Practice management

In another blow to the health law’s federal subsidies this week, the GAO says fake application information successfully yielded subsidy payouts in an undercover investigation. One broker says if consumers are able to obtain subsidies in circumstances where they shouldn’t, they’re not going to trust brokers who tell them the truth.

Employees are increasingly dissatisfied with their benefits, and therefore dissatisfied with their employers, but new research shows better benefits education can help.

Commentary: Blogger Sam Fleet says that in addition to offering new services to current clients to expand your business, brokers can prospect through new mediums and social networking platforms.

As some brokers continue to wait for their payments, it seems no one carrier is better or worse at this issue across the U.S. What is clear is that advisers who previously worked in group need to learn a new system to track and monitor commissions.

While there’s a great deal of industry hype about the rise in voluntary sales, some experts say that benefit brokers and advisers are still hesitant to sell it. Here’s a way in that one expert views as “a way to free up money” for voluntary.

Please nominate an outstanding female colleague — or yourself — for EBA’s Influential Women in Benefit Advising honor roll, new this year!

Benefit advisers and their employer clients are in a unique position to help the newest members of the workforce overcome investment fears and prepare for retirement.

Employees across the country can expect to see an average increase of 3% in base salaries in the coming year, and some experts are advising employers to remember that if budgets are tight, there are other means to keep employees happy.

Commentary: Columnist Jerry Kalish discusses the ins and outs of cafeteria plans, which may be seeing a rise in interest due to the ACA.

Founded by his father on the principle of specialty servicing in 1956, Mike Lewer’s business model is set to distinguish his brokerage team with post-ACA success for years to come.

With health care costs continuing to rise, it’s no surprise to benefit advisers that their employer clients continue to seek benefit solutions that shift some of the cost burden to their employees — and new data reveals that trend shows no signs of stopping.

The bill that would establish a federal clearinghouse for state-by-state broker and agent licensing has successfully passed the U.S. Senate as an amendment to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, known as TRIA. It was previously left off another insurance industry bill at this point in the process.

A proposal up for vote in the most populous state would give the insurance commissioner veto power over health insurance rates, among other things, and has brokers fearful of the trend spreading to other states.

Road to Workplace Benefits Mania: Ahead of the July conference, speaker Harry Gottlieb discusses the need for stronger benefits communication including the problems that arise when it’s not present, and how to fix this crucial element for the benefit of your clients’ employees.

With voluntary benefit sales on the rise, experts in the field discuss the broker mindset on a range of products and the carriers that offer them.

Your sales tactics need to change depending on the economic outlook of the times. Columnist Jack Kwicien outlines these sales tips so that you can be optimally adaptive, flexible and prepared for any challenge that comes your way.

The bipartisan effort to jumpstart federal job training efforts is expected to benefit private employers thirsty for more input into how their future workforces are trained and educated.

Road to Workplace Benefits Mania: Ahead of the July conference, speaker Mark Mikelat provides tips for improving your branding as a broker.

The status of payments to brokers for their work signing up consumers across the nation varies from state to state and broker to broker, with some missing nearly 50% of commissions and others reporting no problems whatsoever.

Commentary: The importance of the online marketing strategy cannot be overstated, says columnist Mel Schlesinger. Whether you realize it or not, he says, your prospects are going online and learning what they can about you before they ever actually meet with you.