Practice management

TW shareholders sued Towers Watson over the original merger — now stockholders of both companies have a new agreement to consider.

Zenefits is back in the spotlight with news of slower than expected revenue growth. The company also this week announced it will offer a free payroll option. The announcement follows a months-long public dispute with payroll giant ADP.

Brokers have been largely an afterthought on the public health care exchanges, industry insiders say, and one company says it is trying to change that at no cost to the broker.

Commentary: More than empty theories, columnist Nelson Griswold shares business-building and growth strategies that work.

Deficits rose for both single-employer and multiemployer programs, a new report finds. Yet, the pension community is hopeful the new PBGC director will create a better future.

Don't miss today's top 5 stories on EBA. Click here for the most read articles of the day.

NAIFA has launched a new initiative aimed at reinventing its role as an advocate for advisers. Its five-year strategic plan, dubbed NAIFA 20/20, aims to make the association a more effective resource for an increasingly diverse membership facing some challenging regulatory burdens.

Commentary: If you listen to your clients — and I mean really listen to what they’re saying and not saying — you’ll know exactly what they need and what they’re willing to spend money on, says columnist Wendy Keneipp.

Commentary: Add these talking points to your next plan review to ensure the year gets off to a good start, says adviser Michael Clark.

New business for validated employee benefit producers decreased over the past three years. Organic growth for independent brokers has also slowed. However, mergers are on a record-setting pace.

It all starts with a business plan and honest answers to some tough questions about the state of your company, says columnist Jack Kwicien.

Employee education is critical to health care cost management, says United Benefit Advisors’ Les McPhearson, who addresses rising plan costs in the company’s annual health plan survey.

Implementing top-tier plans poses unique obstacles for advisers and their employer clients.

Commentary: Without building a better plan, continued participation will wane and the program as a whole will fall short of employer health initiatives, says adviser Tim Olson, who shares five steps that will lead employer clients to an improved plan.

Don't miss today's top stories on EBA. Click here for the most read articles of the day.

Digital Insurance announces investment in tech company GoCo it hopes will transform not only the way the firm does business with small and mid-size employers, but will also raise client expectations of the benefit industry as a whole.

Commentary: Advisers focused on life insurance and financial planning are missing an opportunity to stand out by introducing DI into the discussion.

Commentary: Executives are starting to acknowledge that engagement alone won’t drive long-term results.

In an exclusive interview, EBA’s 2015 Adviser of the Year Tim Olson describes “the single biggest thing” advisers should avoid if they want to grow their business. Also, Olson, managing partner at The Olson Group, shares how advisers can make money on licensing fees with little outward spend.

A new company founded by two former Munich Re Stop Loss executives is selling stop-loss insurance directly to self-insured employers, aiming to eliminate brokers from the equation altogether.