If early season trends continue, Americans could spend more this holiday season than they have in several years. Employee purchasing plans can help employees avoid a post-holiday financial hangover. Earlier this fall, experts predicted that holiday season retail spending could increase more than 4 percent over 2013’s figures. Unfortunately, that holiday cheer can often result...
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Voluntary LTCI Fills the Long-Term Care Coverage Gap
November is long-term care awareness month. That makes it a good time to educate your employees on long-term care … and offer them coverage for this costly need. As the oldest boomers reach retirement age, now is the time for them to plan for their long-term care needs. According to the Centers for Medicare &...
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Better Employee Communication Could Improve Voluntary Benefits Satisfaction
Employees say they want more choice in their benefits programs. Employers have increased voluntary benefit offerings in response. But only 36 percent of employers are satisfied with employee participation in their voluntary benefit programs. What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate. Eighty percent of employees surveyed for MetLife’s annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends...
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The Benefits of Offering Voluntary Benefits
Voluntary benefits can do two things for your benefit program. For smaller employers, they are a way to provide a variety of benefits at no cost. For larger employers, they can enhance employer-provided benefits. What are voluntary benefits? Under a voluntary benefit program, the employer offers employees a menu of benefits; employees pay for the...
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Critical Illness Fills a Benefits Gap
Sales of critical illness insurance grew 90 percent (in premiums) between 2011 and 2012. Yes, 90 percent. Perhaps it’s time to consider adding critical illness insurance to your benefits portfolio. Critical illness plans have only been available in the U.S. since the mid-1990s. They were rather slow to take off at first, but the growth...
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Pet Insurance for Employees?
Do your employees need insurance for their four-legged family members? Many studies have shown the positive benefits of having pets. Your employees would likely agree. If they’re like most Americans, 39 percent have at least one dog and 33 percent have at least one cat. And many Americans consider their pets as family members. Love...
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Voluntary Life Insurance Can Help Women Bridge the Insurance Gender Gap
The MetLife Employee Benefits Trends Study found that 54 percent of employees are interested in having life insurance available through the workplace, even if they have to pay the entire cost themselves. Making insurance available through the workplace, including with voluntary programs, can help eliminate a dangerous financial problem for many women: inadequate life insurance....
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The Affordable Care Act and Voluntary Benefits
It’s important to understand that the health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act offer only major medical insurance. When it comes to other benefits, however, voluntary benefits can fill the gaps. Dental and Vision Benefits The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires health plans to cover pediatric dental and vision care services to be...
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