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5 Surprising Symptoms of Financial Stress (And 5 Helpful Solutions) Read it here.

First Look at the Future of Financial Wellness

First Look at the Future of Financial Wellness

by | Sep 5, 2018 | Blog

Financial wellness has generated a lot of buzz recently and with millions of dollars pouring into FinTech development it’s time to take the first look at the future of financial wellness through the lens of a recent Senate hearing.

On August 21st the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee (HELP) held a hearing on Primary Health and Retirement Security. It featured a roundtable discussion on “Financial Literacy: The Starting Point for a Secure Retirement” that focused on the effectiveness and future of employer-sponsored financial wellness programs.

“Although we are in the early stages of assessing the impact of these programs, we are seeing encouraging results in terms of both engagement and the actions individuals take to improve their financial wellness after engaging with digital and/or on-site financial wellness services,” Vishal Jain, a VP in Prudential Financial’s Workplace Solutions Group, testified.

Lynn Dudley, SVO, Global Retirement & Compensation Policy at the American Benefits Council noted the areas in which companies are seeking to help their employees. In addition to helping employees deal with student debt and setup education savings programs for their children, like Section 529 plans, employers are also helping employees develop emergency saving funds (since roughly half of Americans can’t afford an unexpected expense like an emergency transmission repair). Dudley also mentioned the recent IRS private letter ruling that might make it easier for more companies to help their employees with student debt.

Scott Astrada, Federal Advocacy Director at the Center for Responsible Lending, was critical of payday lending programs because consumers can easily become trapped in a cycle of debt that affects their retirement savings efforts. Interest rates on payday loans can be as high as 400 percent on an annual basis. Astrada believes state interest rate caps could offer some relief to those who utilize payday loan services.

Future financial wellness programs will take advantage of technology to streamline communications. Specifically, the electronic delivery of retirement plan documents could enhance benefits communications.

“In particular, legislation that further encourages and facilitates the use of auto-enrollment and auto-escalation can enhance both retirement plan participation and savings rates. And, provisions that remove impediments to the inclusion of guaranteed lifetime income solutions as part of a retirement plan can better ensure employees have access to the products they need to effectively manage investment and longevity risks during their retirement years,” Jain testified in support of the Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act (RESA) and further legislation.

What Are Your Employees Hiding From You?

What Are Your Employees Hiding From You?

by | Aug 15, 2018 | Blog

It’s about time you learn what your employees don’t want you to know about their financial situations. Find out what “faking normal” is and how wellness benefits can reduce financial stress.

“Faking normal” is a term that Elizabeth White uses in her powerful TED talk on the personal finance crisis in America. The term describes what most Americans’ facing serious financial instability are prone to do –  pretend everything is fine. Some of your employees are probably “faking normal” right now.

“The truth is it really doesn’t take much. The median household in the US only has enough savings to replace 1 month of income. 47 percent of us cannot pull together $400 to deal with an emergency. A major car repair and we’re standing at the abyss,” White says. This is a reality for many Americans, regardless of education or employment history.

“Shame keeps us silent and siloed,” she adds, “We live in a world where success is defined by income. When you say that you have money problems you’re announcing, pretty much, that you’re a loser.” For many of those struggling with debt, the people closest to them would never know because they take great pains to hide what’s considered to be a failing.

White believes individuals need to hold themselves accountable financial failings, but it’s important employers recognize, “systemic factors that have caused a $7.7 trillion retirement income gap,” like, “flat and falling wages, disappearing pensions, through the roof costs on housing, pension, healthcare and education,” that have built over the last three decades.

Until there’s large-scale reform to address the financial crisis, White recommends “smalling up.” She describes it as, “figuring out what you really need to feel contented and grounded.” An example she uses is a friend that drives beat-up cars but loves music so much they would scrape to save and spend $15,000 on a flute. Employers offering financial wellness benefits can help employees recover from debt and build budgets so they can spend their money on what matters most to them.

