Benefits Selling Magazine February 2009
Cover Story
The veteran
Like most brokers, CEBS fellow Norman Meullen doesn't have a lot of patience for inflexible carriers or meddlesome regulators. But after putting more than 30 years in the business, he doesn't have time for hand wringers, either. I mean
Source List
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2009 Dental source list
Click for the dental source list.
Benefits Newswire
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Senate approves retirement plan relief
The Senate suspended minimum withdrawal requirements on retirement plans, MarketWatch reports. The relief applies for one year to distributions that would have to be taken in 2009. "By making minimum withdrawals from retirement savings
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Employees need home computers, HR directors say
Human resources professionals place a high value on home computers, so much so that they may expect employees to have one. A survey by Purchasing Power found over 94 percent of HR professionals think it's very important or somewhat important
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Employers pay $88 billion to cover public health programs
Employers are paying a total of $88 billion annually to subsidize Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, an industry study found. In addition to the cost of medical coverage for their staff, employers pay an additional $1,115 to cover the difference
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New York insurers must recognize certain same-sex unions
The New York State Insurance Department released a letter stating all New York insurers are expected to recognize same-sex marriages performed in jurisdictions where such unions are legal, even if they take place out of state, according to Mondaq.
Storeylines
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What I've learned
It's February already? I guess I missed out on the traditional "new year, new things, new way of life that lasts about a month" column. (I should really start planning ahead.) So in a nod to my own unconventional schedule, I think
Feature Content
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Value over price
Not all employee benefits are created equal. While nearly every employer is looking for ways to cut expenses, particularly in a down economy like we're currently experiencing, employee benefits decisions should not be based solely on the best
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Resolving our health care issues
The political realities have changed and our industry has formally taken a new position on health care reform. America's Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association both have agreed that they could support the
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Dental special report
For 2009, would you like to avoid that "sharp stick-in-the-eye" sales syndrome? If so, let's get busy and get the creative juices starting to flow. You don't want to be one of those sales type of humanoids that's going
Exit Interview
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10 things you don't know about HR
Working on payroll is tough. No one ever calls to tell you his or her paycheck was perfect this pay period. Common sense in not always common. Some people do awfully odd things at work. Being a people person isn't the same as ha
What's Next
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Your other (essential) customer
Most benefit brokers know their key customers: the employer/owner, CFO or HR officer (the "decision-makers"), depending on the size of the account. And as they have become more involved with voluntary sales, benefit brokers have
Top Ten Selling
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Is anyone out there really listening?
The best salespeople are great listeners. They tell us that it is important to listen in order to understand, not simply wait for their turn to talk. My daughter taught me all about the concept of listening. Unfortunately, her mother and I
Retirement Matters
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Study the past to plan for the future
Working as we do almost exclusively with companies and individuals in the design and implementation of qualified retirement plans, when we review the performance of participant positions, ours included, within retirement plans, be they defined
On Second Thought
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Out with the new, in with the old
They say those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. I think that's a short-sighted viewpoint -- it implies we've never done anything worth doing again. While it's certainly true we should learn from our mistakes,
Beyond the Beltway
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Value of retirement plans a hard sell
Retirement might be a time for recreation and relaxation, but the retirement policy world just keeps getting busier -- and more fraught with anxiety. In the waning days of the 110th Congress, legislators provided critical stopgap relief for
