Cowden Grams | Cowden Associates

Testimonials from Valued Clients

“For more than 20 years I have worked with Cowden whose team are knowledgeable, dependable, and up to date with the latest laws and regulations. Plus, they are always there to help lend a hand or share advice whenever situations may arise. I highly recommend Cowden to anyone for their benefits broker.” – HR Generalist & Benefits Administrator

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“[Our] representatives felt that Cowden would be a good fit for the company with regards to providing its pension actuarial and administrative needs. The two teams found significant common ground during the interview process, with both parties respecting the other side’s capabilities. We collectively sensed that we could affect a smooth transition process as well as quickly establish a very efficient working relationship.

Cowden representatives were extremely helpful in working with [us] when the company decided to freeze its pension plan in July 2011. Cowden provided significant support in preparation for this freeze from both actuarial and administrative (including revising plan documents) standpoints. This first real test of working together as a team on a major project was testimony that [we] made the right decision in selecting Cowden as its defined benefit pension plan partner. – Executive VP, CFO

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“When Health Care Reform was passed in 2010, we knew it would be in our best interest to partner with a reputable and trusted organization to help us navigate through the legislation. We needed a team of experts to ensure our medical plans were compliant, and to guide us to make the right decisions not only for the company but also for our employees. Cowden Associates has been that “go to” team ever since, and the partnership has grown over the years to include all aspects of employee benefits consulting/broker services. We are a multifaceted group with a lot of moving parts and their dedication and attention to our needs has helped to reduce our health care spend year after year.”  – Benefits Administration Manager

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Cowden is a valued partner to our organization. Our partnership has given our company access to topflight human resource knowledge, deploy successful strategies and tactics, and focus on our core competencies. As a growing mid-market company, we face a wide range of human capital issues. Cowden has helped clarify challenges, devise strategic approaches to address these issues, and provide the muscle to deploy the strategy when our internal resources are not sufficient, including:

• Compensation – by enabling us to use market-based compensation, including positional analysis and structure, we remain economically competitive and rational in a challenging labor environment.
• Benefits – Cowden’s knowledge of benefit structure and underlying drivers has enabled the company to enrich several employee health benefits at a reduced company cost by eliminating waste and superficial charges.
• Retirement plans – Cowden’s expertise in retirement obligations go beyond number crunching actuarial analysis. Cowden devised a retirement debt reduction strategy by reframing the challenge, educating management and our board of directors, presenting options, and laying out a clear path to success.
• Union benefit plans and negotiations – Cowden’s actuarial number crunching and knowledge of alternatives drove successful discussion with bargaining units, arriving at a win-win solution

All Cowden team members are responsive, professional, subject matter experts, and easy to work with.

We are very confident in Cowden’s expertise and trust its advice. More than a resource, we consider them a valued and trusted partner. – Vice President, Finance