The Standard is a insurance company with 29 products relevant to estate planning. Life insurance and annuity proceeds transfer directly to named beneficiaries outside of probate, making beneficiary designations one of the most important estate planning steps for The Standard policyholders.

Beneficiary designations at The Standard can be managed online, by mail, and by phone, typically taking 10-15 minutes online; 15-20 minutes by mail. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to name a trust as the policy beneficiary or establish an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT).

The Standard has documented procedures for both preparing accounts during your lifetime and handling claims when an account holder passes away.

Preparing your estate

Beneficiaries and trust funding

How to manage beneficiaries online, fund a trust by mail, and review 29 account types at The Standard.

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When someone dies

Death claim process

7-step process, 6 required documents, and contact information for survivors.

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Frequently asked questions

For employer-sponsored group life insurance, check with your employer HR department first, as beneficiary changes may be handled through the employer benefits portal. You can also log in at mybenefits.standard.com or download the Beneficiary Designation/Change form from standard.com and submit by mail to Standard Insurance Company, P.O. Box 2800, Portland, OR 97208-2800, or by fax to 888.414.0389. For assistance, call the Life Benefits Department at 800.628.8600. Designate primary and contingent beneficiaries with percentage allocations totaling 100%. Provide each beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and relationship.

Beyond employer-sponsored group benefits, The Standard offers individual disability insurance (Platinum Advantage product line with optional Residual Disability, Cost of Living Adjustment, Noncancelable, Catastrophic Disability, Own Occupation, Family Care Benefit, and Student Loan riders), a full suite of fixed deferred annuities, fixed indexed annuities, the Restricted SPIA for Medicaid planning, and the Tailored Income Annuity (TIA) for guaranteed income with multiple guarantee period options. Individual disability insurance may also be available through employer plans on a guaranteed standard issue basis (no medical underwriting required). The Standard also provides retirement plan recordkeeping and administration for 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), defined benefit, and pooled employer plans through Standard Retirement Services, Inc.

Effective January 1, 2026, The Standard incorporated the voluntary product suite from the American Heritage Employer Voluntary Benefits business (formerly Allstate Benefits) acquisition. The expanded voluntary benefits include accident insurance, critical illness insurance, and hospital indemnity insurance, in addition to existing voluntary life insurance. Under the distribution partnership, The Standard became Allstate's exclusive carrier for sales of group life and disability, guaranteed standard issue individual disability, supplemental and voluntary products distributed through Allstate's exclusive agents.