About Us | Advantage Benefits Group

2/1/2012 - EBRI’s Latest on HSA and HRA Balances

2/1/2012 - Be Healthy, Win A Bonus From The Boss

1/31/2012 - 11th Annual Health Benefits Seminar

1/25/2012 - Retirement Rules of Thumb Don't Always Apply

1/25/2012 - Employers not Offering Wellness Benefits Desired

1/25/2012 - Healthcare Dollar Study: 5% of Utilizers Consume 50% of Healthcare Costs

1/18/2012 - Drug Prices to Plummet

1/18/2012 - Which Health Plan Benefits Are

1/18/2012 - 401(k) Plans Good News for Lower-Wage Workers

1/11/2012 - Five Health Reform Dates to Watch in 2012

1/11/2012 - A Guide to Achieving Realistic Resolutions

1/11/2012 - Don't Forget Your ERISA Bond

1/5/2012 - How to Join West Michigan's Community Wide Weight Loss-Program

1/5/2012 - After Turbulent Year, S&P 500 Stands Little Changed

1/5/2012 - 2011 Year-end Employee Benefits Report

12/28/2011 - Wellness Strategies Positively Effect Firms’ Bottom Lines

12/28/2011 - Vanguard Study Finds DC Plan Account Accumulation Positive Through Recession

12/28/2011 - The Cost of Switching to an Insurance Exchange

12/20/2011 - Retirement: Make Your Savings Last as Long as You Do

12/20/2011 - Eight Steps to a Healthier Holiday Season

12/20/2011 - Majority of Employers Committed to Offering Healthcare Coverage

12/14/2011 - Annual Report Shows Michigan Obesity Rate Continues to Widen

12/14/2011 - Lifting the Lid on 401(k) Fees

12/14/2011 - New Study Shows Health Insurance Premium Spikes in Every State

12/7/2011 - 401(k) Sponsors Increasingly Focused on Investments

12/7/2011 - 8 Ways to Maximize and Spend Down Your FSA Before 2012

12/7/2011 - Generic Lipitor Hits the Market

11/30/2011 - Despite Efforts, Employers Fall Short When it Comes to Wellness Engagement

11/30/2011 - Employers Transition Back to Matching 401(k) Funds

11/30/2011 - Employers Tout Cost Savings from HSAs

11/23/2011 - Delay in Application of New Summary of Benefits and Coverage Requirements and New Guidance on Mental Health/Substance Abuse Parity Requirements

11/23/2011 - Some 401(k)s Are More Equal Than Others

11/23/2011 - PPACA: What Should be on Your 2012 Checklist

11/16/2011 - Insurance Agents Say Employers Gearing Wellness Incentives More Toward Results, Rather Than Participation

11/16/2011 - Survey Finds Most Investors Understand Target-Date Funds

11/16/2011 - New Surveys Reveal Consumers Taking Charge of their Healthcare Costs with Health Savings Accounts

11/9/2011 - Social Security Still Top Source of Income for Retirees

11/9/2011 - Proposed Regulation on Exchange Eligibility (Part I)

11/9/2011 - Kids in Crisis

11/2/2011 - IRS Announces Pension Plan Limitations for 2012

11/2/2011 - High-Deductible Health Plans More Common On Employers’ Menus

11/2/2011 - Fat-Fighting Ideas: From More Gym to Burger Tax

10/26/2011 - Time and Education Important to Employees During Open Enrollment

10/26/2011 - Unhealthy Workers Costs Employers $153B a Year

10/26/2011 - Most Employers Restore 401(k) Match: Analysis

10/19/2011 - PSCA Releases Results of Annual Survey of 401(k) Plans

10/19/2011 - Employee Health Insurance Cost Rising Again

10/19/2011 - Good Communication Can Help Company Wellness Programs Succeed

10/12/2011 - Michigan Legislature Passes New Tax on Certain Health Insurance Claims - Priority Health

10/12/2011 - Did Health Reform Drive Up Insurance Premiums? Depends on the Plan.

