Who should think about critical illness insurance? The answer is, most of us. It’s not fun to think about how your life might change if you were diagnosed with a critical illness.  Or even, if your partner or child was diagnosed with a critical illness.  But it’s realistic and responsible to be prepared.  You likely know at least one person in your immediate or extended family or circle of friends who’s had cancer, a heart attack or stroke, don’t…

Is your company providing less benefits to the owner and your key employees than the rest of your staff? It happens all the time.  Your hard work and efforts are paying off in your business.   You want to reward yourself and your employees by implementing an employee benefits plan.  One of the biggest mistakes companies make is providing a worse disability program to top employees compared to the others.  They don’t even realize they are doing it. An employee benefits…

  Healthcare spending Accounts (commonly referred to as HCSA or HSA) are an increasingly popular alternative to conventional group health and dental plans.  They are practical, affordable, flexible and a cost-effective way to meet the changing needs of many employers and diverse needs of many employees. What is a Healthcare Spending Account? A Healthcare Spending Account is a pre-determined amount of money provided to employees at the beginning of each benefit year for coverage of their medical and dental expenses.…

“You Look Marvelous”.  Contrary to that iconic line from the classic sketch by comic Billy Crystal, it is not all about appearance.  How you feel is in fact of paramount importance.  Silently, many Canadians suffer through real hardship as a result of how they “feel”.  They suffer from mental illness. Facts 1 out of every 5 Canadians will experience a mental health issue – a 20 Billion dollar issue to workplaces in Canada! (MHCC) More than 500,000 Canadians will not go to…

Have you ever had that frantic feeling when you realize your phone is about to die and that sense of helplessness the moment it does?  If you don’t have a charger handy you do everything in your power to conserve those last percentage points of battery life.  You swear it will never happen again and make it a habit to plug it in to your charger, computer, or car.  You do this because your phone or “mobile device” is incredibly…

This coming week brings with it National Employee Benefits Day.  On April 2nd, I invite you to reflect on the following thoughts: According to the Employee Benefits Research Institute, almost nine in ten people don’t think they’ll have enough saved when they get to retirement. Study after study provides data pointing to the same conclusion: A crisis is coming. As an employer, are your plan participants prepared for it?  As an employee, are you taking an active enough role in…