Blog listing
Identifying Bad Actors in the Employee Benefits Market
Wellness plans marketed as instant payroll tax savings, charity care arrangements that shift high-cost employees off a group plan before renewal, and cash-in-lieu payments dressed up as tax-free pay keep surfacing, often backed by persuasive sales materials. Regulators treat most as improper attempts to convert taxable wages into tax-free income, and the exposure lands on the employer.
Read Moreabout Identifying Bad Actors in the Employee Benefits Market
The Real Decision Behind Turning 65
More than half of Medicare beneficiaries are on Medicare Advantage, and most people approaching 65 have no idea what they're actually choosing between. Fewer zero-premium plans and shrinking supplemental benefits in 2026 raise the stakes, and the Medigap guaranteed-issue window closes earlier than most people expect.
Read Moreabout The Real Decision Behind Turning 65
The Open Enrollment Story Matters More Than Ever
Most employees are confused about their benefits, and many spend less than 30 minutes deciding on coverage that affects them all year. Better communication closes that gap, and the work starts weeks before enrollment opens. Framing what changed, what stayed the same, and where to get help turns confusion into confidence.
Read Moreabout The Open Enrollment Story Matters More Than Ever
There Is a Deadline Coming. Do Your QSEHRA and ICHRA Clients Know?
October 2 is the notice deadline for QSEHRA and ICHRA plans starting January 1, a date most employers miss. The gap risks penalties up to $2,500 per employee and cuts off the special enrollment period the notice triggers, sometimes leaving employees stuck for a full year. There's still time to get it right, but not for long.
Read Moreabout There Is a Deadline Coming. Do Your QSEHRA and ICHRA Clients Know?
Your Best Clients Are About to Outgrow You
New data is flipping the PEO pitch on its head. Businesses that partner with a PEO grow twice as fast, fail 50% less often, and see lower turnover, and 87% of businesses without one say they're already interested. The smallest, fastest-growing clients in your book may be the ones most ready for this conversation, if it's framed around where they're headed instead of what's broken.
Read Moreabout Your Best Clients Are About to Outgrow You
Form 5500: Don't Get Caught Off Guard
Some advisors still think Form 5500 is a retirement plan filing, until a client gets a penalty notice for their health and welfare plan. Group health plans with 100+ participants have to file, the deadline (or October 15 with an extension) is closer than it looks, and the DOL's civil penalties climb with no cap. For clients who already missed it, there's still a path forward.
Read Moreabout Form 5500: Don't Get Caught Off Guard
When Traditional Group Health Stops Making Sense
More clients are showing up to renewal, not asking for a better rate, but questioning the model itself. With family premiums past $27,000 and ACA penalty exposure climbing, MEC and MVP plans paired with worksite benefits are giving brokers a compliant, affordable structure to offer instead, one that often opens the door to employers who never had a viable path to coverage before.
Read Moreabout When Traditional Group Health Stops Making Sense
Your Book of Business Is Already Telling You Where to Grow
The best growth signals may already be inside the current book. Missed reviews, prior cost concerns, household changes, aging-in opportunities, and plan-fit issues can show where outreach should happen before enrollment season picks up. A stronger book review helps prioritize the right conversations, protect relationships, and find coverage opportunities already connected to clients you serve.
Read Moreabout Your Book of Business Is Already Telling You Where to Grow
State PFML Is Expanding. Here’s What to Watch
Paid family and medical leave is becoming a bigger benefits planning issue, especially for multi-state employers. New programs can affect payroll deductions, employer contributions, notices, reporting, private plan decisions, leave administration, and how PFML coordinates with disability, PTO, and other paid leave. Reviewing the details early can help clients prepare before deadlines reach payroll
Read Moreabout State PFML Is Expanding. Here’s What to Watch
The Hidden MEWA Risk Employers Need to Understand
When a client asks whether 1099 contractors can join the group health plan, it may sound like a simple eligibility question. It is not. Contractor classification, plan document language, carrier rules, tax treatment, and federal and state requirements all matter. A small exception can create MEWA concerns, reporting obligations, state regulatory exposure, and fiduciary risk
Read Moreabout The Hidden MEWA Risk Employers Need to Understand
A Midyear Compliance Check Can Protect the Plan and the Client Relationship
Midyear is the right time to catch compliance gaps before they become bigger plan problems. Required notices, compensation disclosures, leave policies, and Section 125 testing all deserve a closer look. Clear documentation and consistent administration help protect the plan, support the client relationship, and keep employers from relying on memory or exceptions .
Read Moreabout A Midyear Compliance Check Can Protect the Plan and the Client Relationship
Voluntary and Worksite Benefits: The Overlooked Growth Lever
Voluntary and worksite benefits can do more than round out a package. When built with clear purpose, they help employees manage income gaps, out-of-pocket exposure, and financial stress without requiring employers to absorb the full cost. Stronger strategy, better education, and claims support can make these benefits easier to understand, use, and defend throughout the plan year ahead.
Read Moreabout Voluntary and Worksite Benefits: The Overlooked Growth Lever