An opportunity to take action

I know you've already been hard at work to get your clients on board with financial wellness benefits. If they're still on the fence, start small. They don't have to invest in a comprehensive financial wellness platform today, but there are still impactful things they can do to improve the financial and mental health of their employees:

Educate them. Behavior change starts with education. Employees spend eight hours a day at work, which leaves them with little time to do their own research about money management. That's why employers have to meet them where they are and give them the resources they need to make wiser financial decisions.

Reduce the financial burden. Employees are struggling with debt, bills, and mortgages today. So as great as retirement accounts are, encourage your clients to find ways to reduce the financial burden of their workforce in the short term as well. Student loan repayment programs. Wellness budgets. Office stipends. All of these extra monetary benefits go a long way.

Provide personalized guidance. Finally, one of the best things your clients can do is to give their employees access to professional financial support. Talking to a financial advisor can help people identify and take action on goals that make sense for their circumstances. Unfortunately, these services are largely inaccessible due to cost, which is why 99% of Americans don't use them. Having employers give people access to financial professionals (preferably Certified Financial Planners™) instead is an effective way to relieve them of some financial stress.

Even though finances have a huge impact on the mental health of employees, it's easy for employers to forget—especially given the number of different priorities they're juggling. Take an opportunity to raise this conversation again and, hopefully, help them take action to address the financial wellness of their workforce.

Instant Insights /

The role of financial wellness when it comes to mental health

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