Member-only story
Fundamental Finance
How to Get Free Money From Your Job
There’s more to employer benefits than health insurance.
When thinking of benefits, you probably think of the two most popular: health insurance and retirement.
Those are huge, and there are myriad ways to optimize them.
But if those are the only two you use, then you are missing out on a boatload of cash. Employers vary, of course, but many of the lesser-known benefits may include:
- Continuing education funds
- Cell phone reimbursement
- Child care assistance
- Tuition for your kids
- Retailer discounts
- Student loan payoffs
This list goes on.
This article will cover the basics of many of these benefits, then I’m going to delve into examples using my and Amelia’s current employers.
Medical
Health insurance is the 800 pound gorilla when it comes to employer benefits. Some might argue that retirement is first, but contributions to 401(k) and other plans are abysmal at best for lower earning households. Health insurance is the benefit that most everyone elects, regardless of income.
