2017 adviser of the year

54 Pages·2017·21.93 MB·English

2017 ADVISER OF THE YEAR
September 2017 • employeebenefi tadviser.com
BENEFITS ENGINEER
Mick Rodgers wins clients by reassembling their healthcare
plans and significantly cutting their costs.
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COVER STORY
Adviser of the Year
Mick Rodgers
creates healthcare
coalitions and
advocates for
total transparency
around
broker-adviser
compensation
20
September 2017 | employeebenefitadviser.com 3
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30 FEATURE
Communication efforts will
make or break open enrollment
season, particularly as
30 employees want increasingly
VOLUME 15 personalized plan information
ISSUE 05
34 RE:INVENT |
06 FROM THE EDITOR RETIREMENT
Olympian Mike Eruzione A closer look at target-date
has stellar advice for benefit funds; app helps employees
advisers about perseverance save in a variety of ways
08 ADVISORY BOARD 38 HEALTH
Board members share what it Employers are putting an
takes to compete with the top increased focus on back care
brokers in the U.S. in hopes of curbing costs and
improving employee comfort
10 ON THE WEB
14 JACK KWICIEN
The hottest technology apps 44 VOLUNTARY
Planning ahead will help
and benefits millennials want 38 There is a growing interest
advisers to make the most
among debt-laden employees in
of any industry conference
student loan benefits
12 TAKE 5 experience
Second opinions save money
and a six-week getaway keeps 16 NELSON GRISWOLD 46 BUSINESS
burnout at bay The benefits and setbacks of
Stop competing with other
running and operating a family-
firms and standout from the
owned brokerage
competition with unique market
offerings
47 TECHNOLOGY
Adviser urges clients to spend
18 WENDY KENEIPP
benefit dollars smartly with data
Think long and hard before
analytics, push for transparency
switching from a brokerage to
consultancy business model
48 NEWSMAKERS
Advisers can take advantage of
47 vendor partnerships to utilize
communication-enhancing data
50 OPEN ENROLLMENT
READINESS BENCHMARK
Employers still have work to do
to prepare for upcoming open
enrollment
Employee Benefit Adviser (ISSN 1545-3839) Vol 15 No 5 is published 6 times a year;
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4 Employee Benefit Adviser | September 2017
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FROM FINANCIAL WELLNESS
IN THE WORKPLACE?
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trying to take on 10 or 15 or 20
clients at the same time.”
Returning to Eruzione’s
keynote speech, the hockey star
emphasized that successful peo-
ple will make necessary sacri-
fices along the path to achieve-
ment, but it’s important to have
fun at whatever you’re doing.
If the job is not fun, move on,
he suggested.
“Ability and a dime get you
a cup of coffee,” Eruzione said.
A champion’s mentality “You can’t measure heart, pride
and commitment.”
The pride that Wellness Ad-
viser of the Year Valeria Tivnan,
ELIZABETH GALENTINE
One of the most enthralling director of population health
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
speakers we’ve had at an EBA strategy and well-being at EBS
conference spoke this summer Insurance Brokers, takes in her
at Workplace Benefits Mania. stand its value in bringing about work is apparent. She’s made
I had the privilege of introduc- positive outcomes. EBA’s Ad- it her life’s passion to help im-
ing 1980 U.S. Olympian Mike viser of the Year certainly falls prove the well-being of people
Eruzione, captain of the gold into this category (“A revolu- where they spend the majority
medal-winning hockey team, to tionary thinker,” p. 20). of their time: in the office.
a standing room-only crowd at Mick Rodgers, principal From bringing a farmer’s
the Las Vegas show. and managing partner of Axial market directly to clients to de-
Eruzione shared a video Benefits Group, made a com- livering farm-fresh meals at
of highlights from “the mira- mitment to revolutionize his work, Tivnan is full of refreshing
cle on ice,” but emphasized that business model and in less than ideas that, as she says, are
the U.S. victory over Russia (fol- three years has flipped from designed to create a healthy liv-
lowed by the gold medal de- majority (75%) commission- ing “movement.”
