Unique Company Benefits That Boost Your Financial Wellness
Innovative company benefits are reshaping the landscape of employee financial wellness. This article explores five unique perks that go beyond traditional offerings, drawing on insights from industry experts. Discover how these benefits can significantly impact both employee satisfaction and long-term financial health.
- Personalized Financial Coaching Boosts Confidence
- Protected Time for Financial Tasks
- Debt Reduction Matching Encourages Stability
- Flexible Compensation Mix Empowers Employees
- Emergency Fund Matching Enhances Retention
Personalized Financial Coaching Boosts Confidence
One of the most unusual yet impactful company benefits I’ve received is access to monthly one-on-one financial coaching with a certified financial planner, provided as part of our employee wellness program. This goes beyond generic financial education—it’s personalized, strategic support tailored to my income, financial goals, and unique circumstances.
Even as a finance professional, having a dedicated financial coach to discuss debt repayment strategies, major purchase planning, and investment optimization has been invaluable. It creates a safe space to rationalize decisions and receive expert input, helping me approach big financial moves with greater confidence and clarity.
This proactive benefit transformed how I manage my money—turning budgeting and saving into empowering habits rather than stressful tasks. It also gave me ongoing accountability and helped establish long-term financial discipline.
From a company perspective, it’s a relatively low-cost perk that significantly reduces employee financial stress, boosts morale, and supports overall wellness. For me, it’s been a game-changer—enhancing both my personal financial strategy and peace of mind.
Wes Lewins
Chief Financial Officer, Networth
Protected Time for Financial Tasks
One of the most unusual and genuinely helpful company benefits we introduced relates to personal finance: our “Financial Wellness Hour.”
It’s not about giving out money, but rather providing dedicated, protected time during the workday, once a month, for employees to focus solely on their personal finances.
During this hour, we make financial advisors available for free, anonymous one-on-one consultations, or employees can use the time to log into their banking apps, pay bills, review budgets, or research investments.
This benefit has dramatically helped me manage my own finances more effectively.
Before, personal finance tasks often felt like something I had to squeeze in during evenings or weekends, when I was already tired or busy with family.
As a result, I’d often put things off, leading to missed opportunities or just a general feeling of being disorganized with my money.
Shantanu Pandey
Founder & CEO, Tenet
Debt Reduction Matching Encourages Stability
One unusual but wildly effective benefit I saw at a peer company: instead of just matching 401(k) contributions, the company matched any employee-initiated debt reduction or emergency savings payments up to a monthly cap.
For example, if you paid $200 toward your student loan or set aside $100 into a rainy-day fund, they’d kick in a $50 bonus. It wasn’t a loan, and it didn’t require paperwork—just proof of payment. It wasn’t the usual incentive model: instead of rewarding long-term investments only, it helped employees get financially stable first.
Why it worked: It acknowledged that not everyone’s biggest win is retirement—it might be getting out of 19% APR debt or surviving a medical bill. It helped people build momentum and feel encouraged to get out of debt faster.
Austin Benton
Marketing Consultant, Gotham Artists
Flexible Compensation Mix Empowers Employees
One unusual company benefit related to personal finance is the “Choose Your Compensation Mix” provided by Netflix. This perk allows employees to specify the portion of their compensation they want to receive as cash versus stock options yearly.
Rigid compensation systems provide no such flexibility; hence, this service allows employees to decide how they want their compensation structure to fit into their financial situation and risk capacity. For instance, they can choose if they need cash now or if they wish to invest in growth over the long term. This benefit is life-changing.
Considering stock compensation as part of my cash compensation for the year has allowed me flexibility in hitting specific financial planning targets. With this kind of flexibility, it became easier for me to lessen the stress that came along with immediate financial obligations.
On the other hand, I’ve gained confidence in my long-term wealth accumulation strategy, making me feel valued and financially secure in my workplace.
Dhari Alabdulhadi
CTO and Founder, Ubuy Peru
Emergency Fund Matching Enhances Retention
We started a matched-savings initiative for school-facing staff. Every time someone hit a quarterly performance goal, we matched a portion of their bonus into a separate emergency fund account. That little buffer helped several junior engineers avoid taking high-interest loans when emergencies hit.
It showed them we weren’t just pushing output, we were helping with stability. The retention impact spoke for itself.
Mark Friend
Company Director, Classroom365