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
Meeting the Needs of an Aging Workforce
Our experts will provide tips and insights about how to incorporate Medicare, menopause benefits, retirement, communications best practices and other hot topics for older workers into your program successfully and without breaking the bank.
October 17, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
When Captive Insurance Makes Sense
In this session, our experts will talk about how captives work, the advantages and disadvantages and what you need to know to determine whether they make sense for your organization.
November 21, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Q4 Compliance Update
Alera Group's quarterly employee benefits compliance roundup will help you stay current on the latest national regulatory developments impacting employers.
December 3, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Employee Benefits
Webinar: Meeting the Needs of an Aging Workforce
Why is recognizing and addressing the priorities of older workers an imperative? Because, as Bain’s analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data determined, workers 55 and older will exceed a quarter of the workforce among G7 nations, including the United States, by 2031. Older workers typically have different priorities and needs compared to their younger colleagues, as Alera Group will examine and discuss on October 17 during the next event in our Engage series of employee benefits webinars, “Meeting the Needs of an Aging Workforce.”
October 3, 2024
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Employee Benefits
Wellbeing Fair Sessions — When and Where You Like
Themed “Live for Tomorrow,” Alera Group's 2024 Employee Wellbeing Fair is now available online, where you can access all eight sessions, select which ones you want to view and watch them at your convenience.
October 2, 2024
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Preparing for 2025: Creditable Coverage, Enrolling in Medicare and HSA Contributions
With significant changes coming in 2025 to creditable coverage determinations, employers and employees may have questions on what that means for them, whether they make the decision to enroll in Medicare Part D or continue to have coverage under their group health plan.
September 5, 2024
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Webinar: Better Benefits Administration and Lower Costs
If you don’t have expert assistance to guide you and your organization in the in using a sophisticated benefits portal, you’re wasting a lot of the money your business has invested — and probably frustrating the employees you mean to serve. Working with a brokerage that offers not only a leading-edge benefits portal but also year-round support and services enables your employees to seamlessly access, understand and navigate the portal, creating a positive benefits experience.
September 5, 2024
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