J.D. Resley Associates

What J.D. Resley Associates does

J.D. Resley Associates, Inc. is an independent employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, founded in 1984 by J. David Resley, CLU. The firm operates as a traditional insurance brokerage rather than a technology platform, distributing group and individual insurance products (health, dental, vision, life, disability, annuities, Medicare) on behalf of multiple major carriers, and is licensed to conduct health and life insurance business in 16 states. Its primary customer base is Indianapolis-area and Midwest mid-market employers, with national accounts also served, and it extends to individual consumers as ACA mandates expand individual coverage demand.

The company supplements its core brokerage with a consulting practice spanning ACA compliance, COBRA, FSA/HRA guidance, plan design, and implementation, as well as a proprietary benefits-modeling program used to predict the impact of plan-design changes on claims. It offers clients third-party benefits administration technology (EASE and EasyApps) at no additional cost, and partners with Human Capital Concepts (HCC) to deliver PEO services including HR, payroll, and recruiting support. The firm is privately held, with ownership shared among the founder, partner James C. Daly (who joined in 2003 and became co-owner in 2009), and the founder's son John David Resley IV (joined 2005). Team size is small (11-50 employees), and the firm emphasizes a high-touch, face-to-face advisory model over digital marketing or channel sales.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through insurance brokerage commissions on policies sold, supplemented by fees on consulting engagements. Pricing is quote-based with no public rate card, and the firm reports a 99% client retention rate and more than 80% revenue growth since 2003. Distribution is primarily phone- and referral-driven, with face-to-face field sales as the dominant engagement mode. Gross margins are not disclosed, but the business model is commission-heavy with limited proprietary technology IP.

Name

J.D. Resley Associates

Legal name

J.D. Resley Associates, Inc.

Website

https://www.jdresley.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

J.D. Resley Associates is an Indianapolis-based independent employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm serving mid-market businesses and individuals across 16 states, offering group and individual insurance, ACA compliance, and proprietary benefits modeling since 1984.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: The company acts as an insurance broker/brokerage firm, earning commissions on insurance products sold including health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance. The company represents multiple carriers and negotiates competitive pricing on behalf of clients.
2. Employee Benefits Consulting Services: Consulting services for plan design, implementation, and management. Includes proprietary benefits modeling, quarterly plan reviews, and benchmarking reports. Also covers ACA compliance consulting, COBRA guidance, and FSA/HRA consultation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

J.D. Resley Associates is an independent insurance brokerage that designs, implements, and manages group employee benefits packages for businesses of all sizes, while also serving individual consumers seeking health, life, disability, annuity, and Medicare coverage. The firm earns commissions from multiple insurance carriers and offers consulting services including ACA compliance guidance, plan design, benefits modeling, and COBRA/FSA/HRA support.

