In today’s economy, a prudent business owner seldom accepts cost for raw materials, supplies and services as fixed. A company’s bottom line requires a constant monitoring of these costs, a day-to-day working knowledge of the market, and of the competition.

If you’re living with the bottom line, you can’t afford to accept these costs as fixed.

Yet this is precisely what many companies are doing today with their employee benefit programs and retirement plans. Often they are bought without adequate knowledge for a prudent decision. Often they are bought on the basis of friendship alone, or a fancy presentation. Once put in place, they stay in place, slumbering into obsolescence. And all too often, they end up costing far more than necessary.

At LYTLE Associates we have a different way of looking at group life, accident, and disability insurance, at medical and dental insurance, at pension and profit sharing plans, at financial planning.

To begin with, we don’t accept the idea that fringe benefits are “fixed” costs. We know from first-hand experience that substantial savings and dramatic improvements in coverage can be made. We know that frequent, periodic re-evaluation of these costs can affect every facet of your operation from employee morale to cash flow to net profit.

We think the best “people benefits” come from the best financial management. Today fringe benefits have out-grown the handshake and telephone call to an insurance agent down the street. Employee benefits are expensive. They should be analyzed as carefully as any other major expense if you and your employees are to get your money’s worth.   And they should be communicated properly.

We know that insurance is not a static thing. It’s constantly changing, just as your business and needs are changing. The best of programs will eventually become outdated.

We also know that what used to be a simple decision to sign up for medical insurance or to buy group life insurance for your employees isn’t so simple any more. You have greater governmental regulation than ever before.   It takes several specialists now to keep up to date with policy, provisions, legislation, tax changes.

There is tremendous difference in the coverages offered by various carriers. There are wide spreads in costs; 30% is not uncommon. When you try to do cost and benefit comparisons for different programs, often you end up comparing apples and oranges.  Clearly a better way of selecting, handling and monitoring employee benefits is needed now more than ever.

The answer is an independent insurance consultant whose only responsibility is to the client, not to the insurance company. An objective, knowledgeable professional who can analyze needs, shield you from time-consuming calls by insurance company agents, put programs out for competitive bids, evaluate, monitor and service.

At LYTLE Associates we have been helping companies and individuals find this better way for forty-four years.   Our client list includes small, young businesses intent on securing their future as well as large corporations adding, protecting and expanding benefits.

We work with owners who want to protect their businesses from devastating estate taxes and with individuals who are too busy to listen to endless presentations and fuss with their policies.   They lean on our professional experience in the critical areas just as they do their accountant, attorney, banker and trust officer.

LYTLE Associates guides you in making the right decisions to attract key people, improve morale, and stay competitive with other employers. Unlike exclusive agents for insurance companies who have a short-term interest in selling a pre-packaged plan or policy,  LYTLE Associates has a continuing long-term interest in shaping a program to your company’s changing needs.   We know that integrity, objectivity, professional skill and service, that critical follow-through, can make a very important difference.