UPCOMING EVENTS

TIAA August Financial Wellness Webinars:

Open to all Employees

• August 13 | 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST
  • Special Topic: All about IRA's
• August 13 | 2 to 3 p.m. CST
  • Halfway There: A retirement checkpoint
• August 14 |11 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST
  • Special Topic: Market-proof your retirement
• August 14 | 2 to 3 p.m. CST
  • Postcards from the Future: A woman's guide to financially ever after
• August 15 | 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST
  • Special Topic: Demystifying life insurance
• August 15 | 2 to 3 p.m. CST
  • Special Topic: Strategies for staying on track
• August 19 | 2 to 3 p.m. CST
  • Within Reach: Transitioning from career to retirement

To register visit: www.tiaa.org/webinars

Times through the webinar link will be shown in Eastern Standard Time.

WW (formerly Weight Watchers) Upcoming Webinars

WW webinars are available to all employees. If you are interested in WW, these are an excellent opportunity to learn more. Webinars will be available on demand after the date of the webinar has passed. As a reminder, employees and their spouses can join the UNI WW at Work program at any time as paying members. To learn more, contact Therese Callaghan at 273-4246 or therese.callaghan@uni.edu.

• July 23 | 1:30 p.m. CST
  • Topic: All about the app (NEW)
• August 8 | 1:30 p.m. CST
  • Topic: The WW Experience (UPDATED)
• September 19 | 1 p.m. CST
  • Topic: Cooking with Julie: ZeroPoint Cooking (NEW)
• Available on Demand | 1 hour
  • Topic: Introducing WW FreestyleTM Webinar to Employees
• Available on Demand | 1 hour
  • Topic: Chef Ryan - Wholesome Cooking Techniques
• Available on Demand | 1 hour
  • Topic: WW Experience

HEADLINES

To help you become financially well, this is a great time of year to:

1. Increase Your Retirement Savings
   • A raise may mean paying more taxes, contributing to a Tax-Deferred Annuity can help reduce your taxable income.
   • Learn more about Tax-Deferred Annuities at https://hrs.uni.edu/mybenefits/tda/learn.
   • Enroll or make changes to your Tax-Deferred Annuity through Benefits Self-Service.
2. Pay Off Debt
   • Make larger payments towards credit cards, mortgages, loans, etc.
3. Start an Emergency Fund
   • Put the money aside in a savings account to help grow or build an emergency fund. A good rule of thumb is to have 3-6 months of expenses saved.

Stay Cool This Summer

The summer heat can pose serious health related risks if you do not take precautions to “beat the heat”. Practicing a few tips to stay cool can help keep you, and your family, healthy and feeling well all summer long.

Water, Water, Water

Be sure to drink extra water on warm days, especially days that are higher in humidity. It is important to drink water all day long, before you feel thirsty, as feeling thirsty is an early sign of dehydration. Other early signs of dehydration include: dry mouth, fatigue, headache, muscle aches/cramps, and little and/or yellow colored urine (urine should be clear). Carry a water bottle with you and refill it frequently. If clean water isn’t available, be sure to plan ahead and bring additional bottles of water. If you or your family members are showing signs of dehydration, be sure to take action to replenish fluids.

When we sweat we lose salt and other minerals, so it is important to replenish electrolytes too. Sports drinks are a quick and convenient way to hydrate and replenish electrolytes, especially for children. There are some available that are lower in sugar, or use sugar-free alternatives. You can also make your own electrolyte beverage with a little effort.

Fruit infused water is another great alternative to boost vitamins and minerals, and add some flavor. The added flavor may help you drink more and stay hydrated longer. Visit Wellmark’s webpage for water-infused recipes.

Other tips to “beat the heat”

• Plan for early morning, or late evening, outdoor activities to avoid the hottest temps of the day and limit sun exposure.
• Wear hats and stay in the shade. This will help limit UV rays and keep you cool.
• On days that are too hot, limit outdoor activities and stay in an air conditioned space.
• Keep pets in the shade with access to plenty of water when outside. On hot days, keep them in air conditioned or cool spaces as much as possible.
• Check out heat safety tips from Weather.gov.

Cooking the Way to Wellness

We all know we cook for physical nourishment -- our bodies get hungry and need the caloric nutrient boost. But how can cooking also provide mental nourishment to “feed” a tired mind? Employee & Family Resources' June newsletter provides some ways cooking can boost your mental health in each dimension of wellness.

Taking Ownership

Taking Ownership: Explanation of Benefits (EOB) vs. a Bill for Service

A common misconception about an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) is that it is a bill. An EOB is a document sent by your insurance company, and a bill for service is sent from your providers office. Your EOB tells you how much the provider charged, how much your insurance company is paying for the service, the network savings, and how much (if any) you are responsible for. You should always receive an EOB prior to receiving a bill.

You can sign up to receive electronic EOB’s through your myWellmark® account with four simple steps:

1. Log in or register for myWellmark® at Wellmark.com.
2. Select My Account from the menu at the top.
3. Click Edit under My Web Account.
4. Under Information and Messaging, select “I agree to receive important information about my plan electronically” and Save Changes.

Visit our Health Insurance Made Easy webpage to learn more about how to read an EOB and how to sign up for a MyWellmark account.

COMING IN AUGUST