Employee Benefit Adviser articles from September 2004

Employee Benefit Adviser archives from September 2004

Providing the CDH linchpin.(consumer-driven health plans)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... Brokers and health plan advisers have touted consumer-driven health plans as a potential remedy for medical benefits' out-of-control costs, insisting that the structure, with its emphasis on information and consumer knowledge, allows members to...

Advisers consider pieces of a plan.(consumer-driven health plans)
September 1, 2004... Consumer-driven health plans may change the face of health insurance - at least for now. But that might not be enough. Some believe that health benefits will end up taking on almost a piecemeal approach as more employers and employees rely...

Advisers weigh retirement plan proposals.
September 1, 2004... More education and less hassle would encourage small businesses to offer retirement plans to their employees, who are among the millions of U.S. workers who do not save through employer-sponsored plans, say benefit consultants and plan...

Advisers begin to see more demand for annuities.
September 1, 2004... A new generation of annuity products has appeared on the scene, prompting retirement plan advisers to begin marketing them as viable investment options. Experts see an emerging market for brokers offering annuity purchase options with...

Brokers should examine insurance procurement methods.
September 1, 2004... Allegations by the New York and California State attorneys general have targeted insurers' commission and incentive payments to brokers and consultants as a conflict of interest. This conflict occurs when the broker or consultant is paid by...

Brokers remain benefit provider of choice for smaller employers.
September 1, 2004... Small and midsize employers are strong believers in employee benefits - and benefits brokers, reveals research by Employee Benefit News and Genworth Financial Employee Benefits Group. The 2004 EBN-Genworth Small to Midsize Employer Benefit...

SEC probe could alter advisers' retirement plan revenue streams.(Securities and Exchange Commission)
September 1, 2004... In June, the Securities and Exchange Commission launched a probe of mutual fund payment practices that could drastically alter advisers' income from defined contribution retirement plans, with sales and service compensation reduced or...

Changing marketplace necessitates knowledge of different cultures.
September 1, 2004... As the country's minority population jumps every year, brokers and advisers are finding it necessary to examine their businesses and figure out how best to sell to an increasingly diverse market. For many, that means matching certain ethnic...

Taking off with CDH: Air CDH is gaining lift but needs decision support to truly fly.(consumer-driven health plans)
September 1, 2004... Many see the consumer-driven health plan as a potential savior of employer-provided health insurance. However, consumer decision support has hobbled enrollment, making it necessary for brokers and advisers to step in and help corral the needed...

Different Paths: After years of following parallel roads, ancillary benefits spending and the labor market appear to have diverged for good.
September 1, 2004... For at least 10 years, benefits spending has followed the twists and turns of the labor market. Now, however, the trajectories have diverged, with employers passing on more costs even as the labor market starts to heat up again. Most...

Latest Treasury guidance clarifies HSA issues.(Health Savings Accounts)
September 1, 2004... Since Congress enacted the health savings account legislation in 2003, employers and health plan providers have struggled with a host of implementation issues, such as whether an employee assistance plan or disease management program makes an...

Removing the four obstacles to closing.
September 1, 2004... There are several reasons why the end game of selling is stressful and difficult. First and foremost is the prospect's fear of failure. Because of negative buying experiences in the past, prospects are conditioned to be suspicious,...

Four inducted into Worksite Marketing Hall of Fame.(Benefits Marketing Association)
September 1, 2004... This summer, the Benefits Marketing Association (formerly the National Association of Professional Enrollment Specialists) recognized the achievements of four worksite marketing veterans by inducting them into the group's International Worksite...

E-newsletter Digest.
September 1, 2004... Marsh, Mercer benefits practices to merge by Jan. 1 Sources confirm that Marsh and Mercer are merging benefit practices to create the world's largest benefits consultancy, with more than $1 billion in health and benefits revenue, by Jan. 1,...