Employee Benefit Adviser articles from December 2008

Employee Benefit Adviser archives from December 2008

Health underwriters preparing for another round of state reform in 2009.(Movers & Shakers)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Robert L. Whiddon Long-time broker and wellness advocate, Scott Leavitt is ready for his stint atop the National Association of Health Underwriters. Sworn in this past summer, Leavitt says it's a great time for the broker and...

Benefit costs top CFO worries.(Movers & Shakers)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Robert L. Whiddon Your client's number crunchers are most concerned about employee benefit costs, according to a new survey from Grant Thornton. The group found that nearly 55% of responding CFOs and other senior financial...

They are not listening.(Sales Call)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Mel Schlesinger Before reading any further, answer this question: How does your current presentation delivery differ from any of your competitors? Based on the hundreds of presentations that I have seen, it is highly likely that...

Sanction e-socializing to drive business objectives?(Tips on Technology)
December 1, 2008... Byline: McLean Robbins Many employees are already using social networks to talk and connect online. Why not bring that power inside your company firewall to channel their ideas and energy for more productive purposes? Michael Rudnick...

Kicking the habit.(Be Advised)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Emeric McCleary Overrides are incentive payments made to you above and beyond your base commissions and fees. Payments made to you for one purpose only - so you will keep your clients with a health insurance carrier. Just about...

The Credibility Factor.(Cover Story)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Robert L. Whiddon Thom Mangan's no slouch. He's climbed the benefits brokerage ladder quite nicely. Just a few years ago he made a big jump from star of Willis' Texas team to franchise player running the employee benefits operation...

The macro and micro perspACective on wellness.(Cover story)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Editorial Staff The In addition to keeping tabs on Mangan's month-to-month progress, we also made a point to step back and get the employer's perspective. We tapped Nationwide Better Health's Chief Medical and Science Officer Dr....

35 Critical questions about CI.(Feature)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Robert L. Whiddon Some of the questions are simple, "Who needs CI?" Others are more complicated, "Isn't 'first diagnosis' like having a lifetime pre-existing clause?" Either way, these are the questions that critical illness...

Economic turmoil will dictate engagements for years to come.(Sound Off)(Column)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Michelle McMullen It's the economy, stupid. These were the words that sealed the election for then Governor Bill Clinton in 1992. Sixteen years later, they are reverberating through another election. I bring that up not because...

What's fresh on EBA's Raw Bar.(Sound Off)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Editorial Staff Make sure to go online and check out who we've been talking to. Visit our audio channel online at eba.podhoster.com. Here's just a sampling of our interviews from the past month. Brian Robertson of Fringe...

Moderating health care costs could signal trouble ahead.(Health)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Eileen Flick Health care cost increases are projected to moderate next year for most types of coverage, according to the 2009 Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey. Increases in per-capita medical claims costs, once heavily...

Good wellness programs have the right support - both internal and external.(Health)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Amy Gallagher Research proves that wellness delivers results, from increased productivity and reduced absenteeism to early detection of costly chronic diseases. But for some employers, the impact on the bottom line seems less...

Annuities aren't right for many nest eggs.(Retirement)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Jane White Employers and advisers need to be wary of allowing employees who are near retirement age with inadequate 401(k) balances to be misled by the annuity industry. Unfortunately, the annuity industry has been able to...

Investment policy statement scarcity spells opportunities for advisers.(Retirement)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Elayne Robertson Demby Amazingly, in an era of heightened ERISA litigation, a sizable percentage of defined contribution plans do not have an investment policy statement. More amazing, if there is an IPS, its often outdated or not...

Will bad credit crunch voluntary sales?(Voluntary)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Bruce Shutan With a national credit crunch and related economic turmoil top of mind, brokers and advisers who sell voluntary benefit plans are rightfully worried about these dire conditions flattening sales. Just ask Jamie...

Next year could be your best year, that is if you plan for that kind of success.(Your Business)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Jack Kwicien As we approach the end of 2008, many astute benefit advisers begin to think about the results that were achieved in the current year and the organizational goals they want to set for the upcoming year. It's a great...

It's your pipeline, but I'll still help you fill it.(Your Business)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Edditorial Staff When marketing employee benefits every firm can have their own opinion but we must all face the same facts. Here are a few. We'll start with branding your firm. It's my opinion that branding is really building...

On the road with Rob Nielsen What is your Plan?(Your Business)(Editorial)
December 1, 2008... Byline: Editorial Staff As 2008 comes to a close, 2009 looms large on the horizon. And whether you had a great year, an average year, or are just glad that 2008 is about to fade into the history books, the question is the same? What is...