Practice management

A top Republican reached an agreement yesterday with Democrats on changes to a high-skilled visa program for immigrants seeking work in the U.S. This marks one impediment out of the way for the immigration legislation.

A panel discussion held last week by the Independent Women’s Forum in Washington was divided on Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In. “I agreed that Sandberg is out of touch in thinking that all women want to be Sandberg,” said one panelist.

Jeffrey Endick, principal at Slevin & Hart, P.C., warned employers at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans on Tuesday in Washington about how they should prepare for exchanges as an alternative to the current system.

MetLife Inc. said it would combine an offshore reinsurer with three U.S. life units after regulators began an investigation into the use of intra-company liability transfers, saying such arrangements could mask risk.

A new survey shows the number of employees who check email on weekends, after 11 p.m., on vacation and more.

The U.S. health care law’s projected tax bite on businesses with more generous health benefits is dropping as medical spending slows and employers look to rein in the cost of coverage.

A head Labor Department official said Monday that the department cannot provide as much clarity or answer questions about the Affordable Care Act as people are seeking due to elements of the law.

A number of misconceptions have prevented these entrepreneurs from doing a better job preparing for retirement.

Forty-one percent of those surveyed said they have held off on hiring new employees as a result of the ACA. “One of the most concerning unintended consequences of the Affordable Care Act is that we see employers looking to stay under the 50-employee threshold, if at all possible,” says one expert.

Being present and competent is the order of the day once the ACA becomes a reality, says blogger and UBA CEO Thom Mangan. Brokers need to act as a conduit, or contract with a conduit, to help employees navigate through. A lot of these issues fall on the shoulders of the human resources department, but a broker or adviser needs to offer comprehensive care.

A real opportunity for advisers lies in the ambitions of Gen X and Gen Y Americans, who aren’t planning on postponing retirement — yet.

Too often brokers are pulled in different directions with just too much to do, too many people to do it for, and too little time. In too many situations, we are not able to treat all personal issues or business issues with the time and dedication they deserve, says blogger Sam Fleet. So how to overcome that burden?

While the financial advisory industry is growing rapidly, it's shutting out women, according to a new study.

Countless pieces of legislation are introduced in Washington each year and nothing is done with them. As NAHU pushes for a hearing on the MLR bill in the Senate, what are its chances?

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. climbed in New York trading yesterday after profit beat estimates and the insurer’s margins widened.

Big “I” and ACORD technology workgroups come together to push forward ID federation, real time, e-signatures and self-service capabilities

At the 10th World Health Care Congress held just outside Washington, D.C., in April, Mark Fogel, head of HR for New York-based accounting firm Marcum Group, said his organization is still "grappling" with what to do about the Affordable Care Act and the new world for employers.

Want proof that advisers need to be engaged in social media? In a recent report the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission clarified that its Regulation FD rules permit companies to use social media outlets to make significant corporate announcements, provided that those sites are generally accessible to the public and that investors have been notified about which social channels a firm intends to use.

EBA editor Elizabeth Galentine on how Employee Benefit Adviser helps celebrate the individual adviser.

A day in the life of Heather Gerths, employee benefit agent at McCune and Reed in Ottumwa, Iowa.