Archive for July, 2009
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
Child care assistance. A few years ago, workers at Xerox got what the American rank and file would kill for: child care grants (up to $2,500 per year) for any employee earning under $50,000. Most companies aren't quite so generous, yet fully eight out of 10 today provide some type ...
Posted in Getting the Most Out of Your Career and Benefits | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009
In this age of diminishing corporate givebacks, there is some good news. More companies are willing to offer so-called family-friendly benefits -perks that tend to be easy on the corporate coffers and, in turn, raise job satisfaction among employees. Some of these perks may be unwritten, and still others may ...
Posted in Getting the Most Out of Your Career and Benefits | 2 Comments »
Sunday, July 12th, 2009
If you work for a company that will help finance your golden years, consider yourself lucky. Since 1990 nearly 50,000 U.S. Firms have axed the traditional, company-paid pension. This benefit is quickly becoming a relic of the past. In 1988 close to 80% of the nation's small- and medium-size companies ...
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Friday, July 10th, 2009
Most large corporations dole out free life insurance equal to each employee's annual pay. Anything more, say benefits counselors, is considered munificent indeed. (at Xerox, for instance, workers are entitled to life insurance payouts of up to six years' pay, depending on their age and tenure). Typical, too, is free ...
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Wednesday, July 8th, 2009
Now, here's the catch with an FSA: You lose any funds that you pledge but don't use during the year. That's worth repeating. If you tell your employer to put $2,000 into your FSA and then use only $500 of the money, you will never get the other $1,500 of ...
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Monday, July 6th, 2009
Be prepared for managed care to become a part of your life. Assuming your employer offers a choice between an HMO and a PPO, take a hard look at the HMO. It just might save you some money. Though your premiums may be slightly higher, HMOs typically carry no deductible ...
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Saturday, July 4th, 2009
The difference between a good job and a truly great one may be bundled in a package of perks. A decent benefits package -health coverage, life insurance, one or more retirement plans -may have a value of as much as a third of your pay or more; but many employers ...
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Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
In this area of puny or nonexistent raises, it's tough to get extra cash from your boss. It's not impossible, though. The magic word is bonus. More and more, companies around the country are getting rid of annual raises and replacing them with bonuses. About 30% of large and medium-size ...
Posted in Getting the Most Out of Your Career and Benefits | 2 Comments »
