Practice management

How will the ACA and associated changes in the employee benefit market impact the role of the broker? A recent LIMRA survey of small businesses reveals areas where brokers need to step up to the plate.

AOL Inc. blamed President Barack Obama’s health care law for its plan to reduce spending on contributions to employees’ 401(k) retirement plans.

Commentary: Everyone has them — and loves them. Customers who never complain, who keep coming back, who pay promptly and who appear satisfied. But beware of passive customer loyalty, says sales pro John Graham.

Commentary: So you want to expand your centers of influence, but you’re not sure where to start? Daymark Advisors’ Jack Kwicien shares a simple idea that works. And best of all, it is easy to implement.

Humana Inc. said it has received 202,000 applications for health insurance through the Obamacare exchanges and reaffirmed its 2014 forecast citing better-than-expected Medicare membership growth.

Commentary: The other shoe dropped on Tuesday and columnist Craig Davidson isn't shocked.

Obamacare will reduce the total number of hours Americans work by the equivalent of 2 million full-time jobs in 2017, mostly among low-wage earners, the Congressional Budget Office said.

Set in Atlantic City, the 2014 Workplace Benefits Renaissance, held Feb. 24-26 at the Trump Taj Mahal, features a can’t-miss presentation from the head of the Employers Association on New Jersey breaking down the impact of the ACA on employers.

This group wants to be mentored, amongst other things, according to a speaker at TD Ameritrade Institutional’s national conference in Orlando.

There are three big issues that agency owners think they can’t or shouldn’t do. Columnist Wendy Keneipp shares how to break them down.

Are you, or do you know, a top-notch benefits adviser under 35? Nominate your Rising Star today for possible inclusion in EBA's upcoming magazine.

A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Thursday shows Americans’ bad perception of the ACA is near an all-time high. Meanwhile, brokers’ negativity about their ability to do their jobs on the exchanges has subsided.

While President Obama mentioned taxes a number of times in his State of the Union speech last night, the details were scant.

While President Obama mentioned taxes a number of times in his State of the Union speech last night, the details were scant.

The president also touched briefly on the Affordable Care Act, challenging Republicans to let Americans know what their “specific plans [are] to cut costs, cover more people, and increase choice.”

EBA recently introduced a concept several brokers across the country are embracing — the retail storefront. But one broker doesn’t just want to attract individual clients to walk-in, he plans to use the space to enhance offerings for his group client employees, too.

Republican U.S. senators opposed to Obamacare said the best alternative would be a narrower system of tax credits for Americans to buy health insurance without any of the mandates for people or companies to participate.

The Workplace Benefits Renaissance conference will be held Feb. 24-26 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J.

Through strategic partnerships, small brokerages can compete on a national level.

The legislation meant to cut through the red tape of state-by-state insurance broker licensing is stalled in the Senate as a standalone bill, but has been attached to another bill up for vote soon.