What Is Long-Term Care Insurance and How It Works for Your Clients
Long-term care insurance continues to be an important part of retirement and risk planning, yet many clients have a limited understanding of what it covers or when it pays. As a broker, you are often the one who needs to translate policy mechanics, benefit triggers, and underwriting requirements into clear guidance. Below is a practical […]
How CFOs Can Control Self-Funded Pharmacy Costs
Pharmacy costs are rising faster than many other components of employer health spending. For self-funded groups, these increases are even more difficult to ignore because every dollar of pharmacy utilization flows directly onto the company’s balance sheet. Specialty drugs, high-cost chronic disease management, and opaque PBM pricing structures are putting sustained pressure on employer budgets. […]
What Every CFO Needs to Know Before Group Benefits Renewals Hit
Why: Timed for peak benefits season (Oct/Nov) and relevant to economic uncertainty. SEO-friendly keywords: group benefits renewals, employee benefits cost control, health insurance renewal strategy. Angle: Covers typical renewal challenges, what brokers don’t always disclose, and how to prep for January 1 renewals to avoid 14% + increases. Includes tips on analyzing plan design, contributions, and vendor comparisons.
How CFOs Can Lower Their Workers’ Comp Experience Modification Factor (X-Mod) and Cut Premium Costs
Workers’ Compensation costs are climbing again.In 2025, rate filings across multiple states show average premium increases between 5–9%, driven by rising medical costs, higher wage bases, and post-pandemic claim inflation. For CFOs, that means Workers’ Comp is no longer a fixed cost, it’s a controllable expense tied directly to operational performance. And at the center […]
Health Savings Accounts (HSA): A Broker’s Guide to Adding Client Value
A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a powerful financial tool that helps employees manage out-of-pocket health care costs while also providing tax advantages. For brokers, HSAs present an opportunity to strengthen client relationships by offering strategies that reduce costs, improve plan flexibility, and enhance employee satisfaction. An HSA is a personal savings account that allows […]
401(k) Fees: What’s Reasonable? A CFO’s Guide to Benchmarking Costs in Mid-Market and Large Companies
One of the most common questions from finance leaders is simple: what’s a reasonable 401(k) fee? The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all but benchmarking fees, understanding what drives them, and implementing cost-containment strategies can save companies millions of dollars over time, while keeping plans compliant and competitive. Benchmarking 401(k) Fees 401(k) plans are governed by strict fiduciary […]
Compare Insurance Premiums: Group Health Plan Comparison Engine
Why Comparing Group Health Insurance Premiums Matters Group health insurance is one of the largest recurring expenses for businesses. Yet, many companies rarely revisit their coverage once it’s in place. The result? Overspending, underperformance, and missed savings. Comparison shopping, when done right, reveals pricing discrepancies, exposes hidden fees, and empowers employers to renegotiate or replace […]
Comprehensive Insurance Audit: Save Money on Health, Retirement, and P&C Costs
When it comes to managing business expenses, insurance often represents one of the largest and least understood cost centers. Health benefits, retirement plans, and property and casualty (P&C) insurance are all essential to protecting your company and your people, but without independent oversight, most organizations end up overpaying. A comprehensive insurance audit helps identify inefficiencies, […]
Case Study: When Your Insurance Company Drops You, PolicySmart Picks You Up
How PolicySmart helped Palazzo Interiors stay in business. Meet Anthony Sevilla Owner, Palazzo Interiors | New York CityA boutique, full-service furniture dealership, Palazzo Interiors works with high-profile clients like Microsoft, Wells Fargo, and NYU Tisch. Specializing in space planning, custom furniture, and reconfiguration, Anthony and the Palazzo team walk clients through the entire project. from […]
Are You Paying Too Much for Your 401(k), Defined Benefit, or Pension Plan? 5 Questions Every CFO Should Ask
