Bargaining unit members have many sources for obtaining financial advice, but can they be trusted to steer you in the right direction?

Members can trust the advice they’ll receive from the Financial Counseling Program endorsed by the NYSUT Member Benefits Corporation.

Provided by Stacey Braun Associates Inc., an independent investment advisory company, members will receive unbiased, objective advice geared to their financial situation. Stacey Braun’s planners and advisors are fee-based and prohibited from selling investment or insurance products. As a result, they receive no commissions from mutual funds, brokerage firms, insurance companies or any other third party.

The plan provides financial advice on a variety of topics, from pre- and post-retirement planning, mutual fund questions, mortgage and refinancing, estate and inheritance planning, insurance coverage, budgeting, education funding and much more.

Upon enrollment, members are entitled to six hours of toll-free phone consul-tations with a Stacey Braun Certified Financial Planner or Registered Investment Advisor. Members can request customized written summaries and reports on a variety of financial issues. Specific 403(B) advice is also included in the program.

Other benefits include access to the Stacey Braun Associates, Inc. password-protected website and a 24-hour e-mail helpdesk for basic financial questions.

In-person consultations are also an option. If a member meets at Stacey Braun’s office in New York City, the in-person consultation fee of $250 is waived. An in-person consultation is limited to 90 minutes. Note that the information provided in an in-person consultation is the same as what is provided via toll-free phone consultation. This option is available for those who prefer a face-to-face meeting.

The program’s annual fee is $260, reduced to $250 when paid through payroll or pension deduction.

In addition to the full-service program, a 403(B) Limited Financial Counseling Program is available, which carries an annual fee of $185, reduced to $175 when paid through payroll or pension deduction. The limited program includes toll-free phone consultations to discuss 403(B) programs only, with a six-hour limitation.

For more information, contact NYSUT Member Benefits at (800) 626-8101 or visit www.memberbenefits.nysut.org.

(For information about this program or about contractual endorsement arrangements with providers of endorsed programs, please contact NYSUT Member Benefits or refer to your NYSUT Member Benefits Trust Summary Plan Description. Agency fee payers to NYSUT are eligible to participate in NYSUT Member Benefits-endorsed programs.)