Voluntary Adviser of the Year: A hidden knack for the niche
Former law enforcement officer Joe Alfonsi leads his firm, TriBen Insurance Solutions, to triple-digit growth in worksite.
Practice and client management
Advise clients now on likely rising FSA amounts
Although it won’t be disclosed until fall, maximum contribution is expected to increase by $50 and employers should know the change is coming.
Benefits Think Is PEPM a cost-effective method for accessing telehealth?
Some options are better at reducing the expense of such services than others, say Universal Health Advisors John Mickner and Tim Cummings.
John Mickner
Universal Health Advisors
Benefits Think Restaurants likely to be hit hard by new DOL overtime rule
Advisers with this client base should take note of this ‘significant challenge’ as salary threshold for exempt employees grows.
Mark Seely
Lockton
Employers want a broker ‘competent in compliance’
An adviser needs to be fully aware of features of the ACA that can “help or hurt” a client, explains Alan Schulman, VP of The Meltzer Group.
Technology Adviser of the Year: One simple question makes all the difference
Sean Clem has a laser focus on client’s strategic goals so issues don’t become challenges.
‘The last industry to require fax machines,’ technology is finally changing benefits
A much better consumer experience and an end to fragmentation are coming, says Michael Lujan, co-founder of Limelight Health, who recommends interviewing vendors to become an extension of your agency.
Benefits Think How our ‘blame and shame’ culture is hurting your brokerage
In business, the mainstream is made up of people who have learned that avoiding the blow of taking responsibility is the best way to ensure they succeed.
Fleet Maull
Fleet Maull
The untapped opportunity in voluntary benefits
Employers must deliver on a critical employee need with the right communication on these products.
Benefits Think 5 ways employers can regain control of the hiring process
As positions take longer to fill, HR execs can attract better candidates through clearer job descriptions.
Jackie Breslin
TriNet
11 top voluntary benefit carriers
Brokers share their go-to supplemental sales partners, including Aflac and Unum, in EBA’s annual VB survey.
By
Phil Albinus
Nonqualified benefits a ticket to the C-suite?
Focusing on these retirement plan options can provide an opportunity to engage executives in strategic planning with less compliance burdens.
Benefits Think Who are the most stressed workers in the American workforce?
There is a common thread that runs among the most overburdened employees and must be addressed, says adviser Mark Singer.
Mark Singer
The Financial Literacy Toolbox
All benefits are voluntary benefits
A shift in employees’ perception of these products can make a dramatic difference in the sales process, says columnist Nelson Griswold.
How machine learning can impact employee retention, reduce overhead costs
Small businesses lack the funds for extravagant benefits and large HR departments, but technology can help.
Benefits Think What to do today to dramatically expand centers of influence
Reach out to your clients’ other trusted advisers to multiply your list of prospective clients, says columnist Jack Kwicien.
Jack Kwicien
Daymark Advisors
How to make big data more manageable
There are three key areas advisers should focus on when working with client data, says Andrew Kimmel.
7 reasons employers are hesitant to adopt private exchanges
Factors such as a desire to maintain control and cost concerns have PBEs slow to gain traction, according to the Pacific Business Group on Health.
Benefits Think Taking critical illness conversations beyond cancer coverage
It’s a common misunderstanding that CI only covers this disease, says The Standard’s Danielle Lehman, but the products have evolved.
Danielle Lehman
Standard Insurance Company
How to help clients with 2016 tax reporting requirements
Due to changing regulations, employers are looking to their adviser for assistance, says Kim Buckey, DirectPath’s VP of compliance communications.
