With a major in Economics and a minor in Mathematics, Bob started his benefits career over 30 years ago with Buck Consultants, Inc. in New York City where he worked in an actuarial department on defined benefit pension plan valuations. During this time he completed and passed his first actuary exam.In 1988 Bob started his own firm and soon counted three of Colorado’s top ten privately held companies as clients, including PCL Construction Enterprises, a Fortune Top 100 Company to Work For, and the 5th largest general contractor in the U.S. according to Engineering News Record. With his mathematical background and analytical abilities Bob understood and embraced self-funding for its flexibility and cost effectiveness. He also pays particular attention to tax ramifications in structuring overall benefit design and employee contributions. “Why not call a portion of employee medical contributions a long term disability contribution, thus making potential long term disability benefits tax free?”Well known for his insurance expertise, Bob accepted an invitation to serve on the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry’s insurance Advisory Board.Concerned about national healthcare cost escalation, Bob conducted extensive research with regard to contracting practices between insurance companies, third party administrators (TPA’s) and healthcare providers. Alarmed with his findings, he co-founded Cost Plus Advisors with long time business associate and friend, David Huerta. Cost Plus Advisors educates employers about proven strategies to reduce their healthcare costs by more than 30% without reducing benefits or increasing employee payroll contributions. According to Bob, “This is not rocket science. Once you see how this works, you wonder why the industry has not been doing this for years. The most surprising aspect to me is that employers have never seen this before. Sometimes saving money is more about politics than finance.”