As the calendar winds down, brokers have a unique opportunity to help clients close out the year on a high note. Beyond reviewing enrollment, December is the perfect time to ensure employees and employers alike maximize the value of their benefits. Here’s a practical 10-point checklist to guide year-end conversations and actions:

1. Confirm Contributions and Employer Matches
   Ensure employees capture the full value of 401(k), HSA, FSA, or other pre-tax contributions. Missing out on matches or contribution limits isn’t just lost dollars for employees—it’s lost ROI for employers.
   
   
2. Review Overall Participation Rates
   Examine enrollment metrics across medical, dental, vision, supplemental, and pre-tax accounts. Identify trends, gaps, or underutilized benefits employees can address next year.
   
   
3. Analyze Supplemental Benefit Uptake
   Check adoption of critical supplemental offerings, like disability, accident, or critical illness coverage. Highlight opportunities where better guidance could increase participation.
   
   
4. Assess Employee Engagement with Communications
   Review which enrollment emails, meetings, or decision-support tools were most effective. Identify areas where employees still had confusion or were disengaged.
   
   
5. Evaluate Financial Impact for Employees
   Determine where employees left value on the table—missed HSAs, FSAs, or retirement contributions—and quantify potential savings to showcase tangible benefits.
   
   
6. Measure Employer ROI
   Translate employee decisions into measurable outcomes for employers. Highlight cost savings, increased engagement, or improved risk management from smarter benefit selections.
   
   
7. Plan Next-Year Strategy Sessions
   Schedule meetings with clients to discuss lessons learned, propose enhancements, and outline communications or engagement strategies for 2026.
   
   
8. Identify Opportunities for Smarter Guidance Tools
   Recommend tools that simplify decision-making, reduce survey fatigue, or provide personalized recommendations to improve employee outcomes and enrollment efficiency.
   
   
9. Check Compliance and Administrative Tasks
   Confirm that all necessary year-end reporting, plan updates, and contribution reconciliations are completed accurately and on time.
   
   
10. Celebrate Wins and Share Insights
    Highlight successes with your clients—such as higher-than-expected engagement, improved adoption of pre-tax or supplemental benefits, or notable savings for employees. Ending the year on a positive note reinforces your role as a strategic partner.
    
    

When brokers follow this checklist, they not only help clients maximize current benefits but also lay the groundwork for stronger enrollment, higher satisfaction, and improved outcomes next year. Closing the year effectively isn’t just a wrap-up, it's the first step in creating a smarter, more efficient benefits strategy for 2026.

Let’s connect on how SAVVI solutions can strengthen your strategy heading into open enrollment.

Click here to schedule a 30 minute chat. Or simply call 781-583-7017 or email at sales@savvifi.com.