Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. In fact, 1 in every 4 deaths is caused by heart disease. Heart disease refers to several different types of heart conditions. Coronary artery disease—caused by plaque buildup in the walls of the heart’s arteries—is the most common. Other forms of heart disease include heart attack, heart failure, arrhythmia and congenital heart defects. The symptoms of heart disease can vary, and some people may not even know they have a heart condition until they have a heart attack. Red flags include shortness of breath, chest discomfort, difficulty with speech, heart palpitations and sudden loss of responsiveness. Take Control of Your Heart Health There are certain uncontrollable factors that increase your risk of heart disease, including age, sex and family history. However, other factors that increase your risk for heart disease—such as stress, inactivity, obesity, diabetes, smoking and a po...

  Thank you for joining for another episode in our video series: For Your Benefit with HANYS Benefit Services. It's the start of a new year and in this episode, we're introducing our 2021 Retirement Services Compliance Calendar. To ensure plan fiduciaries begin the year with their best foot forward, we're also providing a summary of fiduciary best practices. Tune in to each episode as we discuss regulations, investments, compliance and all things benefits. Hear from leading experts as we share insight on the employee benefit topics and trends that matter most. If you have any questions on content from our video or would like to begin talking to a retirement plan advisor, please get in touch by  email  or by calling (800) 388-1963.

  Thank you for joining for another episode in our video series: For Your Benefit with HANYS Benefit Services. It's the start of a new year and in this episode, we're introducing our 2021 Retirement Services Compliance Calendar. To ensure plan fiduciaries begin the year with their best foot forward, we're also providing a summary of fiduciary best practices. Tune in to each episode as we discuss regulations, investments, compliance and all things benefits. Hear from leading experts as we share insight on the employee benefit topics and trends that matter most. If you have any questions on content from our video or would like to begin talking to a retirement plan advisor, please get in touch by  email  or by calling (800) 388-1963.

Each quarter, the Attraction and Retention newsletter offers statistics about the employment market, suggestions on securing top talent and insight to attract and retain workers. The 1st Quarter 2021 Attraction and Retention newsletter looks at employment trends to watch in the new year, discusses why skills can be more valuable than experience and offers tips for crafting job postings. Download your copy today . For more information on healthcare and employee benefits changes, contact HANYS Benefit Services by  email  or by calling (800) 388-1963. This is not intended to be exhaustive nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as professional advice. © 2020 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.

HANYS Benefit Services wants to help you stay compliant with the 2021 Retirement Services Compliance Calendar . We created this document to remind plan administrators of important compliance deadlines for the new year. The compliance calendar is applicable to calendar-year plans. While there are not many changes to the compliance calendar from year to year, it’s important for plan fiduciaries to remain mindful of these deadlines. Required minimum distributions were suspended in 2020 and are back into play for 2021. Additionally, some 403(b) plan sponsors who restated their plan documents in 2020 may have to provide participants a new Summary Plan Description or Summary of Materials Modification in 2021. If you have any questions, or would like to begin talking to a retirement plan advisor, please get in touch by  email  or by calling (800) 388-1963.

Like many other people, you may be thinking about what you would like to accomplish in 2021 or what life changes you could make. Common New Year’s resolutions include losing weight, exercising, getting organized, learning new skills and saving money. To achieve your resolutions, try the following strategies: Set a goal that motivates you. Set a goal that is specific. Set a goal that is manageable or attainable. Write down your goals to establish intention. Share your goals with others to increase accountability. This is a good time to make positive life changes and strive for an overall healthier self. Consider the following five tips to start the new year off right: Check in on your mental health.  Be social.  Get regular checkups.  Drink more water.  Count nutrients, not calories.  Download the Live Well Work Well January Newsletter  to dig deeper into these five tips and learn more healthy habits for starting your year off right. For more information o...

On Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed into law an emergency stimulus package designed to deliver approximately $900 billion in COVID-19-related aid. This bill was passed by Congress after months of negotiation, and was attached to a $1.4 trillion spending package that will keep the government open for the fiscal year. Notably, this bill provides funding for unemployment benefits, small businesses, direct economic payments to individuals, vaccine distribution and rental assistance. This article provides an overview of what is included within the emergency relief bill. UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FUNDING AND EXTENSION The bill includes funding for unemployment benefits for out-of-work Americans. Specifically, this bill allows unemployed Americans to receive $300 per week in federal funding in addition to the existing unemployment aid they may be collecting from their state, if those state-level benefits have not already run out. The additional unemployment benefits and extens...