Make College More Affordable with these Five Great Tips

Piggy bank for college fund. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

When you begin researching colleges and degree programs, it’s easy to get caught up with the cost – specifically the cost per credit hour. But before choosing a college, it’s also important to look inside the cost of tuition because it often includes a number of hidden fees – everything from books to parking and living expenses. No one wants to pay for things they don’t need, but students often do without even realizing it. Continue Reading

Why Cash Is Not Always King For Rewarding Employees

For employers who believe that money is the only reward that employees value, they may want to think again.  The following post offers more information.

Employers may think giving their workers cash rewards is the best way to keep them happy, but it turns out, its those non-financial awards that lead to loyalty and productivity among employees.

“Cash rewards don’t have a long lasting effect,” says Susan Heathfield, About.com Guide to Human Resources. “Most people fritter it away and don’t spend it on something tangible or significant in their lives and as a consequence its impact doesn’t last.”

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Why Cash Is Not Always King For Rewarding Employees

Most Employers Offering Voluntary Benefits and Employee Perks

Amy Kaminski of Compdata Surveys

With slow economic growth and minimal pay increase budgets to work with, it’s no wonder companies continue to count every dollar when it comes to benefits planning. Human resources professionals, who are also dealing with the demands of employees to offer more comprehensive coverage, have found that offering voluntary benefits may be the key to boosting the value of their company’s benefits plan.

Voluntary benefits are benefits offered by employers, in which the entire premium cost to receive the benefit is paid for by the employees choosing to enroll in them. The Compdata SurveysBenefits USA 2012/2013 survey results found 49.6 percent of organizations offer accident insurance to employees as a voluntary benefit. More than a third of employers offer cancer care as a voluntary benefit, while 28.4 percent offer legal assistance. Universal life insurance is offered at 25.2 percent of companies surveyed. Parking perks and pet insurance are offered at a rate of 11.3 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively. Continue Reading