About

Clarity beats complexity.

Most small business owners do not need another binder of plan summaries or another carrier email forwarded with no context. They need someone who will sit down, explain the trade-offs in plain English, recommend a plan that fits the team and the budget, and then actually pick up the phone when something goes sideways three months later.

That is what we do here.

What you can expect from working with us

A real relationship, not a handoff. You will work with JR — not a service team, not the next account manager who joined last quarter. The same person who sets up your benefits is the same person you call in May when an employee has a question about their HSA.

Benefits explained in plain English. Section 125, ICHRA, MOOP, embedded vs. non-embedded — every part of this industry has acronyms designed to make people give up. We translate.

Same-business-day response. Calls and emails get returned the day you send them. If we cannot solve it that day, you will know what is happening and what comes next.

Direct support for your employees. Your team can call us with their benefits questions. No gatekeeping. No “ask HR.” That is the job.

Strategic, not transactional. Benefits are part of how you attract and keep good people. We design them with that goal in mind, not just the lowest premium of the moment.

Modern tooling that makes admin easier. Ease for benefits administration, Employee Navigator where it fits, automated onboarding and renewals, custom benefits booklets — built so the admin work shrinks instead of growing.

Meet JR Hinds

JR is the third generation of insurance brokers in his family. He started at New York Life in 1994 and opened Hinds & Associates in 1999. Since then, he has helped Pacific Northwest small businesses — most under 50 employees, most within an hour of Portland — design and manage benefits plans that actually fit how their teams live and work.

More than 90% of his business comes from referrals — clients introducing him to their friends, partners, and other business owners they care about. That is the standard the firm is built around. You can read recommendations from clients and colleagues on JR’s LinkedIn page.

Credentials

Licensed health, life, and disability insurance broker in Washington and Oregon

Registered Health Underwriter (RHU), 2004

Registered Employee Benefit Consultant (REBC), 2005

25+ years working with companies from 2 to 400 employees

NPN 1007228

Where we are

Hinds & Associates is based in the Portland metro area, covering small businesses in Vancouver and Camas, Portland, Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Hillsboro, Tigard, and the surrounding areas. We work in person and remotely, depending on what fits your team.

Ready to talk?

Two minutes on a contact form is enough to start. Mention your team size, your renewal month, and what is bothering you about your current setup — that gives us enough to come prepared.