Product overview

J.D. Resley Associates is an employee benefits brokerage and consulting agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products and services to both group (employer) and individual markets. For the group market, they provide core insurance products including Health, Dental, Vision, Life, and Disability insurance, along with PEO Group Plan Options through their partnership with Human Capital Concepts (HCC), Wellness Programs, and a Complete Compliance Suite. They supplement their offerings with proprietary online benefits administration tools including EASE and EasyApps portals. For individual consumers, they offer Health Insurance, Annuities, and Medicare Plans. Their consulting services include ACA Compliance, COBRA Guidance, Plan Design and Implementation, Benefits Modeling using their proprietary modeling program, and FSA/HRA guidance. The company operates as a traditional insurance brokerage rather than a technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Group Health Insurance Group health insurance coverage available to employer clients through carrier partnerships, negotiated by the brokerage on behalf of businesses.
• Group Dental Insurance Group dental insurance coverage for employer-sponsored employee benefits packages.
• Group Vision Insurance Group vision insurance coverage for employer-sponsored employee benefits packages.
• Group Life Insurance Group life insurance coverage offered as part of employer-sponsored employee benefits packages.
• Group Disability Insurance Group short-term and long-term disability insurance coverage for employer-sponsored employee benefits packages.
• PEO Group Plan Options Professional Employer Organization group plan options delivered through partnership with Human Capital Concepts (HCC), providing HR, payroll, benefits, legal, accounting, and recruiting support.
• Wellness Programs Workplace wellness programs designed to improve employee health outcomes and contain employer healthcare costs.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Tax-advantaged spending accounts allowing employees to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible healthcare expenses.
• Health Savings Accounts (HSA) Tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with high-deductible health plans to save for medical expenses.
• Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA) Employer-funded health benefits that reimburse employees for eligible medical expenses.
• Individual Health Insurance Individual market health insurance products available to consumers without employer-sponsored coverage.
• Medicare Plans Medicare insurance plans available to individual market consumers, including Medicare Advantage and supplement options.
• Annuities Annuity products available to individual market consumers for retirement and long-term financial planning.
• ACA Compliance Consulting Affordable Care Act compliance consulting including employer mandate analysis, individual shared responsibility provision guidance, and ACA reporting requirements.
• Benefits Modeling Proprietary benefits-modeling consulting service that predicts how plan design modifications will affect claims outcomes.
• COBRA Compliance Guidance Consulting on federal COBRA coverage requirements for departing employees.
• Plan Design and Implementation Consultant-led plan design and implementation services for businesses building or restructuring employee benefits packages.
• Quarterly Plan Reviews and Benchmarking Periodic benchmarking reports and quarterly plan reviews that assess the competitiveness of an employer's benefit components.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EASE (Benefits Administration Software)coreTechnology or IntegrationEASE is a benefits administration software provided to all J.D. Resley clients at no additional cost. The secure online portal allows administrators to enroll benefits, track and manage changes, produce payroll deduction reports, and provide ACA reporting. Employees can review and select their desired benefits through the software.
• EasyApps (Online Enrollment Portal)coreTechnology or IntegrationEasyApps is an additional enrollment software tool available to all size customers at no cost through the EasyApps online portal, complementing the EASE benefits administration software.
• Human Capital Concepts (HCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCC is an industry-best PEO (Professional Employer Organization) provider that J.D. Resley has partnered with to provide extensive HR, Payroll, and benefits support to valued clients. The partnership provides comprehensive HR, Payroll, benefits, legal, payroll, HR, accounting, and recruiting services.
• Major Insurance CarrierscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJ.D. Resley has established relationships with best-in-class carriers across the coverage spectrum including all major insurance carriers. The company serves on several insurers' broker advisory councils and regularly meets with senior management.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• OneDigital: OneDigital is a national employee benefits and HR consulting brokerage with a comparable mid-market and enterprise client focus. It is one of the most direct comparables to J.D. Resley's employee benefits brokerage and consulting model, though at significantly greater scale.
• Alera Group: Alera Group is a national insurance brokerage and consulting firm built largely through roll-ups of regional agencies, offering employee benefits, property/casualty, and wealth services. Highly comparable business model to J.D. Resley with similar mid-market employer focus.
• Holmes Murphy: Holmes Murphy is an independent insurance brokerage with deep employee benefits consulting, ACA compliance, and risk management capabilities serving mid-market employers. Closely aligned with J.D. Resley's benefits-first, advisory-led positioning.
• Lockton Companies: Lockton is the world's largest independent insurance brokerage with a strong employee benefits practice serving mid-sized and large employers. Overlaps directly with J.D. Resley's core group benefits brokerage and consulting offerings.
• USI Insurance Services: USI is a large insurance brokerage with a substantial employee benefits practice focused on middle-market and commercial clients. Comparable to J.D. Resley in client segment, benefits-led service mix, and consulting-led GTM.
• Hub International: Hub International is a global insurance brokerage offering employee benefits, commercial, and personal insurance with a strong North American footprint. Directly comparable employee benefits brokerage offering to mid-market employers.
• Brown & Brown: Brown & Brown is a large publicly traded insurance brokerage with deep employee benefits and commercial lines capabilities. Comparable to J.D. Resley in core product mix and group benefits focus, though at materially larger scale.
• NFP (an Aon company): NFP is a national insurance brokerage and consulting firm with a strong employee benefits practice serving mid-market employers. Acquired by Aon in 2024, but historically a directly comparable peer to J.D. Resley's benefits brokerage model.

Broad incumbents

• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Gallagher is one of the largest global insurance brokerages and risk management consultancies, with a substantial employee benefits consulting division. Overlaps materially with J.D. Resley's offerings as a broad incumbent rather than a niche specialist.
• Marsh McLennan (Mercer): Mercer, part of Marsh McLennan, is a global consulting leader in health, benefits, and workforce strategy with major overlap to J.D. Resley's ACA compliance, benefits consulting, and employer advisory work. Acts as a broad incumbent in the same space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/j.d.-resley-associates-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about J.D. Resley Associates