For CFOs, retirement plan costs are often buried under layers of complexity: provider fees, investment expenses, actuarial assumptions, and administrative charges that are difficult to benchmark. Most organizations only know what their broker or recordkeeper tells them. Few know if their 401(k), defined benefit, or pension costs are truly competitive. At PolicySmart, we help finance […]
Why Drug Prices Are So High in the USA: A Deep Dive into America’s Prescription Cost Crisis
Prescription drug prices in the United States continue to be a major concern for patients, healthcare providers, and policymakers alike. If you’ve ever wondered why drug prices are so high in the USA, you’re not alone. Americans pay more for medications than any other country in the world, but the causes behind these sky-high prices […]
Business Owner’s Guide to Offering the Right Health Benefits
Why Health Benefits Are a Business Decision, Not Just an Expense For most business owners and CFOs, health benefits are among the top three expenses after payroll and real estate. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average annual premium for employer-sponsored family health coverage rose to $23,968 in 2023, with employees contributing about $6,575 […]
How CFOs Can Reduce Property Insurance Costs Without Sacrificing Coverage
In an era of rising premiums and increased loss severity, CFOs can no longer afford to treat property insurance as a static line item. Every coverage detail, deductible structure, and policy clause carries financial consequences, both in premium outlay and in post-loss recovery. At PolicySmart, we help finance leaders uncover hidden savings by reevaluating policies […]
Why Are Commercial Property and Casualty Insurance Costs Rising—and What Can CFOs Do About It?
Commercial property and casualty (P&C) insurance costs have been climbing year over year, with many CFOs and risk leaders seeing double-digit premium increases, even without major claims. If your renewal paperwork just landed on your desk and the numbers don’t make sense, you’re not alone. This blog answers a critical question finance leaders are actively […]
The Ultimate Guide to Strategic Insurance Cost Reduction for CFOs
For most companies, insurance is one of the largest recurring expenses outside of payroll. Yet many finance leaders continue to treat it as a fixed or untouchable cost. It isn’t. This guide is built for CFOs and financial decision-makers looking to evaluate and reduce costs across group health, property and casualty, and retirement plans, without […]
Broker vs. Benchmarking: What’s the Smarter Way to Cut Insurance Costs?
When it comes to controlling insurance costs, most CFOs rely heavily on their brokers. And on paper, that makes sense, brokers manage placements, bring market expertise, and help navigate renewals. But what happens when costs keep climbing and savings are hard to pin down? That’s where independent insurance benchmarking comes in. It gives finance leaders […]
7 Ways to Reduce Employer Healthcare Costs Without Cutting Coverage
CFOs are under more pressure than ever to reduce healthcare spending, without compromising the benefits needed to recruit and retain top talent. Fortunately, slashing coverage isn’t the only path forward. Below are seven proven strategies to help finance leaders reduce group health plan costs without pushing expenses onto employees. These tactics focus on structural improvements, […]
Case Study: More Benefits, Less Spend How PolicySmart Delivered Both
How PolicySmart helped Merchants Fleet cut costs and improve employee coverage Meet Tod Nestor Former CFO, Merchants Fleet | Partner, Paladin AssociatesAs a financial executive and strategic sourcing consultant, Tod Nestor understands the impact benefits have on business performance. While overseeing insurance strategy at Merchants Fleet, he faced a familiar problem: annual premium hikes with […]
The CFO’s Guide to Benchmarking a 401k Plan
There’s a smarter way to measure performance, save costs, and maximize value in your 401k plan. If you’re a business owner, CEO, or CFO, chances are your 401(k) plan isn’t getting the scrutiny it deserves. You’re focused on building the business, managing cash flow, and taking care of your team. But under the surface, your […]
M&A Insurance Due Diligence: Real Savings, Not Just Promises
Why Insurance Due Diligence Matters in M&A M&A transactions force companies to reevaluate every major cost center. Insurance is often one of the largest, but also one of the least examined. According to a recent survey by Travelers, nearly one-third of companies change their broker or carrier after a deal closes. That shift isn’t just […]