https://sdine.com/blog Playbooks, cost math, and lessons on benefits, compliance, and people ops. en-us https://sdine.com/blog/aca-affordability-2027 https://sdine.com/blog/aca-affordability-2027 Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:01:06 GMT For 2027, your cheapest self-only plan can't cost a full-time employee more than 10.22% of pay. Here's how the three safe harbors measure that, with the math on real wages. https://sdine.com/blog/level-funded-health-plans https://sdine.com/blog/level-funded-health-plans Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:11:51 GMT A level-funded plan costs the same every month, caps your downside, and can hand money back after a good year. Here's how the money moves, what to check in a quote, and who it fits. https://sdine.com/blog/broker-of-record-letter https://sdine.com/blog/broker-of-record-letter Fri, 02 Oct 2026 22:24:28 GMT Changing brokers doesn't mean changing your plan. It runs on a one-page letter, takes effect on the 1st of the month at most carriers, and the part that actually goes wrong is the handoff. https://sdine.com/blog/2027-health-insurance-renewal https://sdine.com/blog/2027-health-insurance-renewal Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:51:51 GMT Small group insurers asked for a median 14% increase for 2027. Here's how to tell whether your number is normal, what you can still change, and how much time you have before January 1. https://sdine.com/blog/how-to-compare-health-insurance-plans https://sdine.com/blog/how-to-compare-health-insurance-plans Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:40:48 GMT Choosing a health plan takes more than comparing premiums. Learn how to weigh deductibles, provider networks, prescription coverage, and total yearly costs before you enroll. https://sdine.com/blog/multi-state-payroll-registration https://sdine.com/blog/multi-state-payroll-registration Thu, 27 Aug 2026 23:37:41 GMT Your obligations in a new state attach on the employee's first day. The account numbers take four to six weeks. That gap is where almost every multi-state payroll failure happens. https://sdine.com/blog/50-employee-compliance-threshold https://sdine.com/blog/50-employee-compliance-threshold Tue, 25 Aug 2026 23:56:15 GMT Fifty employees isn't one compliance threshold. It's four, each with its own definition of "employee" and its own start date. The expensive one lands a full year after you cross. https://sdine.com/blog/peo-advantages-and-disadvantages https://sdine.com/blog/peo-advantages-and-disadvantages Sun, 07 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT A clear look at PEO advantages and disadvantages, when a PEO makes sense for a growing company, and how it compares to a broker-led benefits model like Sdine. https://sdine.com/blog/peo-exit-90-day-playbook https://sdine.com/blog/peo-exit-90-day-playbook Thu, 21 May 2026 09:00:00 GMT Most PEO exits go wrong in the first 30 days, missed underwriting deadlines, coverage gaps, misaligned payroll. The operational sequence that prevents all of it, and what Sdine owns for you in each phase. https://sdine.com/blog/peo-vs-broker-cost-math https://sdine.com/blog/peo-vs-broker-cost-math Thu, 14 May 2026 09:00:00 GMT Most 'is it worth leaving the PEO' calculators stop at admin fees. The actual cost gap lives in master plan pooling, hidden margin layers, and the claims data you don't own. Real math at three startup sizes, and where Sdine fits in each. https://sdine.com/blog/peo-graduation-signals https://sdine.com/blog/peo-graduation-signals Thu, 07 May 2026 09:00:00 GMT Most founders don't decide to leave their PEO, they hit a renewal where staying costs more than leaving and realize the window closed six months ago. The five signals that actually matter, and what changes when you move to an AI-native broker built for this transition.