Employers invest significant resources in employee benefits, but those benefits only create value when employees understand and use them.
Whether it's a retirement plan, HSA, FSA, EAP service, or voluntary benefit, awareness and education often determine utilization.
When employees understand how benefits fit into their overall financial situation, they may be more likely to engage with available resources and make informed choices.
Employee benefits communication is ultimately a Financial Well-being issue. Employees can't take advantage of resources they don't fully understand.
When equipped with an employer's benefit offering, MSA can help increase employees' use of existing benefits through education and personalized Money Coaching. By increasing awareness and understanding of available resources, employers can help employees make more informed benefit decisions and improve engagement with existing programs.
By increasing awareness and understanding of what's available, employers can address common challenges such as:
When employees better understand their benefits and how they apply to their personal situation, they are often more likely to engage.
Employees are speaking clearly. They want help navigating their finances, making informed benefit choices, and building confidence in their financial future.
Here's what employees shared during an MSA Insights live event:
Another MSA survey found that 53.41% of employees want help understanding Traditional vs. Roth retirement accounts, Health Savings Accounts, and Flexible Spending Accounts.³
External research reinforces these findings. According to ADP's 2024 Employee Benefits Survey, 60% of employees rank retirement savings plans among their three most important benefits, a 9% increase from the previous year.⁴
Research also shows employees want more communication and education. In a 2024 Employee Benefit News survey, 64% of employees said they want more proactive communication and education around their financial benefits.⁵
Employees are asking for help. The opportunity for HR leaders is to make that help easier for their workforce to access.
How Employers Can Help Employees Make Better Benefits Decisions
Looking for ways to improve employee benefits engagement across your workforce?
Learn how educational guidance and personalized Money Coaching can help employees better understand and utilize available benefits.
Employers often invest heavily in retirement benefits, but participation and engagement may remain lower than desired.
One approach is combining retirement plan education with Financial Well-being coaching.
An MSA Money Coach can work alongside a retirement plan advisor to deliver employee education focused on:
Money Coaches can also help employees understand available retirement calculators, educational tools, and support resources.
Employers may also benefit from offering workshops focused on budgeting and goal-setting, helping employees identify ways to increase their retirement contributions over time.
On average, MSA members increase their retirement contribution, in addition to existing contributions from annual salary increases, by more than 4%.¹
Employee Retirement Planning: Why Saving Alone May Not Be Enough
Retirement plan changes can create confusion and uncertainty.
Whether an organization is updating a pension plan, modifying a 401(k) offering, or introducing new retirement resources, employees often need help understanding what changes mean for them.
Educational sessions can help employees understand:
MSA complements retirement advisors and benefits providers by helping employees address the day-to-day financial challenges that may prevent them from taking full advantage of available retirement benefits.
By improving financial habits, building confidence, and helping employees manage competing priorities, coaching may help employees become more prepared to engage with retirement planning resources.
"[My Money Coach] has saved me hours of research by recommending collaboration with my CPA and financial advisor. She has been extremely helpful in my final stages of retirement planning. Gold Standard performance!!"
— MSA Member
HSAs and FSAs can offer meaningful financial advantages, yet many employees don't fully understand how they work or whether they are eligible.
Money Coaches can help employees understand:
This education can be particularly valuable because many employees spend little time evaluating healthcare options and often default to the same plans year after year rather than exploring alternatives that may better fit their needs.
How Employers Can Improve HSA Education and Participation
Changes such as updated pay schedules, payroll processes, or benefit offerings can affect household budgets and financial routines.
Educational sessions and coaching can help employees:
Employees often benefit from having a trusted resource available before, during, and after major workplace changes.
Many organizations focus their communication efforts during open enrollment, but employees make financial and benefits decisions throughout the year.
Questions about retirement plans, healthcare costs, HSAs, FSAs, voluntary benefits, and life events often arise months after enrollment ends.
Ongoing benefits communication, educational resources, and access to personalized support can help employees better understand available resources when they need them most.
Employers that provide year-round benefits education may be better positioned to improve engagement, increase utilization, and help employees make more informed decisions.
How Family Caregiving Affects Employee Financial Well-being and Workplace Performance
Benefits create value when employees understand and use them.
Organizations that provide year-round educational opportunities may be better positioned to maximize the value of their benefits investments while helping employees make informed financial decisions.
Employee benefits utilization refers to the extent to which employees understand, access, and use the benefits available to them.
Many employees are unaware of available resources, don't fully understand how benefits work, or feel overwhelmed by complex decisions.
Employers can improve engagement through education, communication, financial coaching, and year-round awareness campaigns.
Financial coaching can help employees understand benefits, evaluate options, and connect available resources to their personal financial goals.
EAPs and Financial Well-being Programs can provide educational guidance, coaching, and resource referrals that help employees better understand and utilize available benefits.
Employees often want help understanding their benefits, retirement plans, healthcare options, and financial resources.
When employers provide education, coaching, and ongoing communication, employees may be better positioned to engage with available benefits and make informed financial decisions.
Learn how MSA helps employers, EAPs, and PEOs increase benefits utilization through educational guidance, personalized Money Coaching, and Financial Well-being initiatives.
¹ My Secure Advantage, Inc., January 2025. Based on self-reported data from MSA members working with a coach on this specific issue, from 1/1/23–12/31/24.
² My Secure Advantage, Inc. August 2025. Based on MSA member self-reported live event data. 1,230 responses.
³ My Secure Advantage, Inc. February 2024. Based on MSA member self-reported live event data. 3,054 responses.
⁴ ADP Editorial Team. Employee Benefits Survey. ADP, December 18, 2024.
⁵ Cuadra, Deanna. "Did Americans Contribute Enough to Their Retirement in 2024?" Employee Benefit News, December 23, 2024.