Benefits Selling Magazine March 2006
Cover Story
Tech support
Most people are at least familiar with the concept of laptop and online enrollments, but there's more to cutting- edge technology in the benefits industry than the latest fancy online enrollment program. The tools brokers use to drive business are
Feature Content
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Selling the solution
There's little doubt about the trend in health care costs. Health insurance premiums continue to climb at nearly five times the inflation rate with double-digit increases presenting no surprise. In California alone, the cost of premiums, co-pays and
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Set new standards 1999-2006
It's unusual to introduce enhancements to employee benefits and simultaneously generate expense reductions and increased profit margins for employers. There's typically a direct correlation between value-added benefits and increased
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Rate hike revolt
Doug Dano has a problem. The president of Nashville, Tenn.-based Compensation and Benefit Consultants Inc. is getting an earful from angry clients upset about rate increases on high deductible health care plans, especially at renewal time.
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Growing pains
We're all familiar with the fable about the grasshopper and the ant. During the summer when food was plentiful, the grasshopper enjoyed singing and playing -- even laughing at the ant who worked hard during the hot summer months to prepare for
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Think green
Before Congress decided to severely limit home health care coverage for seniors with the passage of the Balanced Budget and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability acts in 1997, most health care providers came from licensed agencies,
The Zone
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United of Omaha unveils LTCI products
UNITED OF OMAHA INSURANCE CO., a $13 billion Mutual of Omaha affiliate, announced the introduction of its new LTCI products, Assured Solutions and Assured Solutions Plus. These products will be marketed through GoldenCare USA and American
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Expo keynote resigns commission post
LAST MONTH, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Robert Wooley confirmed what had been suspected for some time: He's leaving. The commissioner -- and Benefits Selling Expo keynote speaker -- will leave his post Feb. 15. "After
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New software provides legal coverage
THE RATE OF COHABITATION among unmarried couples is at an all-time high. In fact, there are 12 million of them in the United States alone. Their reasons vary from a ban on gay marriage to senior citizens whose survivor benefits will expire if they
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NAIC revises annuity regulations
DURING the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' winter meeting, the group adopted the annuity nonforfeiture model regulation, a resolution on limited line term life insurance, and the extension of the sunset provision of Actuarial
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Remington Venture introduces software
REMINGTON VENTURES has developed a software system that automatically renders neural network predictions from real time data. This new system is continuously improving itself to isolate the most predictable and lucrative instruments to trade. The
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New benefit enrollment system uses Spanish
HISPANICS HAVE BECOME America's largest ethnic minority and increasingly play a major role in the U.S. work force. Yet many Hispanic employees are excluded unintentionally from most benefit enrollments and miss out on needed
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Companies join forces for retirement product
IMPACT TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, a provider of financial sales software for the banking, capital markets and insurance industries, announced that The National Life Insurance Co. has selected the company's Retirement Road Map sales system for its
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Bill Good expands sales leadership role
AFTER 15 YEARS with Colonial, where he most recently served as the New York-Pennsylvania-New Jersey Territory Sales Manager, Bill Good has announced his retirement from Colonial. He will shift his focus to AmeriFlex, the company he founded in 1998.
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National Ethics Bureau announces new services
THE NATIONAL ETHICS BUREAU announced new services for its members, which will enable them to more effectively communicate their record of business ethics to consumers. The NEB is an organization of approved members who have maintained an exemplary
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First-quarter financial hiring outlook reported
EIGHT PERCENT OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERS surveyed for the Robert Half International quarterly Financial Hiring Index plan to add full-time accounting staff during the first quarter of 2006. Eight percent, however, anticipate personnel reductions
Competitive Advantage
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Know your customers; sharpen your edge
If you feel your competitive edge has grown a bit dull after the past season of knocking on doors, battling competition and possibly losing out on cases you pinned your hopes on, not to worry. Just realize it might be time to turn to the best
Storeylines
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A broker's market
We live in interesting times. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Despite White House claims to the contrary, the U.S. economy continues to struggle, searching for an identity in a changing global marketplace. And yet, from all
Employers Speak Out
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What kind of wellness programs or incentives does your company offer?
"The one that comes to mind right away is that we do get a substantial employee discount at 24 Hour Fitness. Everything else we usually get from our health care plans. We have a choice of carriers, so whether your plan offers mental health
