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The 2027 Benefits Renewal Blind Spot Report85% of clients say they’re satisfied.Why have 40% switched brokers
in the past three years?

We surveyed 310 benefits decision-makers at U.S. employers about their last renewal. What they told us rarely shows up in a renewal meeting, a satisfaction score or a complaint. Get the full report free.

Cover of The 2027 Benefits Renewal Blind Spot Report from Contio.

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Contio surveyed 310 U.S. employer-side benefits decision-makers in September 2026. All of them work with a benefits broker or consultant and influence or make the renewal decision.

What 310 employers told us about their last renewal

  • 75%had at least one outcome go worse than expected after their last renewal
  • 43%were disappointed in a year their company’s cost came in right where the broker said it would
  • 73%of satisfied employers were disappointed anyway after their last renewal

The full report

What’s inside the full report

  • Why employers really switch brokers, and why it isn’t the reason they give
  • The renewal problems employees feel first, and why they rarely reach the broker as a complaint
  • How far ahead employers want the strategy conversation to start
  • What employers think will cost a broker the account, compared with what actually did
  • How priorities change with employer size
  • Six practices, backed by the data, to protect your book this renewal season

What went worse than expected after the last renewal

The employer’s total benefits cost29.8%
The amount employees paid from their paychecks29.8%
Employee deductibles or out-of-pocket costs29.4%
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Employers involved in a completed renewal (248). Multiple answers allowed.

Key findings

In September 2026, Contio surveyed 310 benefits decision-makers at U.S. employers that work with a benefits broker. Here is what they told us about their last renewal.

  • 85% of the 310 employers surveyed are satisfied or very satisfied with their benefits broker, yet 40% have switched brokers in the past three years.
  • Of the 186 employers who had something go worse than expected, 92% had at least one problem that hit their employees.
  • On brokers using AI, employers are split: 32% would trust their broker more, 29% would trust them less, and 36% say it makes no difference.

The full report covers why employers really switch brokers, when they expect the strategy conversation to start, and six practices to protect your book this renewal season.

Source: The 2027 Benefits Renewal Blind Spot Report, Contio, 2026 (310 U.S. employer-side benefits decision-makers).

Know what your clients aren’t telling you.

Renewal season is already here. The full report takes about 15 minutes to read.

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