When I left college and took my first “real” job, the HR director met with me to talk about benefits. I was 22, in perfect health and very concerned about paying rent and where I was going to go out dancing that […]
I had the date marked on my calendar for quite a while—August 18. My first Certified Employee Benefit Specialist® (CEBS®) exam was scheduled, and I have to say I was nervous. I’ve been out of school for a while, and the idea of […]
As a communications professional who works in the employee benefits world, I never stop encountering dismal reports on the saving habits of Americans. The data is everywhere—and it’s overwhelming. People aren’t saving for retirement and those who are aren’t saving enough. As […]
You may remember the International Foundation’s “Benefits Madness” in March, where participants voted for top employee benefits in the form of a March Madness basketball bracket. Vacation time was one of the top benefits, making it to the championship round (health care […]
As humans, we tend to like order. We like lists, we like symmetry, we like calm. So when volatility in the stock market brings chaos to that order, we react. There is a term for this reaction—behavioral finance—and about 40 years of […]
Offering group benefits and retirement plans to employees takes financial, administrative and time commitment from employers. To get the most bang for their buck, employers need to make sure their benefit plans work efficiently and are used effectively. Here are five benefit […]
From an employee benefits perspective, medical marijuana, in a way, is in the same place same-sex marriage was not so long ago—Laws in a number of states said one thing and federal law said something altogether different. The federal government still considers […]
The IRS is continuing its “think out loud” approach to rule making for the Cadillac tax, and you’re invited to talk back. In a recent notice (IRS Notice 2015-52), the agency revealed a few more hints about how it plans to implement […]
The thought of facing a health risk assessment is unnerving for many. “What if I eat the wrong thing and throw my numbers off? What if my health care costs rise based on results? What if they uncover something I just don’t […]
Whose Social Security numbers must we report under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and what if we don’t have all the numbers we need? Beginning in 2016, the ACA requires most employers and plan sponsors to send annual reports to employees and the […]