The annual directory of employee benefit consultants lists responses to a Business Insurance questionnaire.

The directory is published as an editorial service; there is no charge to be included. However, companies must generate at least $500,000 of their gross revenues from benefit consulting. Companies that do not report estimated 1997 gross revenues from benefit consulting are not included in the directory.

Business Insurance defines benefit consulting as providing advice on benefit issues on a fee-for-service basis, excluding health care and other claims administration, compensation consulting and non-benefit related consulting including brokering insurance.

Listings begin with the year benefit consulting began and parent company, if any.

The services section lists the percent of gross revenues a company derives from benefit consulting. This figure is broken down into the percent of gross revenues generated from retirement and savings plan consulting, welfare plan consulting and employee benefit communications consulting. Specific services provided in each area are listed as well as other services from non-benefit consulting activities.

Next are the locations of U.S. and foreign offices conducting benefit consulting. Staff information includes the number of benefit consulting and professional staff assigned to employee benefit consulting and professional designations.

The total number of clients in 1996 is given along with a breakout based on the clients' type of business, which usually includes corporations, multiemployer plans (pension or welfare plans jointly run by employers in the same industry and a labor union), MEWAs-multiple employer welfare arrangements (welfare plans covering a group of unrelated employers, usually small firms or individuals).

Methods of billing for services are provided under compensation. Estimated 1997 benefit consulting gross revenues and 1996 benefit consulting revenues are listed along with the percent generated from U.S. offices. Estimated 1997 worldwide gross revenues is also included when provided.

Names and titles of principal officers, followed by the name of a contact for those requesting further information, complete the listings.

Although every effort is made to publish complete and accurate listings, Business Insurance is unable to verify all information provided by the companies.

The following are the full professional designations for those abbreviated under the staff heading:

ASA-Associate, Society of Actuaries; CEBS-Certified Employee Benefit Specialist; CLU-Chartered Life Underwriter; CPA-Certified Public Accountant; EA-Enrolled Actuary; FSA-Fellow, Society of Actuaries.