In a regulatory environment increasingly focused on transparency and accountability, what does it really mean to be a prudent fiduciary in a health and welfare context?
What happens when you squeeze a vendor too tight
When a plan sponsor (or search specialist working on the plan sponsor’s behalf) squeezes a vendor too tight, the resulting contract may come with an attractive price tag, but it will set plan sponsors up for a downstream nightmare of quality and service issues that negatively impact both plans and their participants.
Plan sponsors should do their homework before offering student loan assistance
Student loans can be a distraction that diminishes employee productivity and may prevent employees from achieving their financial wellness goals. In response, employers have recently begun introducing benefit programs designed to assist employees with their student loan debt.
(Webinar) Financial wellbeing: practical considerations and insights for employers
Program length: 60 minutes Register and view now (available through March 2021) Interest in financial wellbeing programs hit a fever pitch after the pandemic-related events of 2020 exposed weaknesses in employees’ preparation and readiness for volatile economic circumstances. Industry research confirms that financial wellbeing has become a topic of considerable interest to employees and a top priority for many organizations. Evaluating potential …
Now is the time for employers to educate themselves on how AI can benefit HR
Employers are increasingly exploring artificial intelligence as a means of solving their HR challenges. But a host of challenges — from a general lack of consensus about what “AI” even means to systems integrations issues — have slowed industry adoption. Now is a good time for employers to educate themselves on what AI means and how it can benefit the HR function.
Preventive maintenance is key to retirement plan health
Periodic checkups can keep plans running smoothly and help plan sponsors identify issues early, before those become difficult and expensive to correct. Such audits come in two varieties—transactional audits and operational audits.
Keeping up with all the players in outsourced benefits administration
The benefits outsourcing market is evolving rapidly, making it hard for plan sponsors to know what to look for — and who to consider — when preparing RFPs for the outsourcing of defined benefit, defined contribution, health and welfare and nonqualified benefits. Here are some tips.
Finding the right voluntary benefits broker may be trickier than clients realize
When selecting a provider for voluntary benefits, small to midsize companies often turn to the same broker that serves their medical or retirement plan needs. But medical and retirement benefits brokers may lack the knowledge or impartiality required to deliver optimal service in the voluntary benefits space. An unbiased third party that neither sells insurance products nor receives commissions when its clients select insurance products can help with the broker search.
Safeguarding DC plan data is about more than cybersecurity
The onus of safeguarding plan participants from fraud does not fall solely on the recordkeeper. Both DC plan sponsors and recordkeepers need to agree on fraud-resistant processes that are clearly documented, rigorously implemented and consistently followed. Here are a few tips.
Plan sponsors could consider a different solution to provider woes
Occasional employee complaints about a benefit plan are inevitable. But when they become a regular occurrence, it can point to more significant problems with a plan administrator or other vendor. Companies that find themselves in this position have several options — including an often-overlooked option that we call “vendor recovery.”