For the past several years, we've produced an annual Trends and Innovations in Employee Benefits report. This report compiles some of the biggest trends, ideas, and initiatives impacting organizations and companies with respect to employee benefits, engagement, and human capitol management. As we prepared for our tenth installment our team worked diligently to continue our mission of delivering fresh, forward-thinking topics with high quality ideas shared from industry leaders, practitioners, and peers. 

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Bethesda, MD — Alex Assaley, AIF® of AFS 401(k) Retirement Services recently participated as a delegate to the National Association of Plan Advisors’ (NAPA) Annual DC Fly-In Forum, an exclusive gathering of the nation’s leading retirement plan advisors.

“Are my employees on track for their financial picture?”

It's a question we get asked all the time, and whether you're an employee at an organization, an HR  executive, or a Retirement Plan Committee member, everyone wants to know if financial wellness programs are worth all the “buzz”. In this short video, I give my thoughts on why meaningful financial wellness programs are so essential, and I also encourage anyone to check out our 2017 whitepaper, Beyond Retirement: An Examination of Financial Wellness for Employers. This report aims to provide a clearer picture of what an average working American's financial situation looks like and how organizations can create programs to help their employees reach goals throughout their career for today, tomorrow, and their long-term future. 

"In what ways will Baby Boomers working longer have an impact on today's workplace?"

Alex Assaley answers this and more on the most recent episode of WorkXo's Culture Chat podcast. At a time where multiple generations with varying characteristics are working together, it can be challenging to form a workplace culture where all needs are met. 

This time of year not only brings a new season, but also plenty of opportunities for us to get the latest about employer-sponsored retirement plans, employee benefits and much more. To stay current on industry trends and hot topics, two of our advisors, Alex Assaley and Daniel Haverkos recently attended two conferences: The Employee Benefit News Forum & Expo and the National Association of Plan Advisers DC Fly-In Forum. Both of these events offered up valuable information on all aspects of retirement plans and employee benefits: wearable health technology, tax reform, corporate wellness, new proposed rules on the fiduciary definition and much more.

 AFS 401(k) and AFS Financial Group are proud to participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS! 

Earlier this month, AFS 401(k) hosted one of our favorite client appreciation events, the annual luncheon and golf tournament! With the perfect weather and great turnout, Worthington Manor Golf Club in Urbana, MD offered us a wonderful environment for a day on the course and a little healthy competition.

One of our advisors, Alex Assaley was honored to be invited to the first NAPA DC Fly-In Forum held on Capitol Hill last week. Hundreds of advisors flocked to DC to meet with policymakers and discuss the critical role of employer-retirement plans in helping American workers save for retirement. It's not every day that plan advisors are invited to contribute to the legislative process so this was truly a unique experience. There is a small, but vocal group of academic professors and legislators who wonder if the current 401(k) retirement plan system is "broken." Others opine for a government-run program akin to social security. There is also the larger Tax Reform debate which puts the tax incentives currently in place for qualified retirement plans in focus (and maybe on the chopping block). The Forum allowed retirement advisors, who are working each day to help workers save for their future, discuss these and other issues with leading Senators, Congressional leaders, and their staff.