Stormy forecast

The past year hasn’t been easy for anyone. The unemployment rate has remained stuck near 9 percent. The economy is getting worse, not better. We still don’t know what’s going to happen with health care reform, how it’s going to be implemented or even if it ever will. But it’s been especially hard on brokers and anyone else in the business. Though 2011 was difficult—at best—people in the biz are coming up with new ways to keep their livelihood. And a lot of those innovative ways involve greater employee contributions—think voluntary benefits and wellness programs. That’s one way to stay relevant and stay in the game, but as one expert told us, the only certainty there is in the coming year is uncertainty.