10/12/2011 - Nearly Half of Employees Enroll in Wellness Programs

10/6/2011 - Kaiser: Average Annual Premiums Up 9 Percent

10/6/2011 - New Trends Drive Better Retirement Savings Behavior

10/6/2011 - Americans Get Too Much Health Care, Their Docs Say

9/27/2011 - Growth in Health Benefit Costs Lowest in 15 Years

9/27/2011 - Obesity: The Gateway Condition

9/27/2011 - 401(k) Study: Help Can Improve Performance by Three Percent

9/21/2011 - 401(k) Withdrawal Rules Can be Tricky

9/21/2011 - Proposed Regulation on PPACA Premium Tax Credit

9/14/2011 - So Much Denial, So Little We Can Do About It

9/14/2011 - Supreme Court Rules That Participants Cannot Sue for Benefits Under the Terms of SPDs

9/14/2011 - Employers Adopting Features to Help Employees Save

9/8/2011 - Employers Can Play Critical Role in Battling Childhood Obesity

9/8/2011 - What is Required in the Summary of Benefits and Coverage?

9/8/2011 - 5 Ways to Keep Inflation from Ruining Golden Years

8/31/2011 - Planning for the Future Impact of PPACA

8/31/2011 - Obesity Costs Some States $15 Billion Per Year

8/31/2011 - Stable Value: Conservative Values

8/24/2011 - Employers Look to Consumer-Driven Plans to Lower Health Costs

8/24/2011 - 10 Key Characteristics of Wellness Programs

8/24/2011 - The Pros' Guide to Diversification

8/17/2011 - Companies Get Tougher with Employees Who Smoke

8/17/2011 - F.T.C. Questions Bid to Spur Competition Between Drug Stores and Mail-Order Pharmacies

8/17/2011 - Panic Is Not a Strategy

8/16/2011 - 10th Annual Retirement Seminar - Sept. 8

8/11/2011 - Change in External Review Scope for Self-Funded Plans

8/11/2011 - Q&A Regarding Standard & Poor’s Downgrade of U.S. Long‐Term Credit Rating

8/11/2011 - Obesity Epidemic Weighs on Michigan

8/3/2011 - Fidelity Finds Link between HSA Participation and Higher 401(k) Balance

8/3/2011 - Employers to Increase or Maintain Wellness Program Incentives

8/3/2011 - Insurers Must Cover Birth Control with No Copays

7/27/2011 - Can Michigan Win the Battle Against Obesity?

7/27/2011 - Comparative Effectiveness Fee – Part II

7/27/2011 - Retirement Plan Audits, from the CPA Perspective

7/20/2011 - The Principal Introduces Wellness Program

7/20/2011 - Vanguard Issues New Profile of Participant Trends in 401k Plans of Eight Industries

7/20/2011 - The Comparative Effectiveness Fee - Part I

7/13/2011 - Calories Count: New Rules Prompt Restaurants to Overhaul Menus

7/13/2011 - Compliance Update – Principal Global Investors

7/13/2011 - Health Savings Accounts: Right Choice for You?

7/7/2011 - If Your Incentive is Broke, Fix It

7/7/2011 - Financial Planning Benefit Offerings Have Increased

7/7/2011 - Employers Shifting Health Benefits Costs to Employees

6/29/2011 - More Participants Getting Investment Help

6/29/2011 - Employers Can Expect More Union Election Victories

6/29/2011 - Study: Most Addicts Get Painkillers from Friends or Family, Not Doctors

6/22/2011 - Legislative Alert: HHA Proposes Expansion of HIPAA Privacy Rule

6/22/2011 - A Health Check for America, Starting in West Michigan

6/22/2011 - Planning the Key Differentiator for Retirement Confidence

6/22/2011 - Rescissions Under the PPACA

6/15/2011 - Employers Turning to Employees to Trim Health Care Costs

6/15/2011 - Health Savings Account Plans See Brisk Growth

6/15/2011 - Comparing Year-over-Year 403(b) Plan Stats

6/8/2011 - Auto Enrollment Boosts Participation, Hurts Contribution Rates

6/8/2011 - Planning the Key Differentiator for Retirement Confidence

6/8/2011 - Income Differences for CDHP and non-CDHP Enrollees Narrows

6/8/2011 - USDA Food Pyramid is Out, Food Plate is In

6/1/2011 - Employee Health Care Deductibles Rising: Survey

6/1/2011 - Less Active at Work, Americans Have Packed on Pounds

6/1/2011 - 403(b) Plans Increase Use of Advisers and Online Communications

5/26/2011 - Proposed Michigan Claims Tax (Cofinity Opinion)

5/26/2011 - Social Security Trusts Dwindle While Retiree Dependence Increases

5/18/2011 - Executives Concerned Over Health Care Requirements

5/18/2011 - PPACA and Wellness Programs

5/18/2011 - Fidelity Finds Participant Education Makes a Big Difference

5/11/2011 - Attention Disorder Drug Shortage Prompts Finger-Pointing

5/11/2011 - On the Other Hand - Weekly Economic Commentary - Principal Global Investors

5/11/2011 - What About Dental and Vision Benefits Under PPACA?

