Dawn Allcot is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist with more than two decades of experience creating high-performing content for leading financial and consumer publications like GoBankingRates, CNET, and TheStreet. She is a long-time content partner for DBL Center, covering employee benefits, broker technology, and the evolving paid family leave (PFML) landscape.
New PFL benefits, premium rates, and eligibility expansion for some NY construction workers coming in 2027. New York announced an increase in the PFL premium rate to .00452, or .452%, with a maximum annual employee contribution of $451.81. New York State’s Department of Financial Services published the increase on August 31, 2026. The increase goes
More than four-in-10 Americans who provide financial support for loved ones said it has made it harder to save for retirement, according to a new survey from MyGuidetoRetirement.org. Juggling the household costs of aging parents and adult children stretches budgets thin, while prices continue rising across the board for food, fuel, utilities, household goods and
The DBL Center can help you provide the solution. As more states adopted paid leave laws for medical leave, caregiving, and bonding with a new child in their family, HR departments are left struggling with how to manage leave to ensure compliance and employee satisfaction. Along with providing back-office assistance and low premium rates as
Understand worker entitlements after a birth or adoption to help clients make the most of PFML in their state. Raising a child is expensive. A 2026 LendingTree report estimated costs of more than $303,000, on average, to raise a child up to age 18. Nearly $30,000 of that is spent in the first five years of
Paid family leave isn’t just for new mothers – but other caregivers aren’t using it as much as they could. As more states adopt paid family and medical leave (PFML) laws, the insurance industry gains important insights into who is claiming the benefit and the reasons for leave. In general, PFML (or paid family leave
Dental, vision and paid family and medical leave land right behind medical insurance in terms of desirability for American workers. It’s obvious that American workers want, and need, affordable and comprehensive healthcare coverage. But more workers than ever before are also thinking about ancillary benefits that can save them money every year, according to a
Join your disability, benefits, and leave specialists to learn more about the upcoming Maryland FAMLI program It’s been a long time coming, but the Maryland Department of Labor is poised to roll out its MD FAMLI paid family and medical leave program with actions starting in a few weeks. All employers must register this fall.
Knowledge is power and the latest Department of Labor statistics can help brokers pinpoint coverage gaps in ancillary benefits Many insurance brokers know The DBL Center for our expertise in mandatory disability insurance and paid family and medical leave. But our ultimate goal is to help brokers boost their commissions by helping their clients privatize
The state known as the “Mother of Presidents” takes steps to support working parents with statutory paid family and medical leave. On the year of our nation’s 250th birthday, Virginia becomes the first state in the South to introduce required paid family and medical leave. Signed into law on April 22, 2026, the program will
New Assistant VP, Paid Family and Medical Leave, comes from MetLife to support brokers across the ever-changing paid family leave landscape. The DBL Center has appointed Gina Rutledge Assistant Vice President, Paid Family and Medical Leave Solutions, effective immediately. With 28 years of experience in the insurance industry, Gina Rutledge is a renowned industry PFML