More employers adopt HSA programs but questions remain

Health savings accounts are rising in popularity as more employers turn to high-deductible health plans as a means of saving themselves and their employees money on healthcare. Fidelity Investments says that in 2017, 112 new employers began offering health savings accounts to employees and that the company saw a 50% increase in the number of […]

Wrong assumptions plan sponsors make

“My plan only has $3 million in it. How much ERISA exposure could we have?” This question from a client who wondered whether it was worth the cost of putting in written plan policies and controls got me to thinking about why this misconception is so common. Small plan violations can result in very large […]

Keeping compliant: Pay equity law updates

New Connecticut pay equity law On May 22, 2018, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed Public Act No. 18-8, “An Act Concerning Pay Equity,” into law. The new Connecticut law follows a recent trend by states to enact laws prohibiting employers from seeking salary history from prospective employees. Connecticut now joins California, Delaware, Massachusetts (see below), […]

You signed a consent decree. So now what?

Any employer who has been on the receiving end of a lawsuit filed by the EEOC or a similar state agency is aware that a standard requirement of settling this type of case is entering into a “consent decree.” A consent decree is a public record (which the agency will publicize on its website) that […]

10 useful HSA FAQs for 2017

Financial services must tie these three factors together – customer experience, best practices and reliability/responsiveness – to have an effective web presence. They can’t go hard into one particular area and ignore the others. They have to understand what’s available versus their competitors, what consumers think of their sites versus competitors’ and how their sites are performing.

Half of employees don’t understand their health benefits, poll says

The typical argument in favor of the United States’ unique system of health care often centers on the freedom consumers have to choose the benefits that best meet their needs. In reality, however, few Americans are truly health care shoppers. Most get insurance through their employer, and even if the employer offers an array of […]

How voluntary benefits can set your company apart

Offering employees voluntary benefits is a way to set your company apart from competitors as the job market continues to thrive. For companies large and small, benefits can be used to attract new talent and, importantly, retain the talent you have by offering non-traditional benefits beyond typical health insurance. The variety of voluntary benefits has […]

The right—and wrong—investing risks in retirement

The right—and wrong—investing risks in retirement Building a safe portfolio that provides the desired returns can be a daunting task, as performance of these investments can be volatile, according to this article on Money. High-yielding investments come with a significant risk, as exemplified by exchange-traded funds that own energy master limited partnerships. Morningstar claims that […]