5/4/2011 - New Health Care Reform Definition of Dependent Child Creates Tax Issues

5/4/2011 - Study Says Wellness Programs Lower Health Care Costs

5/4/2011 - Put Your Money to Work!

4/27/2011 - Judge Dismisses Challenge to Wellness Program’s Compliance with the ADA

4/27/2011 - On the Other Hand - Weekly Economic Commentary - Principal Global Investors

4/27/2011 - President Signs 1099 Repeal into Law

4/20/2011 - Health of U.S. Workforce Declining

4/20/2011 - On the Other Hand – Principal Global Investors

4/20/2011 - Make 70 the New 65

4/20/2011 - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and MC Sports Team up to Celebrate National Walk@Lunch Day®

4/14/2011 - 10th Annual Healthcare Seminar

4/13/2011 - Saxon Angle: Audit Trials

4/13/2011 - All at Once or One at a Time: Designing Wellness Incentives That Work

4/13/2011 - New FAQ Focuses on Grandfathered Status

4/7/2011 - NQDC Plans Still a Valuable Benefit

4/7/2011 - What's Next For The Healthcare Law?

4/7/2011 - Support Continues to Strengthen for Wellness Programs

3/30/2011 - Health Care Reform Update - Provided by Aetna

3/30/2011 - Match Reinstatement Continues to Grow

3/30/2011 - U.S. Life Expectancy Hits another High

3/23/2011 - IMHO: Underlying Assumptions

3/23/2011 - Experts Say Tackling Michigan's Obesity Issue Requires Broad Approach

3/23/2011 - Pharmacists Fight the Rise of Mail Order

3/16/2011 - How is State Tax Applied to Coverage for Adult Children Under the PPACA?

3/16/2011 - Weight Loss and Stress Reduction Top the List of Employee Wellness Concerns for 2011, According to ComPsych Survey

3/16/2011 - On the Other Hand - Weekly Economic Commentary - Principal Global Investors

3/16/2011 - Employee Drug Saving Opportunity for Lipitor

3/9/2011 - How Does the External Review Requirement Apply for Self-Funded Plans

3/9/2011 - Increase Your Income at Retirement

3/9/2011 - Healthy Workplaces Can Lead to Employer Savings

3/8/2011 - Employee Drug Saving Opportunity for Lipitor

3/7/2011 - 10th Annual Free Health Care Seminar

3/2/2011 - 10 States With the Deadliest Eating Habits

3/2/2011 - On the Other Hand

3/2/2011 - GAO Urges More Help with TDF's for Plan Sponsors

2/23/2011 - What About the New External Review Requirement?

2/23/2011 - More Workers Seeing Health Benefits in Wellness Programs

2/23/2011 - ERISA Fidelity Bonds—Who Needs Them, and Who is Responsible for Securing Them?

2/16/2011 - Wellness programs and spending on the rise

2/16/2011 - Obama 2012 Budget Proposal

2/16/2011 - Must Premiums for Young Adults be the Same as for Other Adults?

2/10/2011 - Survey: More employers adopt auto-plan designs

2/10/2011 - Employers Increasing Use of Incentives for Wellness Programs

2/10/2011 - Employers Increased Communications during Latest Open Enrollment

2/3/2011 - Employers Increasingly a Resource for Health Information

2/3/2011 - What About the New Claims & Appeals Requirements?

2/3/2011 - USDA and HHS Announce New Dietary Guidelines to Help Americans Make Healthier Food Choices and Confront Obesity Epidemic

1/28/2011 - IMHO: Goals Oriented

1/28/2011 - Win by Losing weight-loss challenge kicks off next month for all BCN/BCBS members

1/28/2011 - PPACA: What's Next?

1/19/2011 - Incentive spent per worker can hit $3K

1/19/2011 - How Rigorous Will the PPACA’s Nondiscrimination Testing Rules Be?

1/19/2011 - Start 2011 on firm fiduciary footing

1/12/2011 - Many Employers Not Measuring Wellness Programs

1/12/2011 - Banks Release Data on HSAs

1/12/2011 - A Talk With The Doctor May Help Patients Afford Care

1/7/2011 - New GINA Regulations Require Immediate Employer Action

1/6/2011 - What Are the Restrictions on Annual & Lifetime Limits under PPACA?

