Employee Benefits

Catalog description

Employee Benefits is designed to provide students with a broad introduction to the different kinds of Employee Benefit programs that are offered in the United States and why they are important and valuable. The course will help students gain the analytical skills and broad risk management techniques to understand how employee benefit programs are designed, priced and managed primarily from a business perspective. Major categories of Employee Benefit plans to be covered include employer sponsored retirement (pensions, 401K, Defined Benefit plans, profit sharing plans), social insurance, employer sponsored health care (including the Affordable Care ACT/ACA), flexible benefit plans, and other group benefits (life, disability, voluntary). The course will focus on plan design options and pricing implications, government regulations, and tax issues. Company structures, management, distribution and risk management approaches will be covered as well as current issues facing both the retirement and health care industries. Throughout the semester students will be exposed to current risk related topics and issues and they will be able to demonstrate their understanding of them through presentations, group projects, and a final paper.