Employee Benefit Adviser articles from January 2008

Employee Benefit Adviser archives from January 2008

It's resolved.
January 1, 2008... I'm a sucker for resolutions. Every week I think to myself... THIS IS THE WEEK! This is the week I run longer, work harder, get smarter. Though recently I've had to resolve that this is the week I actually run. When I was running regularly,...

Throwing in the towel: some employers want out of providing health care.
January 1, 2008... Employers have long fought changing the health care delivery system - claiming they would lose of control over managing costs, but still be stuck with the tax bill. Yet it seems now some employers have decided to throw in the proverbial towel,...

Onsite health clinics pay off as employers gather quantitative ROI.
January 1, 2008... Health care is moving closer to home - or the workplace - as companies open onsite primary care facilities, pharmacies and clinics in an effort to better control health care costs. We're talking big names too - companies like Toyota, Pepsi...

Automatic plans capture attention of employers and employees.
January 1, 2008... Automatic 401(k) plans continue to grow in the workplace, forcing some small- and midsize-employers to ask tough questions about the purpose of a defined contribution retirement plan. Some employers wonder how a company could say no to...

Just because the plan is on autopilot does not mean the adviser should be.
January 1, 2008... It seems that technology could be threatening to take the jobs of advisers who specialize in retirement. With more and more retirement plans featuring automatic enrollment, automatic increases and default investments, there is very little...

Ongoing mortgage meltdown drives interest in group legal services.
January 1, 2008... In the 1980s, there was Black Monday, and the early 2000s brought the dot-com bust. Now, 2007's mortgage meltdown may rival the magnitude of those market fiascos. The subprime upheaval has sent a shock through the nation's lending system,...

New year, six new strategies for increasing sales, revenues and profits.
January 1, 2008... We hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season and that 2008 will be a happy, healthy and prosperous new year for you, your family and your business colleagues. 2008 will be filled with some very significant challenges and also...

-ST_BY-.
January 1, 2008... Outsourcing offers advisers track to build successful wealth management operation Last month we talked about why employee benefits firms are entering wealth management and how outsourcing is proving a successful model for tapping this...

Is health care a bigger threat to America than global warming?
January 1, 2008... At a recent gathering of Washington, D.C.-area benefits professionals sponsored by Employee Benefit Adviser and Employee Benefit News, eight human resource professionals discussed the broader, ideological challenges facing those trying to...

Making sense of Medicare Part D for clients can make cents for advisers.(retirement benefits in United States)
January 1, 2008... Advisers striving to add value to their existing benefits portfolio can find a niche in group retirement benefit sales, according to a recent Employee Benefit Adviser Web seminar. As employers grow increasingly desperate in their attempts...

It's go time: Advisers such as Robelynn Abadie are ready to play a role in the coming health care reform debate...but they can't defend the industry alone.
January 1, 2008... It's crunch time for the nation's health insurance brokers, whether they realize it or not. The ones who ignore the stakes in this year's elections do so at their own peril. But those who do realize the potential impact on their business are...

Famous critic of restaurants and hotels tries hand at health care.
January 1, 2008... As health advocacy tools and health rating tools spring up across the industry, WellPoint is taking a different angle by focusing on the consumer experience rather than strict quality assessments. This month, select WellPoint health plans...

United picks up Fiserv, but fewer players is not always a bad thing.
January 1, 2008... The market continues to consolidate with UnitedHealth Group's purchase of Fiserv Inc.'s health-related business for $775 million. United will benefit considerably from Innoviant, Fiserv's pharmacy benefit management company, and Fiserv's Health...

Knowledge of government programs is the key piece to Latino sales.
January 1, 2008... Understanding a customer's frame of reference is key to successful enrollment. We often take for granted a prospect's experience with the traditional American benefit system and fail to connect with them. Many of us assume that Latinos,...

Step Up And Stand Out: Many advisers and employers give group life and other.
January 1, 2008... The first time new parents hold their newborn, the last thing likely on their minds is life insurance. However, right along with diapers, bottles and carseats, adequate life insurance is just as vital to making sure their little one's needs are...

This New Year, resolve to conduct an information overhaul: As a new year begins many advisers will make a resolution for their business. Here's one you will want to keep: Invest in agency growth by getting organized.
January 1, 2008... For many advisers 2007 was a good year. Many have seen sales growth, client growth, growth in the product lines they offer or internal staff growth. But no matter how successful these growth areas were, none of them are as valuable as agency...