Why Investing in Employees’ Financial Well-Being Makes Good Business Sense
Sixty-six percent of senior HR and finance executives at large companies believe that providing broader financial education at the workplace is more important today than it was a year ago. Here’s an opportunity to help people in your organization learn important financial planning strategies.
We spend most of our adult lives coping with financial issues, yet we receive virtually no formal instruction to prepare us for these challenges. Often the only opportunity we have to receive financial education is through our employers. One of the most valuable benefits you can provide is a sound financial education for your workforce.
People Need to Make the Most of Their Money
During time of economic uncertainty, people recognize the need to make sound financial decisions to improve their fiscal well-being and prepare for the future. To meet this need, broad financial education has become a desirable benefit that employers can provide for their workforce.
When choosing a financial education course, it is important to select a program that can meet the needs of a wide variety of people. Our comprehensive services are particularly well suited for working individuals who need to plan for retirement and make sound financial decisions in seeking to help protect their families and their assets. it will provide the people in your organization with a strong foundation in the six key areas of personal finance – risk management, cash management, investment concepts, tax management, retirement planning, and estate planning – and help strengthen the financial planning efforts they already have in place.
Fifty percent of workers in the 2008 Employee Benefits Trends Study indicated they would like access to general financial planning information at the workplace – up from 30% in 2007. -Benefits Selling Magazine, June 2008
Potential Benefits for Employers:
- Increase participation in benefit programs
- Positively impact on employee morale and productivity
- Help reduce costs associated with employees’ personal financial problems, such as absenteeism
- Become a valuable recruiting and retention tool
- Encourage a culture of self-reliance and increases support for company values
- Help meet regulatory guidelines and reduce ERISA-related liability
Potential Benefits For Your Employees
The benefits of providing financial education at the workplace are wide ranging. People are in need of money management knowledge and skills to manage debt, save for major purchases such as a home, allocate and choose investments for their retirement and investment portfolios, and pay for their children’s college educations. Our services address real-life concerns and provides tools that will last a lifetime. Participants will develop healthy approaches to their personal finances and retirement planning. With the knowledge they gain, they will become more confident making financial decisions to pursue their family’s overall financial goals and seek to help improve their financial futures.
Two-thirds of respondents (ages 23 to 28) in the 2009 Young Adults & Money survey said they would like their employers to offer education and guidance on a range of financial topics that go beyond typical employee benefits. -Business Wire, March 31 2009
Employees Benefit:
- Improve overall financial well-being
- Show importance of saving for retirement
- Explain the importance of allocating assets to help reduce investment risk and withstand volatility in down markets
- Increase confidence in making financial decisions
- Improve knowledge of fundamental investing strategies and how to pay for a child’s college education
- Help improve understanding of, participation in, and appreciation of employer-sponsored benefits
- Address concerns about finances
- Supports access to voluntary benefits
- Encourages a focus on developing an overall lifetime financial program
Comprehensive Approach:
- We have found that a comprehensive approach offers the most valuable educational experience. It provides a broader context to help people set realistic goals and make sound financial decisions for their families. Participants will receive dynamic instruction about concepts and strategies – not specific financial products and services. The time-tested financial principles presented can be applied to a variety of financial situations:
Risk Management:
- Seeking to preserve money and assets
- Planning the family’s future
- Determining how much insurance is enough
Cash Management:
- Seeking to create better cash flow
- Understanding budgets
- Managing debt
- Building net worth
Investment Concepts:
- Assessing investment risk tolerance
- Avoiding common investment mistakes
- Reviewing investment options
- Handling volatility
- Funding a college education
Tax Management:
- Assessing tax liability
- Using tax-favored strategies in seeking to keep more income rather than giving it to Uncle Sam
- Understanding the benefits of tax-deferred, and tax-reduction strategies
Retirement Planning:
- Calculating the cost of retirement
- Utilizing retirement savings programs various sources of income
- Preparing for a more independent retirement
- Avoiding penalties on retirement plan distributions
Estate Conservation:
- Seeking to preserve more of an estate for heirs
- Keeping an estate out of probate
- Finding ways to reduce estate taxes
- Benefiting from trusts and charitable giving strategies
This information was developed as a general guide to educate plan sponsors, but is not intended as authoritative guidance or tax or legal advice. Each plan has unique requirements, and you should consult your attorney or tax advisor for guidance on your specific situation. In no way does advisor assure that, by using the information provided, plan sponsor will be in compliance with ERISA regulations.
LPL Financial Representatives offer access to Trust Services through The Private Trust Company N.A., an affiliate of LPL Financial.
