Build a Holistic Financial Future at Financial Fitness Week 2025

Staff and faculty can learn about sound budgeting, debt reduction, retirement savings and 2026 medical benefits changes

A graphic displays building blocks and the words Building Blocks of Financial Wellness, Duke Financial Fitness Week

Over the course of a lifetime, the average American can spend more than $320,000 on health care with an employer-sponsored health insurance plan. If there are sudden, unexpected costs or chronic conditions to manage, that number can rise even higher.

Recognizing how integral health care expenses are to overall financial health, Duke Human Resources this year is adding five webinars on aspects of Duke’s benefits changes in 2026 to its Financial Fitness Week schedule that focuses on retirement readiness.

During the Sept. 22-25 event, most of the 20 no-charge live webinars will focus on building a stable financial footing through budgeting, reducing debt and saving consistently for retirement. Staff and faculty can also learn more about 2026 health plan changes, including how the new Duke Advantage High Deductible Health Plan works when paired with a Health Savings Account (Duke HSA). Registration for Financial Fitness Week sessions is open now.

Get Financially Fit

Financial Fitness Week is Sept. 22-25 and features 20 free webinars on budgeting, retirement savings and 2026 health plan changes.

Register Now

Experts from Fidelity, the Hartford, Duke Credit Union, Lincoln and more will give instruction, and on-demand versions and presentation slides from this year’s webinars will be available for staff and faculty who register.

“Traditionally we've split out the health benefits piece of it and focused more on what people consider the ‘basic financial aspects’ of your retirement planning,” said Johanna Zawada, Associate Director of Retirement Benefits. “But because we're introducing the Health Savings Account, it's a perfect opportunity for us to fold that in and get people looking at all of their benefits with a more holistic perspective.”

A 2024 survey from the National Institute on Retirement Security found that 55% of Americans are concerned they cannot achieve financial security in retirement. And in a 2025 survey, KFF found that 44% of U.S. families say the high cost of health care is difficult to afford.

“In this holistic approach, it’s important to think through what can impact family finances and derail any of their planning,” said Laura Panebianco, Associate Director of Health & Welfare Benefits. “A lot of times it’s those medical expenses that no one saw coming.”

A selection of Financial Fitness Week webinar offerings include:

Managing My Money: Budget, Emergency Savings and Debt Basics (Sept. 22 at 9 a.m.) – Learn manageable strategies, tools and tips that help you take control of your spending, savings and debt.

Social Security (Sept. 24 at 2 p.m. and Sept. 25 at 10 a.m.) – Understand when you’re eligible to receive retirement benefits, how to get the most from your Social Security benefit, expectations for the benefit’s future and when to file for Medicare.

Your Duke Faculty and Staff Plan (Sept. 24 at noon) –  This webinar discusses the 403(b) Faculty and Staff Retirement Plan offered to eligible employees, including how it works and investment options available.

The Employees’ Retirement Plan (Sept. 25 at 9 a.m.) – This webinar discusses the Employees’ Retirement Plan (ERP) offered to eligible bi-weekly paid Duke employees and how the plan works.

Health care webinars include:

High Deductible Health Plans vs. Traditional Health Plans (Sept. 22 at noon and Sept. 24 at 9 a.m.) – Learn about the new Duke Advantage High Deductible Plan and how it differs from Duke’s existing HMO and PPO plans.

Health Savings Accounts: Exploring the Benefits of an HSA (Sept. 23 at 2 p.m.) – Learn how the new Health Savings Account (HSA) paired with Duke Advantage works and how it differs from the current Healthcare Reimbursement Accounts offered by Duke.

Understanding Your Health Care, Dependent Care and Limited Purpose FSA (Sept.24 at noon) – This session will review the Limited Purpose FSA, a new FSA intended to be used in partnership with Duke Advantage and the Duke HSA.

What’s New for Your Health Plan in 2026 (Sept. 24 at 1 p.m.) – An overview of the changes taking place in 2026, including Cigna as the new medical carrier, and how medical, dental and vision premiums are collected from payroll.

HSAs and Medicare (Sept. 25 at noon) – This session reviews the rules for contributing to an HSA, which are impacted by the timing of enrolling in Medicare.

See the full list of webinars and register here.

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