Employee Benefit Adviser articles from April 2005

Employee Benefit Adviser archives from April 2005

Adapting to technology - or not.(Technology Application)
April 1, 2005... One of the most prevalent conversation topics among brokers over the last couple of years has been the advent of technology as a way to enhance research, facilitate enrollment, cut costs for both client and adviser and generally improve the...

Roth 401(k)s could spell flexibility for employees but bad news for employers.
April 1, 2005... Most people are familiar with 401(k)s and Roth IRAs. But chances are that many clients haven't heard of the Roth 401(k), a provision in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 that takes effect on Jan. 1, 2006. ...

Managed accounts help focus financial education.
April 1, 2005... Managed accounts are taking off in the same trajectory as employers' frustration with the seemingly endless jet trail stream of money poured into financial education. Managed accounts, under which plan participants relinquish control of...

Credit unions prepare move into group insurance.
April 1, 2005... Credit unions always have played a significant role in the financial health of many employees. Now, though, they have shown newfound interest in making voluntary benefits available, and even are entertaining the idea of marketing group...

Brokers, advisers try to get a grip on new deferred comp rules.
April 1, 2005... Treasury Department rules implementing the 2004 American Jobs Creation Act should lead many employers to rewrite their entire compensation packages and renegotiate with their executives, while others should reconfigure existing plans and bring...

Extreme Technology Makeover.(Customer Relationship Management)(Nettles Consulting Inc)
April 1, 2005... Technology - whether it be workflow applications, customer relationship management programs or enrollment tools - is practically a given in today's benefits world, now that software packages are finally making good on their promises of greater...

Gardening in small spaces: Producers are finding a variety of ways to grow small employer market opportunities.
April 1, 2005... Historically, brokers have found their most fertile grounds with large employers that have sizable employee bases and plenty of liquidity for benefits. Now, however, those grounds are almost completely saturated, particularly when it comes...

Broker rides insurance herd in Oklahoma.(Appointments)
April 1, 2005... On Jan. 31, employee benefits broker Kim Holland was appointed Oklahoma State Insurance Commissioner. The granddaughter of a New England Life Insurance Co. agent, Holland previously worked at Team Insurance for more than 20 years, developing...

Ending use-it-or-lose-it could be risky business.(The regulation was designed hence the employers and employees will share risk.)
April 1, 2005... Now that the Treasury Department has successfully punted the issue, lobbyists have their sights set on Congress to end the use-it-or-lose-it provisions widely considered a roadblock to enrollment in flexible spending accounts. Many people do...

Aetna data shows brokers HRA benefits.(Health Reimbursement Arrangement)(Aetna Inc.)
April 1, 2005... New research allows brokers and advisers to demonstrate, even more conclusively, that health reimbursement arrangements may be the right spending account for many employers who are considering implementing consumer-driven health plans. ...

Acquisition defines Webster Bank's place in HSA market.(Health Savings Accounts)(Webster Financial Corp.)
April 1, 2005... Webster Financial's recently completed acquisition of HSA Bank promises to gives the regional institution a national footprint in the nascent consumer-driven health marketplace. "It is a very strategic acquisition on their part," says...

Dealmakers.(Dobson-McOmber Agency)
April 1, 2005... * MphasiS BFL Group, an information technology and business process outsourcing solutions provider, announced it will acquire health care benefits management firm Eldorado Computing for $16.5 million in cash. * National Financial Partners...

Wausau site benefits from broker input.(Wausau Benefits Inc.)
April 1, 2005... This month's Just Rewards recognizes the bevy of brokers that have spent time in the offices of Wausau Benefits over the last year and a half, helping that firm garner three awards for its redesigned Web site. Trade newsletter publishing...

Info Sources.(Directory)
April 1, 2005... As a service to readers, EBA furnishes the names, location and telephone numbers of organizations whose products and services are highlighted in each issue. Page numbers identify where organizations are mentioned. 401khelpcenter.com,...

Brokers urged to keep clients on wellness track.
April 1, 2005... It is all very well to preach the gospel of disease management and wellness programs, but most advisers know it takes time and patience for clients to get religion. Many employers are unable to maintain the financial commitment necessary...

E-newsletter.
April 1, 2005... ACS buys outsourcing business from Mellon Technology outsourcer Affiliated Computer Services agreed to buy the human resources consulting and outsourcing businesses of Mellon Financial Corp. for approximately $445 million. The deal...

Clients define an idea whose time has finally come.
April 1, 2005... By now, most brokers have been approached by companies that provide Web-based benefit enrollment and administration. But within the past year, many have been hearing from a much more pressing constituency: Clients. It may come as a...