More and more employers are offering financial planning and education free as an integral part of their employee benefit program in order for workers to make the right financial and health care decisions for themselves and their family. These types of financial management programs can be excellent tools that enable employees the opportunity to achieve long-term financial security.

 Options for upwardly mobile employees

 Increasingly we are seeing companies offering financial wellness programs as part of their overall employee wellness programs, giving workers a discount on health insurance premiums, knowing that reducing their financial stress ultimately helps their overall health. This takes free financial planning to a whole new level where employees can actually make money twice (once through the financial incentive to use the services; the second time through the wealth built by managing their money better).

The best financial wellness programs are able to cover the full spectrum of financial planning issues:

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  Improving day-to-day money management
  

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  Retirement planning
  

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  Advanced estate planning, and
  

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  Investment strategies
  

For many employees, the biggest challenge with financial wellness programs is that they tend to be self-directed, meaning the employer offers a variety of resources -- from workshops on various financial topics, to one-on-one sessions, to phone-based financial coaching and even online tools. Workers simply have to decide how to participate to get the maximum benefit.  

 A person whose key goal is to improve their day-to-day finances so they can reduce debt, improve their credit and build their savings, could do so using ongoing financial coaching with the same financial planner, either over the phone, in person, or a combination of both.

 If building wealth is the goal, make sure to get educated on the basics of investing and financial planning through whatever resources the employer offers. Workshops and webcasts are ideal for getting up to speed on different content, provided an employer offers these through the financial wellness program.

 If the goal is protecting wealth that has already been built upon through smart estate, insurance and tax planning strategies, it helps to become familiar with the basics in order to make informed decisions about the present situation and avoid becoming a victim of fraud or negligence in this area. 

 Ultimately, by working one-on-one with a financial planner to put together a strong wealth protection plan that fits personal circumstances (either through an executive financial planning program or the company's financial wellness program) should be the goal. It's a good idea to meet with the financial planner to review and update any new circumstances, life changes or whenever there are major tax or estate law changes that could impact personal financial planning.