Voluntary benefits

Offering minimum essential coverage plans not only helps employers stay compliant with the ACA, it can also provide solid compensation for brokers and can lead to gap coverage sales.

Employers more than ever are seeking innovative solutions for health care cost containment from their benefit advisers, and one industry expert says emerging strategies to help brokers thrive in the coming decade should include voluntary benefit sales and plan integration.

Despite thousands of dollars spent on marketing, one key item is missing for critical illness insurance sales. What is it and how can four simple questions help improve sales?

Workers value personalized benefits information yet few employers have implemented a tailored communications approach.

Commentary: Benefit professionals should take advantage of new technology and services to protect employees and help them resolve ID theft situations, says VEBA’s Tinker Kelly.

Sun Life Financial’s acquisition of the employee benefits unit of Assurant is just the latest move in the insurer’s growth strategy for the U.S. market.

Sun Life Financial Inc., Canada’s third-largest life insurer, has agreed to buy the employee-benefits business of Assurant Inc. to further expand its presence in the U.S.

Many individuals think coverage is too expensive or unnecessary in certain stages of life — that’s why advisers need to emphasize the true cost of a policy and help clients think about their future when discussing life insurance.

Commentary: There is a new normal when it comes to underwriting offers in the employer-sponsored or group LTCI marketplace.

New evidence is confirming how important workplace flexibility and family-friendly benefits are for recruiting and retention in today’s business environment.

The employee purchase program vendor enters the financial wellness space with a new service.

Commentary: EBA columnist Nelson Griswold says benefits RFPs are universally awful and HR should abandon them. Advisers, he says, should also be wary of them.

A successful employee benefit program has to be in harmony with the culture of the organization.

Trying to institute a wellness initiative in a poor corporate culture is like making dinner with rotten ingredients.

Despite potential savings offered, voluntary programs that provide discounts on products, services and tickets to employees are rarely used and seeing almost no growth year-over-year.

Netflix's newest offering to new mothers and fathers is probably the most generous parental leave policy in the U.S.

Advisers are needed now more than ever to help individuals reach their retirement goals as employees assume the responsibility of managing their financial future.

Advisers who provide a variety of distribution methods, year-round support and targeted messages help employees better understand their benefits, which leads to increased participation.

Offering benefits and health programs is one thing, but ensuring your employees are using the right benefits at the right time is another.

Focusing on the end result of what voluntary benefits can do for an employer makes the proposition of introducing the products a no-brainer, says Willis’ Mike Meredith.