1/6/2011 - DC Sponsors Ready to Bring on Their Game in 2011

12/29/2010 - Habits Forming

12/29/2010 - Don't Let Golden Years Be Tarnished

12/29/2010 - IRS Backs Off Flex Account Debit Card Ban for Over-The-Counter Drugs

12/23/2010 - IRS Pushes Back PPACA Nondiscrimination Compliance Date

12/23/2010 - Must Dental and Vision Plans Include Young Adults Under PPACA?

12/23/2010 - Stepped Up 401(k) Contributions Come Amid Optimism

12/16/2010 - Whitepaper: Allocating Fees Among Participant-Directed Plan Participants

12/16/2010 - Plan on $250,000 for health costs in retirement

12/16/2010 - Put down the 10-foot pole: Wellness is not a poisonous snake

12/16/2010 - Gen Y workers face rocky retirement prospects

12/8/2010 - Considerations for preventive care coverage under health care reform

12/2/2010 - Financial incentives in wellness programs paying off, Mercer reports

11/30/2010 - 401(k) Investors Rode 2009 Market Advances

11/30/2010 - Agency FAQs on PPACA Implementation – Part III

11/23/2010 - Retirement Plan Participation Dips, But…

11/23/2010 - New Spectrum Health App Offers Easy Access to Personal Health Information

11/23/2010 - This Won't Hurt A Bit

11/17/2010 - Below the Surface

11/17/2010 - Some Companies Shift Health Costs to Better-Paid

11/17/2010 - Agency FAQs on PPACA Implementation

11/17/2010 - Health Care Reform: Grandfathered Plans Can Change Insurance Carriers

11/9/2010 - Half of Americans Have Assets in Old 401(k)

11/9/2010 - 5 Ways GOP Might Stop Health Reform

11/9/2010 - The Road Not Taken

11/5/2010 - Election and Health Care Reform

11/3/2010 - Winterize Your Home: 10 Tips

11/3/2010 - 'Stay-at-Home' Set Needs Retirement Plan

11/3/2010 - IMHO: Costs of Living Adjustment

10/27/2010 - 15 Myths and Facts About Cavities

10/27/2010 - Department of Labor Released Participant Fee Disclosure Regulations

10/25/2010 - Health reform may spur better engagement for open enrollment

10/20/2010 - 9 Frighteningly Fattening Fall Foods

10/20/2010 - Legal Alert: In-plan Roth conversions enacted

10/20/2010 - Study Suggests CDHP Participants Spend Less on Overall Medical Services

10/14/2010 - Taming COBRA

10/14/2010 - Auto Features Seen as Key to Retirement Saving Success

10/14/2010 - Judge Rules Health Law Is Constitutional

10/8/2010 - Flu or Cold Symptoms?

10/6/2010 - Key notification and communication requirements in health care reform

10/6/2010 - Being Financially Stretched Number One Reason Workers not Saving

10/1/2010 - Breast cancer prevention: Lifestyle factors that can reduce risk

9/30/2010 - Foods to Help You Feel Better

9/28/2010 - Small Business Jobs Act of 2010

9/24/2010 - Average IRA Account Balance Put at $54K

9/20/2010 - Debunking the W-2 scare: lessons learned

9/20/2010 - An Eight-Stage Plan for Creating an Organizational Culture of Health

9/15/2010 - Principal R/E Fund Reports a Gain, Makes Another Payment

9/15/2010 - 2011 Employer Health Care Hikes Pegged at 8.2%

9/15/2010 - HHS Awards $31 million more for prevention and wellness projects

9/9/2010 - Economy Drives Employer Health Coverage Cutbacks

9/9/2010 - Roth 401(k) Feature in 29% of Plans

9/9/2010 - 25 Best Nutrition Secrets

8/30/2010 - Cessation without alienation: The keys to a successful stop-smoking program

8/30/2010 - Fidelity Finds Q2 Uptick in 401(k) Withdrawals

8/30/2010 - Health Cost Shifting, Sharing to Continue in 2011

8/24/2010 - Health care costs spark increase in retirement savings

8/24/2010 - 401(k) Participants transferred monies from equities into fixed income investments for the second consecutive month in June, according to the results of the Hewitt 401(k) index

8/24/2010 - Employers stand behind preventive care at the worksite

8/18/2010 - Hitting a home run with a total health focus

8/18/2010 - Lowering costs before reform takes effect will pay off in the long run

