Time to update your systems: SSA has announced the 2026 Social Security taxable wage base. Next year’s number will increase to $184,500 – that’s $8,400 more than the current amount of $176,100. So, the official projection released earlier this year…
Benefits
As open enrollment season looms, HR departments will want to prepare to help employees before it even starts. They'll have questions, and you want to give them the information they need to make the best decisions about their benefits. In…
Clearly communicating benefits is a growing challenge for many HR teams. With a multigenerational workforce, each group has its own communication preferences, technology comfort levels and information needs. Understanding these differences can help HR leaders deliver benefits messaging in ways…
Open enrollment is here, and HR teams are staring down a tough reality: Rising drug costs are creating new challenges for HR, especially around GLP-1 medications. These once niche treatments have exploded into a top budget breaker, leaving HR to…
Forget the idea of turning every health savings account (HSA) into a retirement nest egg. Many employees use their HSAs for everyday medical expenses – roughly 75% of HSA funds go toward prescriptions, urgent care, and immediate needs rather than…
In the U.S., compliance often sets the baseline for employer-sponsored health benefits. But if compliance is the floor, it shouldn’t be the ceiling. Compliance is just the starting line. If your health benefits strategy stops there, you’re already behind. Too…
About one in three Americans has no emergency savings at all, according to a recent survey by Empower. That means an employee on every team is just one unexpected medical bill away from financial strain that spills into the workplace…
In our interactive instructor-led 60-minute event, discover how to navigate the growing challenges of compensation management amid rising financial stress and shifting employee expectations. As workers demand fairness, transparency, and real value from their compensation, HR leaders must rethink outdated…
Recent grads carrying student loan debt may not think retirement plan participation is doable for them. But if you offer a student loan payment matching program, that's good news for their wallets and your plan participation rate. Thanks to the…
Physical and mental health have been a priority for years. Now, a growing priority for many employees is this: Financial wellness benefits. After all, 57% of employees say finances are the top stressors in their lives. And among those who…
Most of the buzz around the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has focused on overtime pay and tax relief. For HR teams, though, another big impact comes from how the law changes the employee benefits landscape. Open enrollment is…
As employers finalize their 2026 budgets, rising healthcare costs are forcing tougher decisions in financial planning and employee benefits. Medical and prescription drug expenses are projected to increase by 8.4% next year, with pharmaceutical costs climbing even higher, according to…
Back-to-school spending is expected to reach a record high this fall, with parents planning to spend an average of $628 per child for supplies, clothing and technology, according to the 2025 Back-to-School Spending Report. That’s a 4% jump over last…
More women are speaking up about menopause challenges at work – and Rhode Island has become the first state to make menopause accommodation a legal requirement. The Ocean State’s latest workplace law took effect on June 24, 2025, requiring employers…
We’ve all heard the phrase, “money talks,” and as long as goods and services cost money, it always will. But, it’s not the only thing motivating modern employees. There's a new, yet overlooked, concept: emotional salary. For years, a bigger…
The IRS has explained how to handle taxes if a retirement plan participant doesn’t cash a distribution check and another check is issued. When a company’s retirement plan administrator issues a distribution check to a participant, federal income tax must…
