November

November Session 1: Research My Employee Benefits

For most employees who work in an office, a significant part of the job is sifting through a whole lot of emails to determine which contain vital information. That means a bunch of potentially useful stuff—like updates on employee benefits—gets weeded out simply because there’s not enough time to engage with everything. But now, during this month when open enrollment typically happens, give yourself time to review the offerings for each of these potentially valuable employee benefits:

•  Healthcare
•  Dental/vision
•  Retirement plans
•  Life insurance
•  Training and development reimbursement
•  Stock option plans
•  Profit sharing
•  Wellness resources/mental health coverage
•  Student loan repayment assistance
•  Remote work
•  Disability insurance
•  Commuter reimbursement

Tip: The standard calculation is that your pay is only 70% of the total resources offered by your employer. If you’re not making the most of the rest of your benefits, it’s like throwing away 30% of what’s available to you.

November Session 2: Use My Flex Spending Money

Do you have a flexible spending account (FSA) through your employer for medical costs? With the year drawing to a close, it’s your time to use any money remaining in your FSA before you lose it. If you don’t have an FSA or health savings account (HSA) currently, take this opportunity to research whether or not one might help you save some money. You might be surprised.

Tip: You may have been advised to use your leftover FSA money to stock up on practical items like bandages or sunscreen. That’s perfectly fine, but do yourself a favor by exploring the full spectrum of available products. A personal massage device or air purifier might do more to enhance your quality of life right now than something you’ll stash away in a drawer and maybe use someday.