Gustavo AltuzarraEmployee Benefits Advisor
Areas of Expertise
- Employee Benefits
- Self-Funded Health Plans
- Captives
- Large Group Plans
- ACEC Life / Health Trust
Qualifications
- BS – University of Southern California
- Life and Health Insurance Licenses
- License 0M62658
Gustavo is an Employee Benefits Advisor at Aston Sharp. Gustavo started his career in mortgage banking and in 2008 started a fund to purchase up the undervalued mortgage notes from banks across the country. Being the purchaser of the funds’ health plan – he quickly realized that most health plans lack transparency to claims data and ownership of claims funds.
When Gustavo left the fund in 2015 he shifted his focus to developing partnerships with independent TPAs and Captives to fix these problems he once faced. Gustavo now helps companies with 10-1000 employees put together a strategy for their health plan using alternative funding arrangements such as self-funding and captive programs to lower the bottom line.
Recent Blog Posts
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July 2026: Supporting Employees’ Financial Wellbeing Without Becoming Their Financial Advisor
Dear HR Manager, How can we support employee’s financial wellbeing without becoming thier financial advisor? — Supporting, Not Advising Dear Supporting, This is a concern many employers share, and the distinction is an important one. HR should focus on providing education, access, and awareness, not individualized financial advice. Consider offering educational webinars, budgeting resources,
July 22, 2026 -
The Business Case for Optimism
Optimism is often mistaken for simply “thinking positively.” In reality, workplace optimism is something much more practical—and much more valuable. Rather than ignoring challenges, realistic optimism is the ability to believe that obstacles can be navigated, goals are achievable, and better outcomes are possible through thoughtful action. This perspective is gaining traction in organizational psychology.
July 22, 2026 -
July 2026: Q&A Roundup — HRA PCORI Fees, Qualifying Events for Dependent Coverage, and COBRA for Holding Companies
7.2.26 | COBRA FOR HOLDING COMPANY Q. Our client, a holding company with 12 employees, owns a subsidiary with more than 50 employees. They operate under different tax IDs. The holding company does not offer COBRA, but the subsidiary does offer COBRA. The holding company is looking for a compliant solution that they can offer to
July 22, 2026
The next step is to set up a quick call so we could learn more about your employee benefits challenges and goals and explain how we can help you accomplish them.
I cannot say enough about Gus and Michelle. They are always there to help, answer questions. Our company is located outside of Chicago. And when we needed them to come in and do a presentation for renewal, they were here to make sure that it was informative to the employees and process was seamless. Just a great group of people to be working with!
