About Us
Forum was founded in Greenville, SC in 1999 as Palmetto Benefit Management, an independently owned insurance agency specializing in employee benefit planning and administration. In January of 2017, Forum joined 23 other entrepreneurial insurance and financial services companies across the United States to form Alera Group, an employee benefits, property/casualty, risk management and wealth management firm with approximately $1.3 Billion in annual revenue. Alera Group has grown to over 5,000 employees in over 220 local offices and is now one of top 10 independent brokerage firm in the US.
As a local office partner for Alera Group, we bring national resources such as Legal & Compliance, Actuarial & Reinsurance, Captives, Data Analytics & Benchmarking, HR Administration & Technology, and Wellness & Total Health Management to our local clients. In January 2024, Forum rebranded to Alera Group to capitalize on our commitment to Collaboration.
Meet Our Team
Laurie Winston
Firm Leader
Firm leader
Christianna Cato
Account Executive
Account Executive
Heather Edwards
Consultant / Account Executive
Consultant / Account Executive
Stephanie Farmer
Benefits Technology Consultant
Benefits Technology Consultant
Resources
Employee Navigator (Benefit Administration System) access link.
Contact your Client Service Advocate (CSA) access link
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
Maximizing Impact: The Value of Voluntary Benefits for Today’s Workforce
In this session, our experts will showcase the value of voluntary benefits, from financial savings to improved retention to addressing the specific needs of their employees.
March 20, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Balancing Cost and Care: Could a Captive solution be the right fit for you?
In this session, our experts will discuss how captive solutions work and what you need to consider for your own group’s needs.
April 17, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Q2 2025 Quarterly Compliance Webinar
Alera Group's quarterly employee benefits compliance roundup will help you stay current on the latest national regulatory developments impacting employers.
May 6, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Employee Benefits
The Market for Employee Benefits in 2025
Join Alera Group on January 16 from 1-2 p.m. CT as we highlight the key findings in our "2025 Employee Benefits Market Outlook" and discuss how trends in employee benefits may affect your business' offerings. The insights we’ll share and the questions we’ll answer will help you determine your benefits strategy for the months ahead.
January 6, 2025
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Employee Benefits
New ACA-Related Laws Provide More Flexibility to Employers
On Monday, December 23, 2024, President Biden signed into law two bills, H.R. 3797 (the Paperwork Reduction Act) and H.R. 3801 (the Employer Reporting Improvement Act), which will positively impact applicable large employers (ALEs) and other entities required to furnish Forms 1095-B or 1095-C to individuals.
January 2, 2025
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State of the Market for Employee Benefits in 2025
What are the needs and priorities of those in the workforce and the employment market? What are rival businesses offering to attract and retain the best the market has to offer? And what shifts are taking place in the market that employers should anticipate and prepare for? Alera Group’s 2025 Employee Benefits Market Outlook, scheduled for release on January 16, provides answers to those essential questions.
December 19, 2024
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IRS Releases PCORI Fee For Plan Years Ending Before October 1, 2025
The IRS has released Notice 2024-83, which sets the applicable PCORI fee for plan years ending between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, at $3.47 per covered life.
December 12, 2024
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