Montana University System employees and their beneficiaries now have access to a new tool to address important life matters via The Standard's Life Services Toolkit. The Standard has partnered with Bensinger, DuPont & Associates (BDA) to offer a lineup of additional services that can make a difference now and in the future.

As a participant, you will have access to services to help you now:

• Estate Planning Assistance: Online tools, found in the Legal Forms section, walk you through the steps to prepare a will and create other documents, such as living wills, powers of attorney and health care agent forms.
• Financial Planning: Consult online services to help you manage debt, calculate mortgage and loan payments, and take care of other financial matters with confidence.
• Health and Wellness: Timely articles about nutrition, stress management and wellness help employees and their families lead healthy lives.
• Identity Theft Prevention: Check the website for ways to thwart identity thieves and resolve issues if identity theft occurs.
• Funeral Arrangements: Use the website to calculate funeral costs, find funeral-related services and make decisions about funeral arrangements in advance.

Your beneficiaries will have access to supportive services that will help them cope after a loss:

• Grief Support: Clinicians with master's degrees are on call to provide confidential grief sessions by phone or in person. Beneficiaries are eligible for up to six face-to-face sessions and unlimited phone contact.
• Legal Services: Beneficiaries can obtain legal assistance from experienced attorneys. They can:
  • Schedule an initial 30-minute office and a telephone consultation with a network attorney. Beneficiaries who wish to retain a participating attorney after the initial consultation receive a 25 percent rate reduction from the attorney's normal hourly or fixed fee rates.
  • Obtain an estate-planning package that consists of a simple will, a living will, a health care agent form and a durable power of attorney.
• Financial Assistance: Beneficiaries have unlimited phone access to financial counselors who can help with issues such as budgeting strategies, and credit and debt management, including hour-long sessions on topics requiring more in-depth discussion.
• Support Services: During an emotional time, beneficiaries can receive help planning a funeral or memorial service. Work-life advisors can guide them to resources to help manage household repairs and chores; find child care and elder care providers; or organize a move or relocation.
• Online Resources: Beneficiaries can easily access additional services and features on the Life Services Toolkit website for beneficiaries, including online resources to calculate funeral costs, find funeral-related services and make decisions about funeral arrangements.

More details on how to access these services are on the Life Services Toolkit Flyer.