption and participation rates employers face when developing their health and wellness programs, with even electronic or online tools doing little to keep employees motivated in health, fitness and dietary programs.

The average mutual fund investor typically underperforms the indexes each year by a wide margin. What can 401(k) plan participants (who comprise the majority of mutual fund investors) do to keep from sabotaging their annual returns?

No longer hiding on an intranet or mentioned in a one-off meeting, voluntary benefits are making a big impact on private exchanges, especially as high deductible plans increase and employees self-select into lower coverage.

While they have become a standard option in most employer-sponsored retirement programs, how much do participants really know about glide paths and real TDF performance?

With strategic federal-level assistance for retirement still lagging, states including Illinois, California and Oregon have stepped in with their own automatic IRA plans to boost employee savings.

Cigna Corp. rejected Anthem Inc.’s $47 billion takeover bid, saying it was inadequate and not in the best interests of shareholders.

The public has until July 21 to submit comments on the proposal that would expand the fiduciary standard to thousands of brokers and advisers who provide retirement investment advice.

In the eight states that have announced their 2016 proposed rates for purchasing coverage on the public health care exchanges, the average increase for a silver plan is 5.8%.