Why Student Loan Support Can’t Wait — And How Brightside Makes It Count
For years, student loans were paused. Conversations around them went quiet. But now that repayments resumed — and student loan collections are restarting — the financial impact of student loans is hitting employees and their employers hard. Not only have shifting policies left more than 43 million Americans who owe over $1.6 trillion in student […]
Why Financial Care is Critical to 401(k) Savings Success
In 2022, Americans’ financial health declined for the first time in five years. Between 2023 and 2024, several key financial health indicators got even worse. Today, 70% of Americans are considered financially unhealthy and seven out of 10 Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Despite that the 2024 Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI) Survey revealed […]
Tight Employee Benefit Budget? Prioritize Comprehensive Financial Support
Many benefits leaders are sharing the same reality right now: employee benefit budgets are tightening, economic uncertainty is high, and there’s organizational pressure to demonstrate clear, measurable ROI from every dollar spent. That’s why it’s critical to address one of the biggest drivers of poor outcomes across the board: financial illness. It causes employees to […]
9 Ways to Measure if Your Employees’ Financial Health is Improving
Employee financial health isn’t just about individual wellbeing—it’s directly tied to productivity, retention, healthcare costs, and workplace safety. Despite the rise in employee financial benefit options, many HR leaders struggle to determine if their efforts to improve employee financial health are working. Here are nine metrics HR leaders can monitor to gauge whether financial wellbeing […]
Is Your Employee Hardship Fund Worth the Headache?
Hardship funds are built with good intentions, but they often provide too little relief for the financially struggling while adding too much administrative burden for employers. Read on to explore the hard truth behind hardship funds, and how Brightside Financial Care changes that with an innovative approach that delivers meaningful impact for employees and employers. […]
Will a Benefit Really Alleviate Employees’ Financial Struggles? 7 Key Questions to Ask
More employers accept that employee financial stress isn’t an individual employee issue – it’s a business problem that drives higher turnover, absenteeism, and healthcare costs. Despite the sheer volume of traditional financial wellness and point solutions on the market, finding those that will address the needs of the 70% of employees who are not financially […]
Why Helping Frontline Employees Navigate Tax Season Matters
Tax season can provide a financial lifeline to lower-income employees who qualify for valuable tax credits that may lead to a tax refund – but the IRS reports that 1 in 5 miss out on thousands of dollars each year. Employers that think beyond traditional financial wellness approaches and provide comprehensive financial benefits that include […]
What 12 Years of Data Reveal About Employee Financial Health
The FINRA Foundation’s National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) has tracked financial wellbeing in the U.S. since 2009, providing valuable insights into how Americans manage their money, their financial knowledge, and their ability to handle financial shocks. After more than a decade of data collection, these key trends have emerged — many of which have implications […]
Supporting Employees Through Crisis: How Brightside Makes a Difference
Natural disasters and unforeseen crises, like the ongoing California wildfires, leave employees facing immense uncertainty. Beyond the physical and emotional toll, many impacted employees find themselves navigating urgent financial needs, such as lost wages, unexpected major expenses, and how to replace lost and critical resources including housing and transportation. For HR leaders, these moments can […]
Why Financial Illness is a Business Problem Employers Can’t Ignore
Employee financial health is in crisis—and it’s a business problem that costs companies more than they may realize. A WTW study revealed that poor employee financial health costs large employers $3,000 to $4,000 per employee each year. While physical and mental wellbeing programs have grown in popularity, poor financial health remains the most overlooked dimension […]
