Salary, Health Insurance and Employee Benefits

Salary.com is the place to go to find out how much other people in your area and industry are making so that you can adequately negotiate payment for yourself.

The Riley Guide has a "Salary Guides & Guidance" section that provides tips and information about salary-related issues such as relocation expenses, severance packages, location-specific salary data, and cost-of-living calculators.

CareerOneStop lists government information about salaries and jobs around the United States. Visit the "Salary + Benefits" section for tools to compare wages in different metro areas, and a link on how to negotiate a salary offer. It also has links to each state's job bank and other resources.

Beginner's Guide offers a short definition of employee benefits, and notes that they vary from company to company. Links throughout the text take you to explanations of important terms.

CollegeGrad.com encourages college students to take advantage of employee benefits at a new job and explains which features you should look for in the benefits offered. You'll learn about most forms of coverage, but you'll have to put up with some flashy ads.

Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) might seem geared toward HR professionals, but its simple and straightforward language makes it accessible to a wide audience. The site offers valuable resources such as free downloads of the EBRI educational guide "Fundamentals of Employee Benefit Programs", or the comprehensive and up-to-date "EBRI Databook on Employee Benefits." You can download the books PDF documents in part or in their entirety. The "Research" section breaks benefits down by categories, including retirement, health, social security, and demographics

The Motley Fool has a comprehensive breakdown of the different types of retirement plans. Included are descriptions of the 11 types of IRAs, the 401(k) versus the 403(b), and Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE). You'll also get daily reports of retirement plans in the news.

CNN Money has a section all about retirement, with information on retirement planning. You'll learn how to choose the right IRA to suit your needs, the 401(k) "flubs" you should avoid, and how to decide whether you should take your retirement money in a lump sum or an annuity. If you're new to the basics of getting ready for retirement, stop by the "Money 101" section first.

U.S. Department of Labor has a retirement section that explains benefit and pension plans, and it even answers questions about what happens to your benefits if the company you work for goes bankrupt. You'll also learn the warning signs that your 401(k) contributions are being misused. This site is an extensive network of articles and hyperlinks, so spend some time here to ensure you catch everything that might pertain to you.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has extensive information geared toward the consumer. Particularly useful is its guide to "Choosing and Using a Health Plan." Here you'll learn the difference between PPOs, HMOs, and POSs, along with how to compare health plans, evaluate quality, and choose doctors.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a directory of state health agencies, which can help answer your questions about health insurance and coverage.

CNN Money offers a lesson in health insurance and the top things you should know about the coverage you choose. Later, the lesson dives into the basics of the two types of insurance: managed care and indemnity plans. Finally, you'll learn how to choose the plan that's right for you.

HealthDecisions is one of the Web's premier portals for health insurance information. Users not familiar with how insurance works, or what their options are, should start by visiting the "Learning Center." It's here that you'll find definitions to acronyms like HMO, PPO, HSA, and HDHP, a beginner's guide to insurance, and a useful FAQ section. The "Insurance Locater" can help you find insurance in your area.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has information about health savings accounts (HSAs). On this page you'll find links to PDF documents, downloadable brochures, and a link to frequently asked questions about HSAs that should help you understand what HSAs are, how they work, and whether one is right for you.

Social Security Online is the official Web site of the U.S. Social Security Administration. Providing background on the rationale for the social security system and an explanation of how it works, this site functions as both a sound overview and introduction to the system, and a practical guide for learning about how social security affects you, the worker.

Kiplinger.com urges you to "Take Advantage of Tax-Deferred Accounts" in this article about health savings and flexible-spending accounts. The money in these accounts will help you pay for your out-of-pocket medical expenses. Browse through the site for more investment news and information.

AllBusiness discusses the benefits of employee stock options, and it helps you sort out the differences between incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options. Make sure you check out the related articles about Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and dividend reinvestment plans.

U.S. Department of Labor Health Benefits Advisor discusses job loss and its effects on your health-care coverage. You'll learn about COBRA, Medicaid, and SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program), among others.

eHealthInsurance lets you compare and review insurance plans offered by providers in your local area. Type in your zip code and some basic information about yourself, and the site retrieves the "Best Seller" plans, presented in a convenient side-by-side arrangement that enables you to compare features quickly. If you have questions about insurance plans, see if they've been answered in the "Common Questions" section.

New York Life Insurance Company explains the principal of "pension maximization," which offers a method of supporting a spouse financially if the person to whom the pension belongs passes away. Visit the related articles that discuss life insurance, retirement, and beneficiary information. You'll also find tools such as life insurance and retirement calculators, and a retirement planner.

Employment Digest has suggested some alternatives to dipping into your 401(k) in the event you lose your job. There are other methods of paying your expenses than relying on funds generated from previous job benefits, as this article explains.

U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration explains that according to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), you are entitled to a certain degree of protection for your employee benefits. This article offers a quick summary of the purpose of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), which offers you continuation of health coverage benefits, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA), which protects you from health coverage discrimination.

Alexander Hamilton Institute has links to the Department of Labor Web sites for each of the 50 states. Simply click your location on the map provided, and you'll be forwarded to a site with work information and laws specific to your state.

U.S. Department of Labor Employment Standards Administration Wage and Hour Division discusses the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 in this Fact Sheet. If you need an extended leave to care for a family member or to handle a personal medical situation, or if you've recently had a baby, you may qualify for coverage under this act. The FMLA mandates that your employer cannot reduce your employee benefits because of your absence.

AllBusiness teaches that workers' compensation insurance is a type of legal compromise between employers and their workers. If an employee is injured on the job, an employer compensates that worker in return for not becoming part of potentially expensive litigation. When you're finished reading about who qualifies for workers' compensation, browse related articles for more information on the subject-such as how to get a quote on insurance cost.

WorkersCompensation.com provides information about workers' compensation services for all 50 states. The site organizes information on a state-by-state basis. You'll find necessary forms, rules and statutes, and important phone numbers that you might need if you file a claim.

lawyers.com has several helpful articles about employee benefits, including advice about finding an employee-benefits lawyer to help you if you require assistance. Several employee benefits articles are included on this site, addressing topics such as wages and overtime, equal pay laws, health insurance, and workers' compensation insurance.

Regulations.gov is an interactive part of the federal rulemaking process that allows the public to learn about and comment on federal regulatory actions through published documents. This site contains a page specific to employee benefits.

The Library of Congress presents THOMAS, a guide to legislative information. Read pending or current laws and bill proposals, follow daily progress on Capitol Hill, and communicate with federal legislators.

AllBusiness has an article about the minimum benefits coverage employers are required to provide, as well as a link to an additional article about standard benefit and employment packages for new companies. While these articles are geared a little more toward HR professionals and employers, they will give you a general idea of what you should expect from your current or potential employer.