Employee Benefit Adviser articles from April 2008

Employee Benefit Adviser archives from April 2008

Employers explain what factors determine 401(k) enrollment success.
April 1, 2008... In a recent QuickPoll from Employee Benefit Adviser sister publication, Employee Benefit News, employers shared what most influences employee 401(k) participation. Not surprisingly, employees aren't investing money they don't have. Fourty...

A shot at nobility.
April 1, 2008... Maybe I've been spun. That's not a good thing when you yourself are a member of the media and should know all the techniques. Nevertheless, lounging in the back of my Maybach as my driver wends our way along the Potomac, my mind drifts to the...

Phone coaches may not cut it, best health gains had when docs are onsite: When employers stop thinking about costs and start thinking about productivity, experts say health improvement will follow.(Interview)
April 1, 2008... The bar for onsite health services just went up a little bit higher. A recent article from Drs. Raymond Fabius and Sharon Glave Frazee of CHD Meridian details why an onsite "trusted clinician" is crucial to the recipe for a healthier, more...

Behavioral health often gets short shrift but it could be key to curbing health costs.
April 1, 2008... Many advisers look to disease management and wellness to tackle that 20% of the population responsible for 80% of expenses. But advisers may not realize how unaddressed behavioral problems can drive medical costs. Aggressive behavioral health...

Demand for ETFs may rise as interest is stoked by popular financial advisers: As more experts speak out on the benefit of ETFs, employers and their advisers must investigate whether and how to fit this square peg into the round holes of exsisting employer-sponsored plans.
April 1, 2008... Some popular financial planning experts put it bluntly: ETFs are cheaper and more efficient investment vehicles for Americans and therefore deserve to be offered through employer-sponsored retirement plans - the primary vehicle for worker...

Bad press may mean better participants, which may drive some employers to adviser shop.
April 1, 2008... As the average American gets more sophisticated about their retirement prospects, more media attention will be devoted to the subject. As media scrutiny increases so too will investor attention, creating a circular system that will drive some...

Worksite market players wrestle with core issues as industry grows, thrives: A recent worksite benefits conference presented a perfect opportunity to take the temperature of this maturing market.
April 1, 2008... The 20th meeting of the Workplace Benefits Association, held in Orlando in February, offered an opportunity to pursue some questions and concerns that people both inside and outside of the worksite and voluntary employee benefits market have...

Advisers who map their strategy discover hidden opportunities at conferences: Don't just mill around the expo hall like some kind of conference zombie. Your time is valuable, right? If so, map out how you are going to plunder the hall.(Conference news)
April 1, 2008... We are in the midst of a six-part series about maximizing sales results and profits, but we are going to take a break from that dialogue and focus this month's article on conference attendance and how proper planning will permit you to optimize...

Advisers share how they found a niche, hired good people and embraced technology.
April 1, 2008... There are many areas from which an employee benefits firm can draw its strength, but an expertly-run agency doesn't just focus on one offering or service characteristic. In order to grow and succeed, a firm must strike a balance in several key...

Evolving programs enable advisers to better understand, sell disability: Carriers are always.
April 1, 2008... It is common for brokers to be baited with gifts and trips into meetings where carriers can advertise their product to a captive audience. This practice is increasingly under scrutiny as a form of unfair commission, not to mention it's a little...

Help yourself and your clients by diving into the wide world of recession planning.
April 1, 2008... The specter of a recession offers advisers looking for opportunities to stand up and stand out on a nearly empty stage. "I think it is very much HR's role to prepare for a possible recession," Jaqueline Basile, VP of HR for...

EBA's 2008 "best" group disability rep...
April 1, 2008... From intern to industry stalwart. That's the road Eric Pete has traveled since graduating from Ithaca College. The former Merrill Lynch intern found himself out of college selling individual disability in the Keystone State. Born in the rural...

Just because you say you're a benefits consultant does not mean you really are: Don't just expect your clients to ask for services, let them know what you can do for their workforce.
April 1, 2008... As I travel around the country speaking to local and state chapters of the National Association of Health Underwriters I always begin by having all the attendees that sell group health insurance as their primary product stand up. With the...

Why you should not ask clients for a broker of record letter.
April 1, 2008... Broker of record letters are the prize catch. A BOR states that this organization, agent or broker is the rightful and sole benefactor of a company's benefit plans - service and commissions. "It'll make you smile so wide you could eat a banana...

Catapulting to the C-suite: Do you think your benefits advisor firm has what it takes to make the move into financial planning for high net worth executives?
April 1, 2008... Transitioning one's success in the employee benefits arena to success in executive financial planning seems like a logical crossover. More and more employee benefits practices are seeing opportunities with their clients' high net worth...

Declaring Independence: Frustrated with the current dynamic between carriers, brokers and employers, Eric Raymond of Corporate Synergies has started to revolt.
April 1, 2008... At the ripe old age of 21, Brooklyn's Eric Raymond had an epiphany. The young Provident Mutual agent lost a case to a competitor hawking Phoenix Mutual, a case Raymond originated. "I vowed from that point that I would never represent one...

Employers get on the health care superhighway with next generation HSA programs: CDH naysayers aside,many employers are still jumping on the HSA superhighway, mining.
April 1, 2008... While it is true that the high-deductible health plan/HSA pairing may have to compete with rising interest in evidence-based benefit design for the "industry darling" mantle, it is also true that some early adopters of CDH are starting realize...

Be Puzzled.
April 1, 2008... [ Don't be a fool ] It's April, but you don't have to be a fool, show us how smart you are! Send us your completed puzzle, but remember, no faxing. Scan and email completed puzzles to robert.whiddon@sourcemedia.com. Answers to last month's...