Capstone Wealth Partners

Making the Most of Your 2026 Employee Benefits Open Enrollment

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Many employers are already in or about to begin their annual open enrollment period for employee benefits. This is the key time of year to review your options and make sure your choices for 2026 align with your family’s needs and your overall financial plan.

Navigating the various options can be complex, and making the right decisions can have a significant impact on your financial well-being. I encourage you to carefully review all the materials your employer provides, paying special attention to:

  • Health Insurance: Are you in the right plan (e.g., PPO, HMO, HDHP) for your family’s anticipated medical needs? Have the premiums, deductibles, or provider networks changed?
  • Tax-Advantaged Health Accounts: Are you maximizing the benefits of your Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), or Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)? These are powerful tools to save on healthcare costs.
  • Life & Disability Insurance: Is the group coverage offered by your employer sufficient to protect your family? We can evaluate if a supplemental policy might be a good fit for your situation.
  • Other Benefits: Be sure to review other valuable benefits, including retirement plan contribution levels, legal services, and commuter benefits.

 

I am here to help you consider these critical decisions and understand how they fit into your broader financial picture.

If you would like to discuss your specific situation, please feel free to schedule a complimentary 30-minute meeting with us using the link below.

About the Author

Picture of Joe Messinger, CFP®

Joe Messinger, CFP®

Joe Messinger, CFP®, ChFC, CLU, CCFC is on a mission to end the student loan crisis one family at a time. He created the innovative College Pre-Approval™ system and has trained thousands of advisors across the country on how to seamlessly guide families through the college-funding maze with confidence and ease.

Messinger is a Co-Founder of College Aid Pro™, the award winning FinTech solution that takes the hassle out of late-stage college planning. A proud graduate of Penn State University, he is also Partner and Director of College Planning at Capstone Wealth Partners, a fee-only RIA.

Joe serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the American Institute of Certified College Financial Consultants (AICCFC) and the NAPFA Foundation College Affordability Project.

He is known as an industry thought leader in the area of college financial planning. He regularly speaks at industry conferences for the Financial Planning Association (FPA), National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), and the XY Planning Network (XYPN). His work has been featured in The Journal for Financial Planning, Financial Advisor Magazine, US News, and Bloomberg to name a few.

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Capstone Wealth Partners is a fee-only independent Registered Investment Advisor in Columbus, Ohio. We are financial planners for college-bound families.

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