Practice management

Leslie Straus leads a fast-growing division of The Benefit Companies that focuses solely on helping clients and fellow advisers tackle the problem of tracking, monitoring and analyzing employee data.

Marketing has changed and benefit advisers must learn the new rules, says Q4intelligence’s Wendy Keneipp.

It’s in a broker’s best interest to align their performance with employer expectations, says John Graham.

This move sends a signal to advisers that things are no longer business as usual, says Joe Markland.

Whether just starting out, or expanding an existing marketing plan, Amy Evans says social media can be an engaging way to promote your agency.

Despite the chance to impact daily decision making on critical healthcare, employee benefit and broker industry issues, many politically active advisers agree they are among just 10% of brokers who are involved in local and national politics. EBA presents leading brokers in each region of the country who are actively working to change the industry.

Between our Advisers of the Year, Rising Stars in Advising and Most Influential Women in Benefit Advising, EBA highlighted five dozen individuals in 2015 who are bringing meaningful advancements to the field of benefit advising and elevating expectations of what it means to be an exceptional broker.

The Affordable Care Act, new ways to fill the sales pipeline and Zenefits dominated EBA’s BeAdvised blog commentary this year. The top 10 most-read blogs of 2015 detail the growing number of ACA regulations and reporting requirements, explain why advisers don’t accurately understand the threat behind a tech-focused brokerage and highlight simple-yet-effective ways producers can increase existing client revenue and get prospects to open the door.

Seeking an alternative to the DOL's controversial proposed fiduciary rule, some members of Congress are drafting their own proposal that would establish rules for advisers working with savers and plans without the regulatory burdens and litigation risks that critics see in the DOL's plan.

Healthcare coverage is a significant piece of your employees’ overall financial package. If your plan doesn’t appropriately meet their needs, it can be a source of stress for them throughout the year.

Commentary: What we can do to support them, make them feel more welcome in our company culture and help strengthen our own company in the process.

EBA Advisers of the Year, as well as other industry insiders, share their insight on some of the major issues employee benefit brokers face. Take a look as these experts reflect on everything from the Cadillac tax to benefits technology to voluntary products.

The work ahead can seem daunting for those running a private exchange. Nonetheless, they have big visions for the future that come with a fair amount of patience as the employer-sponsored benefit system adjusts.

Bring many of the industry’ leading minds together with brokers and advisers from across the country who are eager to learn and share insights on the latest market trends and best practices, and you’ve got some of the year’s most thought-provoking conversations. For those who missed out, here are the highlights from EBA’s 2015 conferences.

Internship and mentoring programs are popular among some of the nation’s top advisory firms, but they also know it takes more than a cursory relationship with universities to recruit and retain talented producers. See how brokerages such as Arthur J. Gallagher, Lockton, Willis and USI Insurance Services are securing the loyalty of the nation’s up-and-coming elite advisers.

Commentary: Be on the lookout for NextAgency, an enrollment and administration firm with benefit adviser interests in mind.

Commentary: To avoid turning employers off, focus on the “1%,” the essence of the client’s message, says John Graham.

During annual open enrollment, the focus of most people’s attention is squarely on health insurance coverage, and yet the season is an ideal time to consider other benefit elections, too.

ACA reporting becomes mandatory in 2016. Preparing employers to be compliant with reporting requirements is a core service that advisers should be offering, industry experts say.

Commentary: Rookie adviser Brian Murphy makes the connection between carriers’ package proposals and the opportunity to market multiple lines of coverage to the client.