Employee Benefit Adviser

Client Education

• Employers and brokers agree that communication is always job one

  A broker is no longer an implementer and a benefit manager is no longer a savvy shopper. Benefit experts on both sides of the desk are now primarily communicators aiming to boost enrollment, create "consumers" and coach employees to financial security.

• Virtual reality takes on benefit communication and enrollment

  Imagine having a new member of your benefits staff that you don't need to train, pay or offer benefits. She'll work 24/7 and you can be sure her messages are consistent and compliant.

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• Focus on communication may stimulate gender parity in advising

  Historically, the benefits industry has been a male-dominated world. However, when it comes to communication of benefits and human resources policies, the opposite has been true.

• Managing benefits for Generation Y

  Tune in for Employee Benefit Adviser's first "Friday Fray" lunch speaker series. We'll have three industry professionals give short presentations on how to manage benefits with Generation Y in mind and there will be time to ask questions about your specific business issues.

• Tackle consumerism models with today's panel

  Tune in today at 3:00 pm to an online forum where experts will offer tips and tactics for building consumerism models that meet employer demands.

• Do not go it alone, use existing communications to boost enrollment

  Once an HR gatekeeper allows an adviser access to the workforce it is time to begin employee communication and education efforts.

• Create or update your online identity to attract clients

  You only get one chance to make a first impression. That's why progressive advisers are fine-tuning their image on the Web - where many employers hunt for benefit services and information.

• How and why to be really bad at sales but really good at giving advice

  One of my employees was recently explaining to me the virtues of why a client should accept the offering of a particular product. As she spoke, I sensed she was trying to convince me that this solution made sense. The discussion continued and she said I was good at "selling" these ideas. That hit me as an extremely negative perception.

• Taking care of your client's other needs

  Chances are you stick to your knitting, marketing a core group of products and services to your clients. If so, you are not satisfying all of your client's needs, either. Then who is?

• HR's increasingly versatile role

  Anyone who's been to a benefits trade show knows the events can yield some pretty unexpected things -- odd knickknacks at the booths, mechanical bulls, live animals -- anything to get your attention while trolling the expo halls. But the most surprising guest at recent trade show in Atlanta, Ga. was not the porcupine.

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• Eastbridge forecasts new product offerings

  Nearly 80% of voluntary benefit carriers plan to introduce at least one new product within the year, according to a product-trends study conducted every other year by Eastbridge Consulting Group, Inc.

• Advisers set to benefit from the transformation of 403(b) plans

  The industry has known this was coming for a long time. Last July the Federal Register announced sweeping changes for 403(b) plans that would be effective January 1, 2009. Needless to say, some employers are behind the curve in getting their plans up to speed.

• Perfect time to push 401(k) participation

  Despite offering a host of resources to boost 401(k) participation, employers believe workers' inertia in participating in defined contribution plans stems from their efforts to pay other household bills, reports Aon Consulting Worldwide.

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• Advisers set to benefit from the transformation of 403(b) plans

• Eastbridge forecasts new product offerings

• Perfect time to push 401(k) participation