Practice management

Commentary: Blogger Andy Torelli says after the first ACA enrollment, we’re still years away from knowing the true efficacy of the law. What can advisers learn from this limbo period?

Why trusted advisers should be sharing this growing retirement income strategy with their clients.

Julie Jennings, vice president at Sylvia Group of Insurance Agencies in Darmouth, Mass., shares a day in her life.

When the public exchanges were first envisioned, some industry analysts thought most employers eventually would head for the exits on financing health benefits and simply steer their employees into the nascent online marketplace. That hasn’t happened, of course, and it’s far too early in the HIX rollout to expect any meaningful change to occur.

Commentary: Blogger Wendy Keneipp advises how to grow your business with services outside the scope of insurance you likely already have the skills for.

While no public exchange was without troubles during the first ACA open-enrollment period, one state in particular put unique efforts into its SHOP component and saw results.

As Covered California announces the rate at which agents enrolled consumers on the state-run public exchange, two different realities are emerging from agents throughout the most populous U.S. state.

Commentary: Blogger Sam Fleet reminds benefit advisers that religious institutions need benefits, too. Here are some special considerations to take into account:

While just over half of employers in a recent survey said it was very important for a private exchange to accept ERISA fiduciary responsibilities for the plans purchased on the exchange, the reality is employers cannot offload their fiduciary responsibility by moving to a private exchange, say legal experts.

Nearly half of newly insured Americans signed up for coverage off the ACA’s public marketplaces and benefit advisers have several theories as to why.

Brokers may be the best intermediary to communicate a matter of pediatric dental compliance to employers and medical carriers operating in numerous states as regulations shift.

Top down management support is a prerequisite for any change in the obsessive email behavior that’s damaging our collective well-being and impairing our ability to focus, writes Shani Magosky.

Commentary: Blogger John Graham says to doubt everything you do with marketing. Then, follow these tips to revamp the way you take care of clients.

Taking an entirely generic approach to health plan communications is no longer a winning strategy. Personalized communications that offer a holistic look at plan benefits will do more to engage participants.

Commentary: Advisers should know about options for employers to get help in the ever-changing regulatory environment.

Viewpoint: The advising business can be deeply personal when it comes to engagement with clients, says one industry communications professional. Here are some tips to strengthen those ties.

It’s no surprise Americans are tired. That’s why benefit advisers working with employers to build a wellness program should not ignore sleep solutions.

As employers begin to look at private exchanges as a means to provide health care benefits to their active employee population questions are being raised about potential conflicts of interest for consulting firms that also act as exchange purveyors.

Commentary: Clients with fewer than 50 employees face skyrocketing premium rates this year and next. Columnist Nelson Griswold has a solution.

As more large brokerages seem to be opening their own platforms, one company wants to provide a means for the smaller independent agent to have a branded, customized private exchange, too.