feat of Finland) came only after based compensation to 80% Be sure to read the sto-
months and months of grueling fee-based. Not only that, if cli- ries of Rodgers, Tivnan and our
practices, frustrating setbacks ents don’t get the cost-saving re- other three outstanding Advis-
and a steep learning curve of a sults Rodgers promises, he’s of- ers of the Year for best prac-
different style of hockey. fered to drop part of his own fee, tices that can be implemented
“Little things separate which hasn’t happened yet. in your firm. As Eruzione said in
good teams from great teams,” “I’m no longer that line his Workplace Benefits Mania
Eruzione said, “and it’s the same fisherman on the end of the boat speech, “Surround yourself with
in business.” to catch one client at a time and people whose goals and objec-
Successful people believe then throwing the line back out,” tives are the same.”
in change, he said, and under- he says of the success he’s expe-
riencing with an innovative co-
alition he established. “I’m lit-
erally fishing with a net, and I’m
6 Employee Benefit Adviser | September 2017
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BOARD INSIGHTS
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compete
BOARD Editor in Chief: Elizabeth Galentine
with the Executive Editor: Phil Albinus
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Associate Editor: Amanda Eisenberg
most elite
Online Managing Editor: Brian M. Kalish
Senior Art Director: Nick Perkins
advisers? Associate Art Director: Neesha Haughton
Contributing Editors: Kathryn Mayer, Fred Bazzoli,
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EDITORIAL ADVISERS
TRISHA ZULIC Beverly Beattie, President, CEO, Selden Beattie; Perry
Ability to Braun, Executive Director, Benefit Advisors Network; Mark
Gaunya, Principal, Borislow Insurance; Jerry Kalish, Presi-
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Employee Benefit Advisors; George Lane, Principal, Mercer;
your knowledge Robert J. Lieblein, Chief Development Officer, Benefit Ad-
visors Network; Andy Torelli, Area Senior Vice President,
effectively Gallagher Benefit Services; Trisha Zulic, Human Resources
Director, Efficient Edge
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advisers have Director of Content Operations: Theresa Hambel
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8 Employee Benefit Adviser | September 2017
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009_EBA0917 9 8/28/2017 2:33:51 PM
TWEET WITH YOUR FRIENDS AT EBA
ON
EBA magazine staff > @EBAmagazine
THE
Computer models say that diversity helps companies
http://trib.al/UUHE0v2
WEB
ELIZABETH GALENTINE
EDITOR IN CHIEF
HOT BENEFITS FOR TECHIES @EBA_Galentine
AND MILLENNIALS Retirement adviser says engagement
will increase with less complicated
plans, language http://bit.ly/2vmOu5F
SLIDESHOW
CORT OLSEN
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
@EBA_OLSEN
Need that paycheck a few days early?
Why employers may want to look
into offering loan/credit benefi ts:
http://bit.ly/2hYjebF
BRIAN KALISH
ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR
@Benefi t_Brian
Truly honored to be recognized by @
SourceMediaCo for my work in helping
5 BENEFITS EMPLOYERS MUST OFFER TO
to relaunch our digital presence. pic.
ATTRACT MILLENNIALS
Student loan repayment, fl exible work schedules and twitter.com/COvJMnrX54
retirement funding are among the perks for younger workers.
From the article, “How retirement
investing by 20-somethings has
SLIDESHOW
changed over the years,” available on
employeebenefi tadviser.com.
Retirement ready or not?
Percentage of each generation confident they will have enough
money to carry themselves post-work
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
7 UP-AND-COMING TRENDS IN HR TECH
As employers look to brokers for help, it is key to know what is 0%
changing in this space. Gen X Baby boomers Millennials Seniors
Source: Scottrade's 2016 American Investor Report
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