Practice management

Industry experts provide an overview of three new voluntary products — that employers might not know about yet — so benefit advisers and brokers can get a leg up before a competitor does.

Advisers looking to protect themselves and their clients from professional negligence or malpractice suits need to enter into an engagement letter, according to an ERISA attorney.

Although most employers review retirement plan costs annually, many are not assessing fees evenly across all asset classes — and that’s where benefit advisers come in.

Commentary: Blogger Rob Lieblein offers insight as to why private exchanges really are the future of benefits and where benefit brokers and advisers should be in the process of hopping on the exchange train.

Commentary: Why your clients should consider allowing work from home as a part of disability recovery for certain employees.

Advisers are key to crafting retirement plan communications and educational materials that their employer clients can use to increase plan participation.

Industry experts say that while unlikely, the historically stable product line may have the potential for price changes as its sales continue to rise.

Commentary: The Japanese have a business philosophy called the keiretsu. Find out how it could improve the way you operate.

CMS says benefit brokers and advisers are expected to be able to enroll their small business clients on the federal SHOP exchange online by sometime later this year.

Commentary: All benefit advisers want loyal employees who are committed, respectful and engaged workers who see projects through to the very end. How do you get them?

Benefit advisers are poised to close the gap between employers’ need to control health costs and comply with the health law and employees’ lack of interest in taking ownership of their health care choices.

Industry groups hope the broker licensing bill will be attached to another insurance law that should go through Congress soon, but lawmakers aren’t confirming anything right now.

Benefit insiders predict a steep decline in small business group health insurance sales in the coming years, which could prove harmful for many independent brokers and agents.

A Pennsylvania appellate court ruled recently that continued employment alone is not sufficient consideration for an employer’s non-competition agreement to be held enforceable under state law.

As the financial services industry recovers from the recession, HR leaders at companies such as BNY Mellon and Invesco are re-examining their talent management programs and putting a new emphasis on corporate culture.

Commentary: An additional option is available for certain consumers to continue to enroll in the ACA marketplaces, guest blogger Laura Kerekes explains.

Although there is presently no law against workplace bullying in the United States, a business with offices and employers abroad would do well to take note of the growth of legislation prohibiting this conduct and imposing liability abroad.

With lack of information and resources deterring most of the uninsured who did not enroll for coverage on the exchanges in 2014, advisers are poised to play a pivotal role in 2015.

“Poor money management” has become the number one reason for consumers to seek financial counseling, overtaking “reduced income” for the first time in five years.

Workplace stress is a worldwide issue, with new data indicating stressed-out employees are a contributing factor to the global rise in health care costs.