8/18/2010 - ICI: Investors staying the course

8/10/2010 - Visualizing retirement: Translate numbers into a picture

8/10/2010 - Visualizing retirement: Translate numbers into a picture

8/10/2010 - Survey takes a post-recession snapshot of benefits trends

8/10/2010 - Employers prepare to apply lessons learned from last year's flu season

7/30/2010 - Smaller Firms Fear Health Care Reform Cost Hikes

7/30/2010 - A Big Regret: Not Saving, Investing More

7/30/2010 - Some Workers Using Recession to Get Healthy

7/22/2010 - Why you can't lose those last 10 pounds

7/21/2010 - Participants Stick with Target-Date Funds

7/21/2010 - Participants Stick with Target-Date Funds

7/21/2010 - Costs of PPACA exceed previous estimates

7/14/2010 - An Ounce of Prevention

7/14/2010 - Mercer Data Indicates Auto Plan Features Lead to Higher Balances

7/14/2010 - FAQ About Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act

7/14/2010 - FAQ About Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act

6/30/2010 - “Fact Sheet: Keeping the Health Plan You Have: The Affordable Care Act and “Grandfathered” Health Plans”

6/30/2010 - Interim Final Rule on Retiree Reinsurance Program

6/30/2010 - Q&A’s from BCBS on Dependent Coverage Through Age 26

6/30/2010 - 4th Annual Grand Cycling Classic: Hit the Bricks of Downtown Grand Rapids

6/29/2010 - Compliance Alert - Mental Health Parity Regulations

6/28/2010 - The 401(k) Destination

5/27/2010 - Pouring over PTO: IRS issues new rulings on transfer of paid time-off to 401(k)s

5/27/2010 - Six Simple Rules Of Investing

5/27/2010 - Many Group Healthcare Plans Exempt from New Health Care Reform Legislation

5/27/2010 - Many Group Healthcare Plans Exempt from New Health Care Reform Legislation

5/27/2010 - Calculator Adds Up Cost of Employer Health Care Mandates

4/28/2010 - ABG 9th Annual Healthcare Seminar on May 18th

4/15/2010 - Target Date Fund Adoption 2009

3/29/2010 - Employers Continue to invest in Health of Workers

3/29/2010 - Social Security Calls in Its Government IOUs

3/11/2010 - ARRA COBRA Subsidy Extended

3/11/2010 - 'Red Flags' Rule Applies to Benefit Accounts with Debit Cards

3/10/2010 - Agencies issue final rules for Mental Health Parity Act

3/10/2010 - New Self Reporting and Excise Tax Requirments

2/25/2010 - New Article: Financial Wellness

2/25/2010 - Boyne Resorts' Achieves 21% Drop In Health Insurance Premiums

2/22/2010 - How Safeway Slashed Its Healthcare Costs While Keeping Quality High

8/25/2009 - The Whole Foods alternative to Obamacare

7/12/2009 - Robert Hughes Interview in the Business Review Health Michigan

5/4/2009 - Investment Returns - A historical perspective

4/28/2009 - FAQ about 401k plans - Facts and Myths exposed

3/16/2009 - April HSA Seminar Invitation

1/26/2009 - Michelle's Law Compliance Update

12/4/2008 - How Does Your Hospital Rate?

10/9/2008 - New ABG Article: As Dire as the Times May Seem

10/2/2008 - New ABG Article: Financal Impact of Wellness

10/2/2008 - New ABG Article: Workers Want Better Benefits Selection Info

10/2/2008 - New ABG Article: The True Cost of Pre-Reirement Lifestyle

5/5/2008 - New ABG Article: "Save Money on Prescriptions"

5/5/2008 - New ABG Article: "Employers Focus on Worker Wellness to Cut Costs"

5/5/2008 - New ABG Article: "Advice Efforts by Providers Go Unused"

4/14/2008 - Employer Health Insurance and Worker Compensation

4/8/2008 - BCBS Unadvertised Brand Website gets an Update

12/1/2007 - Michigan Hospital Website

12/1/2007 - New IRS Mandated FSA/HRA Card Changes

11/19/2007 - Principal Finds Use of Auto Features Triples in One Year

11/19/2007 - Mercer: 2007 Health Coverage Cost Hike Increases Level with 2006

10/27/2007 - Hospital Offers Credit - No Interest

10/26/2007 - America is Sicker Than Europe

10/8/2007 - Participants with Lifestyle Funds Outdo Do-It-Yourselfers

9/11/2007 - New 2007 Kaiser/HRET Employer Health Benefits Survey

8/21/2007 - Article: Firms Need to Adjust Health Care Culture