Employee benefits industry news makers include Edelman Financial Engines, Financial Engines, SPARK Institute, and more. (Photo: Shutterstock)

The employee benefits and retirement industry is changing daily. Awards, mergers & acquisitions, partnerships, and more are happening. Here's what we've seen lately:

The SPARK Institute announced its 2018 SPARK Advisor Award winners at the 2018 SPARK Forum:

• 2018 SPARK Advisor Award: Plan Design & Administration Innovation — Bruce Lanser, Senior Retirement Plan Consultant, UBS.
• 2018 SPARK Advisor Award: Investment Innovation – John Ludwig, Financial Advisor, LHD Retirement.

Following their merger in Q3 2018, the unified organization of Edelman Financial Services  and Financial Engines has changed its name to Edelman Financial Engines. The company will rebrand its retail presence as Edelman Financial Engines. Financial Engines remains the brand in the company's workplace business.

MyKlovr has signed a contract with Benefitfocus to offer the virtual college counseling platform powered by AI through Benefitfocus BenefitsPlace. Clients of Benefitfocus will now have access to myKlovr's personalized college preparation services, among other benefit products.

Retirement Clearinghouse announced it has completed consolidations for more than 155,000 retirement accounts with over $4 billion in total assets as of October 26, 2018. RCH's total consolidations include assisted rollovers into existing IRAs, numbering 82,700 accounts with $2.9 billion in total savings, as well as facilitated roll-ins to a participant's current-employer 401(k) plan, with more than $980 million in assets from 46,700 accounts.

Zywave,  a provider of software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for the insurance industry, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Code SixFour, a provider of proposal automation and advanced predictive analytics for employee benefits advisors. Code SixFour customers will become Zywave customers and Code SixFour products will become part of the Zywave product suite.

Risk Strategies, a privately held national insurance brokerage and risk management firm, announced the acquisition of Arkin Youngentob Associates, a full-service employee and executive benefits firm headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.This year Risk Strategies also acquired three employee benefits specialty firms: Benefits Network Insurance Agency, Craford Benefit Consultants and Costello Benefits Group.

Olympian and celebrated distance runner Carrie Tollefson has joined Wellbeats as Run Lead & Coach. Tollefson will help develop a new running channel at Wellbeats to complement its current lineup of more than 24 fitness channels and approximately 400 classes.

The Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) recognized excellence in the field of workplace health and well-being with the presentation of the 2018 HERO Health and Well-Being Awards during the recent HERO Forum:

• Shelly Wolff (Bill Whitmer Leadership award)
• Sara Johnson and Kerry Evers (Mark Dundon Research Award)
• Beth Bierbower (Jerry Noyce Executive Health Champion Award)
• Sheri Snow (Heart of HERO Award)
• Amanda Potter (Healthy HERO Award)

Genome Medical, a telegenomics technology and services company, announced that it has begun providing genetic counseling services for Cigna customers and contracted health care providers. Genome Medical offers on-demand genetic expertise and educational tools via telehealth consults for primary care, cancer, cardiovascular conditions, reproductive health, pediatrics and pharmacogenetics.

READ MORE:

Employee benefits newsmakers: Jellyvision, Wink, Endeavor Plus, Milliman

Employee benefits newsmakers: Human Interest, Zenefits, Thrive Global

Employee benefits newsmakers: Vitals, PSCA, InHub, ADP

Benefits industry newsmakers: Voluntary Disruption, Healthjoy, NAPA

Benefits industry newsmakers: MetLife, National Tax-Deferred Savings Association, OneAmerica

Benefits newsmakers: Lincoln Financial, Finworx, Hub Int'l & more

Employee benefits newsmakers: PayScale, PSCA, Welltok, WebTPA

Employee benefits newsmakers: Prudential, EPIC, Alliant & more