Ask an Adviser: How can employees pay off student loans and still save for retirement?

Robin PowellThought Leadership

Student loan debt is cited by 1 in 4 people as the reason they’re not saving for retirement. Fortunately, hope is on the horizon. Congress is currently considering two bills that would allow employees to pay off their student loans while saving for retirement at the same time.

Plan sponsors should do their homework before offering student loan assistance

Jay Schmitt, ASAThought Leadership

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

Jay Schmitt, ASAThought Leadership

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 …

Pandemic sharpens focus on employee financial wellness

Leslie Olds, FSA, EA, FCA, MAAAThought Leadership

COVID-19 has made financial wellness a hot topic in 2020 as employees seek to become more financially resilient. Here are some initial steps plan sponsors can take to gauge how well employees are using their existing benefits and determine whether additional financial wellness benefits are called for.

Retirement readiness starts at work

Leslie Olds, FSA, EA, FCA, MAAAThought Leadership

Every year, 3.8 million people in the U.S. reach retirement age. How can plan sponsors help workers get ready? Offering a retirement readiness program that considers employees’ emotional, financial and healthcare needs can go a long way toward helping them prepare.

Finding the right voluntary benefits broker may be trickier than clients realize

Jay Schmitt, ASAThought Leadership

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.

Plan sponsors could consider a different solution to provider woes

Andy Adams and Jay Schmitt, ASAThought Leadership

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.”