Employee benefits

Lawmakers and industry authorities discuss at the National Retirement Planning Week conference some of the initiatives employers could implement to help workers with retirement readiness.

Nearly half of large companies offer some type of program, yet just over one-third of workers say they have access to one, highlighting a disconnect between available benefits and employees’ understanding of them.

It’s important to educate employers and workers about available HSAs, HRAs and FSAs so that employees can get the most out of them.

As defined in the new rule, investment advice includes recommendations to an employee benefit plan, plan fiduciary, participant or beneficiary, or an IRA, HSA, or education savings account owner.

Primary care provider-based wellness tests work well for remote employees, but ones conducted at the workplace are better for an employer’s bottom line, according to an analysis of medical claims data conducted by HealthFitness.

The top companies, revealed in descending order, based on Form 5500 Schedule A reporting data from analytics firm miEdge.

Big data will lead to better informed plan recommendation engines, resulting in more educated benefits decision-making and a better user experience for employees, says Businessolver's Jon Shanahan.

Helping clients understand the pension and benefit plans of seller organizations is an important part of any acquisition.

As fiduciary awareness grows, collective investment trusts, which often have lower fees than mutual funds, are poised for growth.

Benefits issues can lead to diminished productivity, finds new research, as workers spend an average of three and a half hours a month dealing with healthcare issues at work.

Determining what is actually ‘in the best interest’ of a client is a gray area that may mean a greater risk of litigation for advisers and higher fees for small investors.

A common problem with well-being offerings is that they are often tailored to the needs of the company, not the employee.

The tech industry seems to be leading the way among industries offering robust family leave—something most Americans don't have access to—and it may be thanks to a counterintuitive factor: The industry's notable lack of women.

Big data will lead to better informed plan recommendation engines, resulting in more educated benefits decision-making and a better user experience for employees, says Businessolver's Jon Shanahan.

Telecommuting is a fast-growing trend, but clients may need help from advisers to properly oversee at-home employees and their benefit needs.

Many older workers in this generation simply aren't savings enough; auto-enrollment retirement programs are listed among the potential solutions.

Group health plan costs are expected to rise modestly this year and plan sponsors anticipate a growth in strategies such as telemedicine and high-performance provider networks.

Programs that teach employees to be in the moment can foster a better operational environment and increase productivity.

As defined in the new rule, investment advice includes providing investment or investment management recommendations to an employee benefit plan, plan fiduciary, participant or beneficiary, or an IRA, health savings account, or education savings account owner.

Benefits communications have the power to take employees from skeptics to active program participants.