Research archive

Recent analysis and briefings.

Market brief

The Oregon Potato Company ERISA case: what it signals for fee transparency

Active ERISA litigation (Oregon Potato Company v. Marsh McLennan, E.D. Wash. 4:25-cv-05139) reflects the same Schedule C benchmarking methodology Calliope uses. What broker and vendor teams should take from the emerging case law.

Q1 2026·8 min read
White paper

Compensation benchmarking in Schedule C: 113 segments, a methodology paper

How to construct defensible peer groups for Schedule C fee benchmarking — including our segment definitions, outlier detection logic, and cross-validation approach.

Q4 2025·22 min read
Industry analysis

Who's really winning in mid-market broker consolidation?

A filing-level view of broker M&A activity across the mid-market. Which national aggregators are actually growing their books — and which ones are losing ground.

Q4 2025·12 min read
Market brief

Digital health vendor penetration in Schedule C: the real numbers

MSK, behavioral health, diabetes, and fertility vendors — which ones actually appear in Schedule C filings, at what scale, and in what employer segments.

Q3 2025·10 min read
Research note

Participant drops as a leading indicator: five-year trend analysis

How multi-year participant count trends predict broker changes, carrier moves, and employer financial distress — with benchmark thresholds for your book.

Q3 2025·6 min read
White paper

The entity resolution problem in Form 5500 data

Why most commercial teams are working with 20–40% duplicate employer records — and why that's the hidden tax on every GTM motion in the benefits ecosystem.

Q2 2025·15 min read
Stay in the loop

Get new research in your inbox.

One email, first of the month. Original analysis, no filler, no sales pitches.

Research is how you stay sharp. Calliope is how you stay ahead.

See what Calliope's commercial intelligence layer can do for your team.