Voluntary benefits

Benefit advisers are poised to close the gap between employers’ need to control health costs and comply with the health law and employees’ lack of interest in taking ownership of their health care choices.

Workers who travel out of their state or country of hire to perform work on behalf of their employers create liability exposures, due to complex laws, administrative rules and regulations that deal with workplace injuries and diseases across the U.S. and abroad.

With interest rates near record lows, employers are increasingly seeking new retirement investment options for their employee participants. Advisers should be prepared to discuss absolute return assets, industry experts say.

Commentary: There are some misconceptions about a particular rising-star voluntary product and blogger Sam Fleet breaks them down.

The life insurance and annuities market continues to grow, but advisers hoping to capitalize on that will first need to meet the challenges of a diversifying U.S. population.

While small-business employers are just as keen on providing the same benefits as their big-business counterparts, a recent study says employers can look at offering competitive voluntary benefits as a way to entice employees and boost employee retention.

Supplemental benefit SurgeryPlus is a new product offering for advisers, especially those who work with self-funded clients.

One recent court case suggests your employer clients should consider including disclaimers in benefit notices to protect against changes in retirement plan payouts.

A handful of letters from trade groups and the Chamber of Commerce reject as “premature and imprudent” the DOL’s proposal to require retirement plan service providers supply guides to fee disclosures.

The do-it-yourself approach may be all the rage for home renovations but when it comes to benefits, employees still need guidance from their employers.

Offering dental coverage and encouraging employees to stick to yearly care regimens can boost employee well-being and overall productivity.

Commentary: Blogger Michael Klachefsky shares ways that disability insurance providers and absence management vendors can help with some unexpected consequences of the health law.

While many in the industry think voluntary sales is a no-brainer for benefit advisers and employees alike, there's one type of product that hasn't seen a boost thanks to the ACA.

Once viewed as a nice-to-have benefit, some say voluntary benefits should now be advertised and heavily promoted to millennial-age employees as an important component in their overall portfolio of benefits.

Commentary: How brokers can select the right decision support tool to enhance voluntary sales, according to guest blogger Steve Adams.

Why trusted advisers should be sharing this growing retirement income strategy with their clients.

Employees are craving voluntary benefits to offset high deductible plans, yet many say they haven’t been offered any new options since the ACA became law.

The Affordable Care Act’s ongoing rollout continues to plague employers as many look for alternative benefit structures to help with rising costs. The defined contribution benefit model – touted as a way to lower costs for employers and increase choice for employees – is generating lots of discussion but are employers ready to take the plunge?

Identity theft and data security is a concern of every shopper whether they shop online or at brick-and-mortar stores. But as the more profound breaches at Target and other retail giants have gained hold on consumer minds, voluntary benefit offerings have surfaced on private insurance exchanges to help combat this growing digital dilemma.

It’s no surprise Americans are tired. That’s why benefit advisers working with employers to build a wellness program should not ignore sleep solutions.