Practice management

Less than five months before the Affordable Care Act fully kicks in, hospitals are improving care and saving millions of dollars with one of the least touted but potentially most effective provisions of the law.

Prudential Financial Inc., the second-largest U.S. life insurer, authorized the repurchase of $1 billion in shares through the end of June 2014.

More 401(k) retirement plan participants are turning their portfolio construction over to a professional, according to Vanguard’s annual 401(k) report.

The three-legged stool of social security, pension and personal savings is going to be a thing of the past for most of today’s workforce.

Many people have a horrible memory of their first time speaking in public. Dry throat, nerves, the works. But there are ways to improve.

A new study confirms that a majority of large and mid-size U.S. employers are planning to change provider payment models to become more cost effective.

The establishment of a national clearing house for brokers to cut through the red tape of state-by-state licensing is one step closer to reality.

In the past three months, employers have added an average of 155,000 jobs, down from the November-to-February average of 237,000 jobs a month. In May, manufacturers shed 8,000 jobs and the federal government cut 14,000.

Historically, voluntary benefits have been dismissed by busy agents as more trouble than they are worth, but with the Affordable Care Act moving closer to full implementation, agents looking to keep existing clients and gain new business should give them a closer look. Still not convinced? Following are five reasons for incorporating voluntary benefits into client proposals: …

When choosing an employer, about 87% of prospective employees favor a company that has a wellness program in place, finds Virgin HealthMiles. But with the return on investment of such programs in question, will they continue to gain favor with employers as well?

Prudential Financial Inc. and MetLife Inc. are moving onto Aflac Inc.’s turf selling protection against diseases and accidents as the largest insurers seek to add business tied to the Affordable Care Act and win valuations like their smaller rival.

What agencies will last in this new age of business? As vice president of business development for United Benefit Advisors, an organization of more than 140 independent benefit firms that is looking to add to its ranks, Matt Kistler has traveled the country and learned what makes a brokerage successful, and which ones will be around many years from now. Kistler shares some of his predictions on which firms will be widely successful in the future:

In 2012, nearly half (45%) of voluntary benefit premium came from rollover business, Transamerica Employee Benefits' Jeff Caldwell pointed out at a recent broker conference. The exploding growth of this market is due to many factors, such as an increase in the number of supplemental products available, the growing number of carriers offering voluntary benefits, and producers wanting to sell them, newer plan designs and revenue generation efforts, Caldwell, Transamerica's marketing director, explained.

There are many things in life that are out of our control. We can complain, muse, become paralyzed - or we can choose to find and capitalize on the opportunity. What comes to mind is the Affordable Care Act and the concern, worry and anxiety that it has created for many.

At my company, VEBA, the most important information that clients want to know about is enrollment data. Who's participating? Are they young? Are they old? What's their average income? What's the male/female participation ratio? What products are they purchasing?

There is a movement afoot to put state governments in the business of offering retirement plans to private citizens, which would ultimately eliminate opportunities and siphon business away from financial professionals. Lawmakers in several states have proposed that states create government-run plans for private sector workers. While the details differ from state to state, every proposal this year would require employers who do not currently offer a plan to adopt a state-run plan, either in…

Businesses in the U.S. won more freedom to charge higher insurance premiums to workers who don’t meet health goals, or reward those who shape up, under rules released by the Obama administration.

With the ongoing shift in the business spurred by health reform, change itself is not enough to survive, said the head of a networking organization for independent benefit brokerages and consulting firms Wednesday in New Orleans.

American International Group Inc. and MetLife Inc. are among insurers asked by a New York regulator to show how they protect against computer attacks.

Three reasons why all benefit consultants need to get into the retirement business by The Guardian’s Stephen Davis.