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RESEARCH LIBRARY |
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Blue Prairie Group is committed to continuing education and research
designed to expand the overall knowledge available to the human
resource and investment communities. We publish books, articles and
white papers as well as sponsor and publish research studies on
today's critical issues and trends in the human resource, investment
and retirement areas. |
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Human Resource consulting |
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Beyond the Audit: How HR Assessments Prove and Promote
Your Business Impact
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Warren Rothman,
Senior human resource consultant |
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Almost 80% of human
resource professionals focus their energies on transactional tasks.
But you can reach beyond administration by showing your leaders that
HR is ready to be an executive-level player. Warren recently
gave a presentation on how to use the BPG Human Resources Assessment
to demonstrate your department's vital role in boosting the bottom
line.
Full
Presentation |
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A
Message to HR Professionals Everywhere
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John Savas,
Practice Leader |
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So you're an HR
professional and you're wondering why no one else gets it. You have
priorities, a strategic plan for HR, a vision to do the right thing,
a mindset to keep the company out of court, and a desire to develop
the employees, just to name a few of your many charges. So why
doesn't the rest of the company share your goals?
Full Article |
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Training Budgets: Huge Needs, Limited Resources
- John Savas, Practice Leader |
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With a limited budget, how do you decide who goes to training and
who stays home? You might think to send your weakest performers
because they need it the most. But, before you sign them up, you
might want to consider a different approach...
Full Article |
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The
Power of Networking
- John Savas, Practice Leader |
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Most of us become so
involved in our daily grind that we may not have time to network. In
fact, we may have our calls screened or sent directly to voicemail
to avoid talking to just about anyone. We just do not have time. But
what are we giving up when we do this?
Full Article |
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Effective Employee Communications
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Linda Jelinek, Senior
Consultant |
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At her birthday party a
few weeks ago, my daughter and her friends were sitting around the
dining room table eating birthday cake when they had the idea to
play the "telephone game".
Full Article |
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Identifying Critical HR Metrics
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Many human resource leaders are aligning their department and program strategies more closely with their company's strategic business plans and goals. If, as your company's HR professional, you are changing the way you think about HR, the next logical question is "How will I know if I am really supporting my company in a way that is strategically meaningful?"...
Full Article |
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Managing The
Total Cost of Employment |
The headlines are disturbing. The cost of employee benefits and particularly, the cost of medical insurance, is making many middle market employers sick. Medical premiums will rise between 15 and 17 percent in 2003 and are predicted to rise another 15 to 20 percent in 2004, leaving middle market employers scrambling for solutions. And health care is not the only component of the cost of employment; compensation and other benefits are also part of the picture...
Full
Article |
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Outsourcing |
Outsourcing is a hot topic for many HR departments. From its small beginning as a way to avoid the "administrivia" of COBRA, Section 125 claims, and the like, it has evolved into a major industry that seems to manage almost anything. The number and quality of the firms offering outsourcing services is remarkable. Many claim expertise in particular areas, such as benefit administration, and others maintain that they can do it all. Whatever you might wish to outsource, there is a company out there that is willing to take on your unwanted work...
Full
Article |
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Institutional INVESTMENT Consulting |
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Managing Plan Cost
- Gary M. Silverman, CFA;
Chief investment officer |
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A 30-year long skirmish
between supporters of active investment management and supporters of
indexing has often turned to the differences in the costs between
these two approaches. As new research on the topic demonstrates, the
true cost of active management is much higher than most people
think, and this leads us to an exploration of how an investor can
use this insight to structure more effective portfolios.
Full Article
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Institutional Retirement Consulting |
Recent Market Events
4th Quarter 2008
-Blue
Prairie Group's Investment Committee |
Fear is a powerful emotion and investors are running scared.
Although it's wise to acknowledge the emotion, it is best to be
dispassionate in our reactions. Although these headlines are
significant, they are not unprecedented.
Full
Article |
Individual Participants Can Sue Plan
Fiduciaries
to Recover Money Damages
-Sara
Braz, Senior Client Relationship Manager |
Plan sponsors across the nation took notice as the US Supreme Court
unanimously ruled in the case, LaRue v DeWolff, Boberg & Associates,
that individual employees may sue to recover damages in the event of
a fiduciary breach in the administration of their employer sponsored
retirement plan.
Full
Article |
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Managing Plan Cost
- Mike Scott, Senior consultant |
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A plan sponsor's ability
to positively affect total plan cost has dramatically increased over
the last several years and the main reason is disclosure. Plan
sponsors today are in a better position to negotiate with their
service provider once they understand how a service provider gets
compensated.
Full Article |
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What Makes a Good 401(k)
Plan?
- Matt Gnabasik, Managing Director |
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A successful 401(k) plan
has less to do with technological bells and whistles than it does
with achieving the primary purpose of a retirement plan ...
Full Article |
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Chapter 13 Putting it All Together - Vendor Selection |
| You're finally ready to choose a service provider. But whether you're going to start up a new retirement plan or change one or all of the vendors currently servicing your plan, you'll need more than just information to do it right. There's reams of data out there (not necessarily arranged in a coherent way). Where do you start? You need a process, a way to sort through what can appear to be an overwhelming number of options.
 SMART CHOICES: SELECTING AND ADMINISTERING A SAFE 401(K) PLAN, by MATTHEW GNABASIK.
Chapter Excerpt
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Wealth Management Consulting |
Wealth Management Quarterly Letter
4th
Quarter 2008
-Gary
Silverman, CFA; Chief Investment Officer |
We invite you to read this letter to get a sense of how we see the
world and the markets currently, or if that is not your cup of tea,
at least read the last section entitled "What should you do now?"
Full
Article |
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Webinar: Crisis & Change - The Impact of Obama's New Policies on Tax
and Investment Planning
-Gary
Silverman, CFA; Chief Investment Officer |
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Although the full
spectrum of policy responses will not be known for some time,
current initiatives and the composition of Obama's economic team,
point to a number of investment and tax planning implications for
2009. The discussion focused on investment and tax planning
strategies for both business and individuals, highlighting
investment opportunities as well as risks that come
with change.
Presentation Slides |
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