Better benefits.
Less complexity.
Real savings.
You are the one people come to with benefits questions. We built this for you — plain-English guides on Section 125, FSAs, HSAs, ICHRA, ACA compliance, and the supplemental side of the menu. No jargon, no sales pitch.
We get it
The three things that eat up your week
You have payroll to run, open enrollment to communicate, and a CFO asking why benefits cost so much. These are the three places we help HR most often.
Compliance without the headache
Section 125, nondiscrimination testing, ACA reporting, plan documents. It reads like tax code because it is tax code. We translate each piece into plain English and flag what actually matters for your company size.
Plain-English guides, not tax code
Enrollment your employees actually read
The biggest reason benefits participation is low is not bad benefits — it is confusing communication. We have templates, short videos, and simple explainers you can drop into your enrollment packets and Slack channels.
Templates you can actually use
Setup without the runaround
Payroll, carrier, TPA, plan documents — starting a new benefit means coordinating four or five vendors at once. We have step-by-step guides for the common setups (ADP, Paychex, Gusto) so nothing falls through the cracks.
Step-by-step, by payroll provider
Resources
Start here
Three places to begin, depending on what is on your plate this week.
The Section 125 Guide
How cafeteria plans actually work, what the IRS requires, and what most HR teams miss. Built for someone who has ten other tabs open.
Read the Guide
The FICA math, made real
Numbers on a real paycheck, before and after. Useful for the conversation where your CFO asks you to defend the benefits line.
Learn More
The calculator
Enter headcount and average salary, get an estimate of what a Section 125 plan could save your company this year. No email required.
Open Calculator
Impact
What companies see when Section 125 is set up right
Employee Take-Home Increase
Average annual increase per employee in take-home pay
Based on average salary and participation rates
Employee Satisfaction
Of employees value pre-tax benefits offerings
Survey data from benefits industry reports
Days to Implementation
Typical timeline from planning to go-live
With proper guidance and coordination
Section 125 Compliance Checker
We're building a self-service compliance checker that helps HR teams verify their Section 125 plan meets IRS requirements, including nondiscrimination testing, plan document review, and eligibility verification.
Want early access? Reach out through our contact page and we'll notify you when it launches.
HR director FAQ
Plain-English answers to the questions that come up most often in HR meetings about benefits.
What does an HR director need to know about Section 125 plans?
A Section 125 plan (also called a cafeteria plan) is what allows employee benefit deductions — health premiums, FSA contributions, dependent care — to run pre-tax. Without a Section 125 plan document in place, those deductions are technically post-tax and both the employer and the employee pay full FICA (7.65% each) on them. An HR director's job is to confirm the plan document exists, is current, and covers the benefits actually being offered.
What is the difference between an FSA, an HSA, and an HRA?
An FSA (Flexible Spending Account) is employee-funded, pre-tax, and use-it-or-lose-it within the plan year. An HSA (Health Savings Account) is paired with a high-deductible health plan, is employee-owned, rolls over every year, and has a triple tax advantage. An HRA (Health Reimbursement Arrangement) is employer-funded, and ICHRA is the individual-coverage version that lets employers reimburse employees for individual market plans instead of offering a group plan.
Do HR directors need a benefits broker to set up Section 125?
No. A broker can help, but many HR departments set up and run Section 125 plans directly with a plan document provider and their existing payroll system. The decision usually comes down to whether the HR team has bandwidth to manage the compliance paperwork and employee communication, or whether outsourcing to a broker or administrator makes sense.
How does ICHRA compare to offering a traditional group health plan?
ICHRA (Individual Coverage HRA) lets an employer give employees a fixed monthly reimbursement to buy their own individual health insurance on the marketplace. Group plans pool everyone into one policy. ICHRA offers budget predictability and avoids annual renewal rate shocks, but requires employees to shop their own plan. It is most commonly used by small employers, multi-state teams, and companies with high turnover.
What are the ACA reporting requirements for an HR director?
Employers with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees (Applicable Large Employers) must file Forms 1094-C and 1095-C annually with the IRS, reporting health coverage offered to each full-time employee. Penalties for non-filing or incorrect filing can run thousands of dollars per form. Employers under 50 FTEs who sponsor a self-insured plan still file 1095-B.
Got a specific question? Talk to David.
David is a licensed benefits professional. A 15-minute conversation to pressure-test your plan, spot gaps, or walk through a setup you are about to run. No sales pitch.
Talk to DavidEducational Content Only: The information provided on benefitsgenius.co is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute insurance, tax, legal, or financial advice. Consult with qualified professionals regarding your specific situation.
Ready to see how much your company could save?
Connect with David Toves for a free, no-obligation consultation — or ask Sarah a quick question anytime.
