Chris Freitas

Chris Freitas
With over a decade’s worth of professional sales experience, Chris brings his fresh perspective to the insurance world where he works with new clients to enhance their employee benefit and HR experience. He is a huge Warrior and Giants fan, but a bigger fan of his kids, wife, and two cats.
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Annual Stewardship Report: What HR Teams & Benefits Managers Must Know

Benefits, Benefits Plans, Contribution Limits, Employee Benefits, Employees, Employers, Employment, Equality, Insurance, Wellness, Workforce, Workplace

Have you ever created an annual stewardship report? Are you familiar with them and all they can do to enhance your business and inspire your employees, organization, clients, and stakeholders?

An annual stewardship report serves as a tool to provide transparency in your operations to anyone who has a vested interest in your business, including the public. Businesses of all types and in all industries increasingly use annual stewardship reports to foster confidence, community engagement, and increased growth, socially and financially.

If you’re ready to start producing an annual stewardship report to provide transparency in your approach to benefits, keep reading to learn more.

by Chris Freitas

Top 10 Employee Survey Questions: Gaining Valuable Benefits Insights

Benefits, Benefits Plans, Contribution Limits, Employee Benefits, Employees, Employers, Employment, Equality, Insurance, Wellness, Workforce, Workplace

Over the past decade, employees’ work desires and motivations have remained in a state of flux. Perhaps it is the changing of the guard in four parts with the four co-existing generations in the workplace at one time. The unique attitudes from Baby Boomers and Generation X to Millennials and Generation Z are bound to have an impact on the workforce since the world has changed drastically over the past 50 years.

by Chris Freitas

Health Insurance Benchmarking: How to Benchmark Your Health Plan

Benefits, Benefits Plans, Contribution Limits, Employee Benefits, Employees, Employers, Employment, Financial Planning, Insurance

Many employees have said that they would choose to accept a lower-paying salary for better benefits, especially when considering health care and financial (e.g., 401(k)) benefits. As a result, having a competitive benefits program can make a huge difference when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent. Unfortunately, many employers aren’t sure where their benefits align when compared to their competitors or the industry as a whole.

by Chris Freitas

Directors and Officers Insurance: An Overview of D&O Insurance

Benefits, Benefits Plans, Contribution Limits, Employee Benefits, Employees, Employers, Employment, Financial Planning, Insurance

Your board of directors and officers are an important aspect of your organization. So, what happens when they face lawsuits related to things like breach of fiduciary duty, misrepresentations of company assets, or misuse of business funds?

It can cause a big dent in their financial stability and possibly the financial stability of the company. Directors and officers insurance is coverage that helps to protect your company and board of directors and officers if such lawsuits occur.

by Chris Freitas

Employer Matching Contributions

Benefits, Benefits Plans, Contribution Limits, Employee Benefits, Employees, Employers, Employment, Financial Planning, Insurance, Retirement, Workplace Wellness

Retirement planning is an essential part of our sense of stability and safety for the future. Employees across all generations consider retirement saving benefits from their employer important.

According to the 19th Annual TransAmerica Center for Retirement Study report, 78% of Baby Boomers and 77% of Gen X workers participate in a company-sponsored 401(k) or similar plan, and 21% of millennials are engaged in the retirement savings topic. Gen Z also ranked 401(k) benefits as one of the top five employer benefits in the What the Class of 2019 Wants. And nearly 68% of surveyed students thought 401(k) employer matching contributions were important in the NACE Class of 2017 Student Survey. Also, in the 2018 American Institute of CPAs survey of 547 recent college grads and college seniors, 36% ranked 401(k) with a company match in the top three workplace benefits.

by Chris Freitas

SEP IRA Employee Contribution: An Overview

Benefits, Benefits Plans, Employee Benefits, Employees, Insurance, Retirement, SEP, IRA, Employee Contribution

Retirement planning is an essential part of one’s livelihood. However, determining the right retirement plan for a business or individual isn’t always easy. There are many options available to meet the specific needs and requirements of employers and individuals. Included among retirement plan options are the traditional, Roth, and SEP IRA.

by Chris Freitas

Should I Use an Insurance Broker?

Benefits, Benefits Plans, Employee Benefits, Employees, Insurance, Leadership, Workforce, Workplace, Insurance Broker

One of the best benefits of insurance brokers is that they work for the consumer to procure insurance plans that meet their needs instead of insurance companies. Furthermore, brokers work with several insurance carriers, so they can shop around to find the best pricing and plans to meet the needs of a business and individual clients. They often receive broker discounts from insurance companies and, at times, can pass those savings on to the consumer.

by Chris Freitas

Tuition Reimbursement: How Do Employers Benefit from It?

Benefits, Benefits Plans, Employee Benefits, Employee Training, Employees, Leadership, Workforce, Workplace, Education, Tuition Reimbursement

It is common knowledge that student loan debt is a combined trillion-dollar concern for millions of Americans. However, that doesn’t deter individuals, young and old alike, from pursuing higher education. It does, however, give them cause to find lower-priced colleges and various means to pay for college without going into insurmountable debt. Grants, low-interest loans, work-study, and tuition reimbursement are all options to help cover college expenses.  

by Chris Freitas

New Trends in Employee Benefits for 2021

Benefit Advisors, Benefits, Benefits Plans, Employee Benefits, Employee Training, Employees, Insurance, Leadership, Technology, Workforce, Workplace, Online Benefits, Education

Employee benefits are an essential part of any employee value proposition. Employers have continually used their comprehensive benefits plan to attract and retain top talent in competitive job markets for decades.

As we continue into Q1 of 2021, there is no question that 2020 was a year that will go down in history. Between the pandemic and natural disasters to the changing political landscape, we saw a shift in the benefits employees desired and needed.

by Chris Freitas

Drug-Free Workplace Policy and Marijuana Legalization for Employers

Benefits Plans, Employee Training, Insurance, Leadership, Technology, Workforce, Workplace, Workplace Safety, Education, Workplace Policy, Drug Free Workplace Policy

Marijuana laws are changing quickly across the United States. Marijuana, also referred to as cannabis, reform was at the forefront of national and state legislative movements in 2020.

Understandably, confusion might surface as organizations attempt to keep up with the changing legal landscape of marijuana use while also maintaining a drug-free workplace policy. Employers face balancing workplace safety, meeting legal requirements, and administering a non-discriminatory drug use policy relating to marijuana use.

by Chris Freitas