About Us
Alera Group, formerly Barnes Insurance & Financial Services is a performance based, proactive, benefit firm committed to our client's success. Founded January 1, 2005 as a LLC, BIAFS has offices located at 1582 Airport Boulevard, Pensacola, FL 32504. In August of 2018 we joined Alera Group giving us a vast amount of resources to better serve our clients.
Our principal lines of business are Health, Dental, Life, Disability, Supplemental Policies, and Financial Services. United HealthCare, MetLife, UNUM, Guardian and ING are just a few of the carriers with whom we write business. BIAFS is a Blue Diamond agency with Florida Blue (highest agency status with Florida Blue). One of the most respected insurance agencies in the panhandle, Barnes Insurance & Financial Services has grown rapidly into a top ten agency with Florida Blue with over 15,000 lives insured.
As a Florida Blue contracted general agency, we have the ability in certain circumstances to help employees transition their dependents to individual health policies. We are also available to counsel with employees and dependents that no longer meet eligibility requirements to review their specific options and possibly limit their cost and the employer’s COBRA exposure.
With a combined working experience of over 100 years, BIAFS has 8 accomplished employees with a diverse insurance background that complements our clientele.
Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. CST and all federally recognized holidays are observed.
Securities offered by certain representatives through Osaic Wealth, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic.
Meet Our Team
Bill Roberts
Managing Director
Travis Riker
Sales Executive
Travis is the leader of our Benefits team. He has over 20 years of experience advising clients on all aspects of strategic employee benefit planning. Travis has dedicated his career to helping employers design benefit plans that break the status quo and drive real tangible change. The biggest barrier to financial security for working Americans is the cost of health care. He specializes in rebuilding those plans to find and eliminate the 20-30% of spend waste in today’s health care costs of others. Travis is a Registered Employees Benefits Consultant, Registered Health Underwriter and Certified Health Rosetta Advisor. Travis serves as the healthcare subject matter expert and is ultimately accountable for our success.
Jennifer Kinley-Lawrence
Benefits Consultant
Working in the insurance industry for over 26 years, Jennifer is passionate about helping her clients control their risk, retain talent and improve the well-being of their employees. Since 2006, she has focused her attention on consulting in an effort to fuel her client's success by bringing value to their plans and employees. Jennifer and her team partner with their clients by building a strong foundation of employee benefits that are competitive and impactful to their bottom line. She wants her clients to know that her team is an extension to their HR team and an advocate for their employees.
Jennifer has been a member of NAHU for over 20 years and earned their Soaring Eagle Leading Producer Roundtable award. In addition, she was chosen as one of Employee Benefit Adviser’s Top Women in Advising for 2020. In her spare time Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, playing guitar, gardening and reading.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
Setting Your Strategy for the New Year: Alera Group's 2025 Employee Benefits Market Outlook
Our experts will highlight key results from Alera Group’s "2025 Employee Benefits Market Outlook" and explain how these trends can impact your benefits program this year.
January 16, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Wealth Services
State of the Markets
Join us as we unveil the factors that drive the nation's financial pulse and how they may impact your personal finances.
January 22, 2025 at 12:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Wealth Services
State of the Markets
Join us as we unveil the factors that drive the nation's financial pulse and how they may impact your personal finances.
April 23, 2025 at 12:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Insights
Wealth Services
Weekly Market Update
Stocks posted solid gains over a short and busy holiday week as investors parsed fresh economic data, comments on potential future trade policy, and a few Q3 reports from technology companies.
December 2, 2024
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Wealth Services
6 Tips for Philanthropic Giving
Explore how thoughtful philanthropic giving can align with your values, create a lasting legacy, and provide potential tax benefits. Learn strategies to maximize your impact, choose the right assets, and integrate giving into your financial plan.
November 25, 2024
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Weekly Market Update
Stocks advanced last week, powering ahead with pre-holiday optimism despite geopolitical tensions and two disappointing Q3 corporate updates.
November 25, 2024
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Don’t Forget About Your Gag Clause Attestations
When the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) was enacted on December 27, 2020, it included a provision that prohibits group health plans and health insurance carriers from entering into certain agreements that, either directly or indirectly, restrict the release of certain information related to provider networks and de-identified encounter data, among other things. Such restrictions are commonly referred to as “gag clauses.” The CAA also requires plans and carriers to attest annually that their agreements do not include such impermissible gag clauses.
November 20, 2024
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