White says it’s also time for skilled workers to embrace “bridge work,” which she describes as jobs that don’t utilize the education or work experience that someone may have built up. She’s not suggesting that people be content with it, she’s suggesting that “bridge work is what we do in the meantime while we’re figuring out what is next.” Supporting employees that might need to work a side hustle to pay down debt and build savings can reduce some of the stress associated with maintaining appearances that all is well.  

It’s clear that even if employees are well educated and appear financially sound, there’s a good chance that some of them are acting as if everything is normal while dealing with high levels of financial stress. Employers who acknowledge this and offer financial wellness benefits are likely to see an ROI with higher job satisfaction and thus, better retention.

Reach Your Company’s Goals with Financial Wellness Programs

Reach Your Company’s Goals with Financial Wellness Programs

by | Aug 1, 2018 | Blog

In the Best Money Moves Roundup, we run down the latest news on financial wellness, business milestones and payday advances.

The research is in, and employees want financial wellness programs. A recent Bank of America study found that 91 percent of employees who participate in financial wellness programs say those resources have helped them. Similarly, 95 percent of employers who offer those programs agree that these support systems have been effective in reaching their company’s goals.  

Financial wellness programs provide tangible benefits to the businesses that offer them, including greater employee satisfaction, improved productivity, lower turnover rates and potentially lower healthcare costs.  

But here’s the problem — less than half of all employees are offered financial wellness plans, and when they are only 31% of those employees participate. Many employees don’t understand how to use — or even find — their programs, desire more personalized help or are too busy to utilize them.  Find out how to overcome those issues below.

Here’s How to Increase Participation

What We’re Reading

Financially stressed employees are the new norm. Help Millennials find financial stability to reduce anxiety, take back productivity and lower absenteeism. Here’s how to get started.

Embrace green space in the office. Green space can help reduce mental fatigue to improve productivity and job satisfaction. Financial benefits for employers are an added bonus.

Say hello to “retirement income flooring.” This benefit offers employees an alternate strategy for retirement security that analyzes and addresses retirement needs to reduce stress. What is retirement income flooring?

Free payday advances. New apps allow employees to access their pay more quickly, with one service providing up to half of a prior day’s earnings to workers at no extra cost to them. Is it too good to be true?  

Curb lost productivity. Employers say they’re helping to combat workers’ money problems by offering financial education. Here’s how financial literacy can benefit your workplace.

Milestone for women in business. This fall, the University of Southern California will set a new precedent when it enrolls more women than men in its MBA program, the first top-tier business school to reach that mark. What does that mean for other schools?

Get the pay you deserve. Know your worth before going into salary negotiations so you can receive compensation that equals your value. Three things to keep in mind.

Research Says Employees Want Financial Wellness Programs

Research Says Employees Want Financial Wellness Programs

by | Aug 1, 2018 | Blog

A recent study from Bank of America shows employees and employers agree that financial wellness programs have positively impacted them and their companies.

The research is in, and employees want financial wellness programs. A recent Bank of America study found that 91 percent of employees who participate in financial wellness programs say those resources have helped them. Similarly, 95 percent of employers who offer those programs agree that these support systems have been effective in reaching their company’s goals.  

Financial wellness programs provide tangible benefits to the businesses that offer them, including greater employee satisfaction, improved productivity, lower turnover rates and potentially decreased company healthcare costs.  

Lisa Margeson, head of retirement client experience and communications at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said companies are increasingly providing these programs to their employees because they realize it’s the right thing to do. Financial wellness, she said, is becoming more comprehensive.

“Financial wellness is more than just planning for retirement,” Margeson said. “It is really becoming more of a holistic conversation with employers and employees about all of the financial priorities that individuals can benefit from understanding, being educated on and planning for.”

But here’s the problem — less than half of employees are offered financial wellness plans, and when they are, only 31% of those employees participate. Employees don’t take advantage of these resources for a variety of reasons. Some don’t understand how to use or find their programs, desire more personalized help than the platforms offer or are simply too busy to utilize them.  

