Equity incentive programs need closer look
Simply through their sheer numbers, the baby boomers have managed to change the rules about how many industries do business and the retirement industry is no different.
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9 types of clients to cut loose in 2016
No one wants another year full of Client A cursing at them throughout every meeting or Client B always asking for more, more, more and then complaining once they get the bill. These are the clients, say Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey, authors of The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways to Engage and Empower Your People, who starve a business of the energy it needs to grow and prosper. Its time to do some winter pruning, they say, and cut off those bad branches.
MetLife to break itself up
Insurer says it's going to separate a 'substantial portion' of its U.S. retail segment, but will retain its Group, Voluntary and Worksite Benefits segment, among other units.
IRI to focus on fiduciary rule, 401(k) enrollment
As the employers and others in the retirement plan industry prepare for President Barack Obamas State of the Union address, the Insured Retirement Institute releases its own agenda for 2016.
Benefits Think 5 strategies to reinvigorate your wellness program
Commentary: Generalizing about wellness program results isnt very illuminating. Outcomes vary widely depending on the context in which they are being implemented. Its also critical to understand exactly what and how programs are actually being measured.
Seth Serxner
Optum
Retirement readiness metrics key to 401(k) plan success
Elaine A. Sarsynski, executive vice president of MassMutual Retirement Services and Worksite Insurance, discusses the evolution of DC plans and the importance of using the right metrics to measure employees retirement readiness.
Wellness ROI comes under fire
With increasing attention being given to the difficulty of measuring wellness program ROI, do wellness benefits get held to a higher standard than other types of benefits?
Can Congress fix insurance-related issues?
Fueled by a story about waivers that could all but eliminate ACA coverage requirements for states and a blog stating what preceded the health reform law was worse, EBA readers debate the pros and cons of the Affordable Care Act.
Benefits Think Federal court OKs health screenings for insurance
Commentary: With final ADA and GINA wellness program regulations expected this year from the EEOC, 2016 looks to be an important year for regulation of these programs.
Will 2016 be the year of financial well-being?
Financial stress is taking a toll on employees. As a new year starts, many workers are evaluating how to best secure their financial future providing an opportunity for employers to step up to the plate.
Benefits Think A playbook for combating obesity in the workforce
Commentary: When it comes to managing health across the workforce, obesity is not typically addressed with the same intention and methodology applied to other major risks and diseases.
Top 10 health insurance search terms
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines health literacy as the degree to which one has the ability to obtain, communicate, process and understand basic health information and services in order to make appropriate health decisions. Here are the most frequently searched terms on UnitedHealth Groups Plain Clear English-Spanish Glossary employers may want to review with employees this year.
Microsoft boosts employer match in its 401(k) plan
Microsoft is changing the employer-match formula in its 401(k) plan this month, a decision that was based largely on a desire to equalize its healthcare and retirement benefits, says Sonja Kellen, director of global retirement benefits for the company.
Funded status of DB plans showed little change in 2015
Defined benefit plan sponsors continued to de-risk their plans in 2015 with lump-sum payouts and group annuity purchases. It was the second most active recent year for annuity purchases, finds new research from consulting firm Willis Towers Watson.
PBE Index Sees Modest Rise
The Private Benefit Exchange Index inched up, showing an increase for the seventh straight month.
Benefits Think Health literacy: The ABCs and 123s of better health
Commentary: Ones ability to select an appropriate health plan is paramount to meeting their specific needs, yet four in 10 uninsured people do not know basic health insurance terms.
Exit interview: EBRIs Dallas Salisbury
A Q&A with Dallas Salisbury, who recently retired from his position with the Employee Benefits Research Institute, an organization he was instrumental in helping get off the ground in 1978.
401(k) plan costs trending downward
Mutual fund fees in 401(k) plans tended to fall between 2009 and 2013, finds new research from BrightScope and the Investment Company Institute. Consistent with other research, the study also found that fund expenses are typically lower in larger plans.
Easy enrollment, variety of products key ingredients in voluntary benefit programs
For VWR Corporation, a successful voluntary benefits strategy hinged on the right combination of products and a good communications plan.
401(k) plan participants have good understanding of how TDFs work
Plan sponsors are doing a better job of educating 401(k) plan participants about target-date funds, says Vanguards John Croke, but theres still more to do moving forward.