Brokers' Corner

In this week's episode of Brokers' Corner, Mary goes over why you should consider providing quotes for virtual-first healthcare plans. While this may not be the best option for all groups, many employees look for the convenience and accessibility a virtual-first plan could offer. This provides a great way for your employers to offer competitive benefits. Read Our Broker Blog: https://brokerblog.be...

Tune in to learn about reasonable accommodation and the best practices of navigation mental health issues in the work place. Brokers, share this episode with your employer clients. They will thank you! Read our broker blog

Tune in to learn about navigating workers' compensation conversations. We discuss the basics of workers comp, the importance of effective communication to clients, and understanding the nuances of insurance coverage. Join us as we break down the complexities of workers' comp into clear way of explaining key concepts to clients, empowering both employees and employers to navigate options with confi...

Learn the basics of HSAs and FSAs on recommending tax-advantaged accounts to clients. There are considerations involved in advising clients on HSAs and FSAs. From understanding eligibility criteria and optimal contribution strategies to analyzing spending patterns and tax implications, we cover the critical factors that impact decision-making. Read our Broker Blog Book a BerniePortal Demo

In this episode, Mary goes over essential best practices for effectively communicating benefits to employees during open enrollment periods. These strategies will not only inform but also engage employees, ensuring they understand the full spectrum of benefits available to them. From clear and concise communication methods to encouraging feedback, uncover how proactive and transparent communicatio...

Discover essential marketing strategies that propel businesses to success in today's competitive landscape. learn how to harness the power of networking, storytelling, and innovation to elevate your brand. This comprehensive guide unveils proven tactics for maximizing ROI, building brand equity, and staying ahead of the curve. For brokers, these six strategies will empower you to navigate and thri...

This week on Brokers' Corner, Mary sits down with Associate Attorney Meredith Box. The discussion centered on crucial insights for businesses regarding AI and best practices. She emphasized that while AI offers tremendous opportunities, businesses must navigate legal and ethical considerations carefully. She highlighted the importance of understanding data privacy laws, especially in AI-driven dec...

In this episode learn how to sell against the infamous Professional Employer Organization (PEO) by learning what they are, what they do, and how they market themselves. Leveraging the cons of a PEO could be your golden ticket by filling in those gaps for employers. Book a BerniePortal demo Read our Broker Blog

In this episode of Brokers' Corner, Mary interviews Stephanie Sappo, an HR professional who has been in the industry for 15 years. She discusses what HR looks for in a broker and what qualities are the most important. Benefits are a HUGE part of employee compensation and a big component of employee retention. HR professionals look to you to be an advisor to this important aspect of compensation. B...

Many brokers we talk to have a goal of going upmarket. They say they have enough small-group clients, and they want to go where the big bucks are. While winning a huge client is a great success, there are ways to make your small groups massively profitable as well. Tune in to Brokers' Corner to find out how as Mary walks through a case study on the difference in profits from health and dental and...

This week on Brokers' Corner, Mary will go over the difference between EDI and API and how API integrations are a helpful and efficient way of communicating employer information to carriers. Book a BerniePortal Demo Vist our LinkedIn Page Read More on our Broker Blog

In the last FAQ, Mary Chauvin talked about the difference between self-funded and fully-funded. In this episode, she explores level funding and how it is a good in-between option for small and mid-sized businesses. Listen in to learn if your employer groups could benefit from level funding. Book a BerniePortal Demo Vist our LinkedIn Page Read More on our Broker Blog

This week on Brokers' Corner, Jill Pedersen, a Broker Partner of BerniePortal's from Oregon, joins the show to share some of her wins and losses in this industry since 2009, when she managed her groups manually. Jill shares the essential adaptations of the role of a broker since then and the necessary adaptations that will persist in the field. Growing, learning, and adding more capabilities will...

In this new FAQ series, your host, Mary Chauvin, is going to bring you a breakdown of different important benefits topics. This week, self-funded and fully-funded insurance is getting broken down so you, the broker, have some insight on what to recommend to your clients. Book a BerniePortal Demo

This week on Brokers' Corner Colorado broker, Kevin Wood, sits down and talks about his experience as a newer broker to the industry. While a lot of brokers have been around a while, there is an advantage of having a fresh perspective. The benefits industry is slow moving, and a lot of brokers have kept the same strategies for quoting, communicating, and open enrollment. Breaking into the industry...

Have you spent countless hours and countless dollars on printing benefit booklets? Do you present at your open enrollment meetings and see a few booklets in the trash as you're leaving? This episode of Brokers' Corner covers why printing benefit booklets is a waste of time and money and could also cause compliance issues.

As a broker, going above and beyond for clients is becoming the standard. Trennie Williams, the leader of BerniePortal's Account Management Team, spent some time as a broker before moving into his current role. So, in this episode, Trennie discusses how being a broker first helps him be a strategic partner to brokers all over the U.S. He shares what his team does to help brokers—from daily obstacl...

This week on Brokers' Corner, Joe and Mary sit down with the Tolbert brothers. Broker businesses are historically run alongside family, and that is no different for these brothers who started the idea for their business at a family dinner one night. Alex and Brian advise on the triumphs and defeats that come with running a business, hiring tips, and the importance of cold calling.  Subscribe...

This week on Brokers' Corner, Joe and Mary share these mistakes and inform you how to avoid them. The goal is scalability in your business so that you can grow your BOR and keep your clients happy. Tune in to find out what mistakes to avoid when growing your book of business. Book a BerniePortal Demo: https://www.bernieportal.com/get-a-demo/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brokers-c...

Join us this week for Brokers' Corner to hear about why having a service and tech strategy matters for brokers. Do you only communicate with your clients a few months out of the year? Find out how you can stay relevant and provide resources year-round to create stronger relationships with your clients. Book a BerniePortal Demo: https://www.bernieportal.com/get-a-demo/ G2 Article: https://www.g2.co...

Alex Tolbert joins the show to discuss how his experiences as a broker resulted in creating software that not only is a ben admin solution but expanded into HR capabilities such as payroll and PTO tracking. As a broker, payroll can be tough to handle whether it's with a client or dealing with a payroll company. They are NOT your friend. Book a BerniePortal Demo Weekdays with Bernie Promo Code: Bro...

The goal is to protect your book of business, but how? YOU need a strategy. In this week's episode, Joe Doyle and Mary Chauvin dive into 3 strategies that are effective in not only protecting your book of business but growing it as well. If you have ever lost a client to a PEO, this episode covers how to prevent that from happening. Book a BerniePortal Demo: https://www.bernieportal.com/get-a-demo...

In this episode, Joe Doyle and Mary Chauvin talk about how small groups can compete with larger corporations. As the benefits broker, this is important because this is a great way to increase lines of coverage easily and efficiently. Get a BerniePortal Demo LinkedIn YouTube Sources: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-100-hiring-statistics-2022-rinku-thakkar/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/meghanbiro...

Welcome to Brokers' Corner! For the first episode, we will be going over how HR Tech has evolved and how that affects you as a broker. We provide pain points that your small groups are facing that are important points to consider when growing and protecting your BOR. Forbes Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/meghanbiro/2023/11/21/the-top-5-hr-trends-for-2024/?sh=60d09e1338de BerniePortal Blog:...