The best way to increase participation, according to the study, is to offer cash incentives or discounts to participants.

Participation in these programs is key for many members of the workforce, as nearly 40 percent of employees report feeling financially unwell. These workers say they’re prevented from achieving fiscal wellness because they’re afraid of making mistakes, or are uncomfortable thinking about finances, among other barriers.

“Employees who don’t feel they’re financially well are most concerned about short-term goals…like managing their immediate debt or budgeting skills,” Margeson said. “Employees who do feel financially well are most concerned about longer-term goals, so preparing for retirement and good savings habits.”

Employees agree that the most helpful resource in improving financial wellness is advice from a professional, which is included in some programs. But specificity is key. Employees want these programs to address their specific goals, and offer a way to evaluate their unique financial health. Seventy percent say they would be comfortable sharing financial info as a part of an employer-offered financial assessment.

The report recommends offering financial wellness programs as a distinct benefit separate from other benefits such as 401(k) plans and health plans. To drive engagement, it recommends employers provide tangible rewards or incentives for employee participation, establish baseline engagement levels and measure improvement. You can bring financial wellness to your workplace with Best Money Moves. Best Money Moves is a mobile-friendly, online financial wellness platform that offers comprehensive financial education to employees of all ages. Our nationally-certified Money Coaches provide personalized advice to your employees about a myriad of financial situations. We run contests with cash rewards to incentivize your employees to use our system, and offer budgeting tools and calculators to help them manage their financial wellbeing. Click here to learn more about Best Money Moves and whether or not it might be right for your company.

Wait Till You See the Results From SHRM’s Employee Benefits Survey

Wait Till You See the Results From SHRM’s Employee Benefits Survey

by | May 23, 2018 | Blog

In the Best Money Moves Roundup, we run down the latest news on employee benefits, retirement and workplace legislation.

The Society for Human Resource Management’s annual survey tracks trends in employee benefits. Here are our top 3 takeaways from SHRM’s 2017 report:

  1. Wellness benefits work. Most employers agreed that their wellness program reduced healthcare costs and improved employee health.
  2. Standing desks take the cake. Standing desks have increased 30% over the past 5 years. It is the highest increase of the 300+ benefits included in the survey!
  3. Flexibility is attractive. More flexible work arrangements – like casual dress and telecommuting – were ranked one of the most effective recruiting strategies.

Now is the perfect time to evaluate your current benefits. Do your wellness benefits meet the needs of your employees? Do you have a financial wellness program? No time like the present to take a look at what’s working and what your employees value most.

Employers can now bar worker class-action lawsuits. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that employers can enforce arbitration agreements signed by workers, even if those accords bar group claims. Read more about the ruling and if it’s relevant to your company.

Could zero-based budgeting work for you? Some companies are switching to a zero-based budgeting approach to sustain a lower cost structure. See if your organization could benefit from ZBB.

ROI for supporting breastfeeding moms. Employers who invested $1 on a supportive environment for breastfeeding mothers saved $3 on average. Find out why it’s worth the investment.

401(k) contributions at a record high. Information reported from the first quarter of 2018 shows just how important 401(k) benefits are to employees. How this record could be attributed to workplace managed accounts.

Amazon’s “Pay to Quit” program. Once a year Amazon offers full-time associates up to $5,000 to leave the company. Why it’s working for them.

Social media use at work lowers retention. It isn’t killing productivity like employers think it is, but instead social media use at work exposes employees to other opportunities which can lower retention. Here are some solutions.

High workplace drug use. Findings from more than 10 million drug tests showed the highest rate of drug use in the workplace in over a decade. See the full results breakdown here.

Benefits of break time. Regular downtime helps employees be more productive and think outside of the box. Find out how it works.

Have something to add? Email info@bestmoneymoves.com.