How Financial Instability Became the Enemy of Your Retirement Benefit
Employers offer retirement programs to support employees’ financial wellbeing, which may also include a match, educational support, and other features intended to improve their financial lives. But with 70% of employees living paycheck to paycheck, most employees can’t prioritize a goal in the far-off future. They’re struggling with financial pressures in the here and now. […]
Employees Need Human Support to Improve Their Financial Health
Many companies offer employees financial wellness programs with budgeting tools, webinars, and most recently, AI- driven coaching and advice. These tools may look like support – but they don’t help with money emergencies, such as when an employee’s car breaks down, rent is overdue, or their account is drained before the next payday. Those examples […]
Financial Stress: The Overlooked Health Condition Driving Costs
Healthcare inflation just hit a three-year high, and Aon projects employer healthcare costs will climb past $17,000 per employee in 2026 — the steepest increase in 15 years. Yet one of the biggest drivers of those costs often gets overlooked: financial stress. It’s not just about money. It’s tied to worse physical and mental health […]
Still Struggling: What the 2025 Financial Health Pulse® Report Reveals About Employees
The financial health of working Americans remains fragile, according to the Financial Health Network’s Financial Health Pulse® 2025 U.S. Trends Report. Last year’s report painted a troubling picture, with more than two-thirds of households (70%) considered not financially healthy and day-to-day indicators trending downward. The 2025 findings show only slight improvement: just 31% of households […]
Safe, Affordable Financial Tools Are a Lifeline for Employees — If Employers Provide Them
Across the country, employees are under enormous financial strain. As Jennifer Tescher, founder and CEO of the Financial Health Network, explained in Forbes: “More than half of Americans spent as much as or more than their income over the past year, and nearly a third of households reported falling behind on at least one bill […]
The New Reality of Benefits: How Forward-Thinking Employers Are Managing Cost, Complexity, and Care in 2025
Healthcare costs are rising. Employee expectations are shifting. And the way organizations manage benefits is undergoing a fundamental reset. In “Strategically Managing Health and Wellbeing Costs in 2025,” WTW makes a compelling case for a more strategic approach to benefits. The most effective leaders today aren’t reacting; they’re reimagining. They’re using benefits to drive engagement, […]
How Financial Stress Is Driving Benefits Choices
“What does the price of eggs have to do with annual enrollment?” Mercer asked that question recently, and the answer is: more than you might think. With 70% of employees considered not financially healthy, many of your employees are currently struggling with the cost of housing, groceries, and everyday essentials. As open enrollment season approaches, […]
Brightside Makes the 2025 Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies
With 2,772% Revenue Growth Since 2021, Brightside ranks No.137 on the list Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future, today announced that Brightside is No.137 on the annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The list provides a […]
The Healthcare Cost Crisis is Growing – But Employers Aren’t Powerless
U.S. employers started this year expecting their healthcare costs to jump 8% — the highest increase in more than a decade, according to the Business Group on Health (BGH). Unfortunately, that expectation became reality. Even more concerning, BGH’s president and CEO said they don’t “anticipate trend abatement for 2026.” It’s no wonder that WTW’s 2025 […]
The Student Loan Squeeze on Employers Is Only Getting Tighter
The cost of student loan debt has always shown up in your workforce in the form of financial stress, reduced productivity, and increased turnover. But after the sweeping federal policy changes passed in early July 2025, the student loan landscape has shifted again. With hardship protections eliminated and millions of student loan borrowers already delinquent, […]