Modern Woodmen of America was founded in 1883, which gives the fraternal financial services organization unique access to a bigger picture. Built with a member-first philosophy, Modern Woodmen’s journey has always been focused on continued strength – strength that protects members, their families and their communities.
The organization recently shared its financial and fraternal results from 2019. Some highlights:
- Life insurance in force grew to $41.26 billion. This marks continued life insurance growth for the organization.
- Assets increased to $17.34 billion, and Modern Woodmen maintains a surplus of more than $2 billion.
- Through fraternal member benefits and programs, Modern Woodmen and its members contributed $20.43 million to families and communities nationwide.
“We’ve been standing tall for members for 137 years. We are built to handle uncertainties and have weathered many, including world wars, disease outbreaks, depressions and recessions,” says W. Kenny Massey, president and CEO. “We’ve learned and grown over the years, and our forward momentum will continue.”
Increase of in-force life insurance
Life insurance in force, the total amount of life insurance owned by members to protect their families financially after a death, increased to $41.26 billion in 2019.
“Life insurance is the foundation of financial planning,” says Massey. “It offers invaluable financial protection when families need it most.”
As a fraternal benefit society, Modern Woodmen was founded on the belief that families should be protected from potential financial burdens. Modern Woodmen representatives can help members with their financial planning and protection needs as they evolve.
Assets surpass $17 billion
Modern Woodmen’s assets increased 5% over the previous year, reaching nearly $17.34 billion. The organization’s assets are invested primarily in high-quality, low-risk corporate and government bonds.
In 2019, total life insurance, annuity and other certificate reserves, which are funds held to guarantee future benefits to members, grew to $12.9 billion.
Total surplus and special reserves exceeded $2 billion in 2019. Surplus and special reserves provide additional safety for members and ensure Modern Woodmen’s ability to meet unforeseen events and provide funds for future growth opportunities.
Growth in operational results
Total life insurance and annuity premium income in 2019 was $956 million.
Payments and benefits to members in 2019 totaled $1.12 billion. This includes death benefits, annuity payments and surrender benefits. An additional $8.2 million in dividend payments was refunded to life insurance and annuity certificates.
Net gain from operations after dividends was $55.45 million, an increase of $13.78 million from the previous year.
Modern Woodmen has a solvency ratio of 113.17 percent. This means that for every $100 of liabilities (promises made to members), Modern Woodmen has $113.17 of assets to protect those promises. The industry average is 106.41 percent, as calculated from the 25 leading life insurance companies by assets. (Standard Analytical Service, Inc., 2019)
“We make decisions based on facts, not fears or emotions, and with an optimistic eye to an even brighter future,” says Massey. “We’ll always be here for our members.”
Fraternal programs support communities nationwide
Modern Woodmen’s national membership totals more than 744,000 members. In 2019, Modern Woodmen contributed $20.4 million to support family-oriented member benefits and programs, including disaster relief assistance, college scholarships, and social and volunteer service events coordinated by adult chapters and youth service clubs nationwide.
Some fraternal highlights from 2019:
- Modern Woodmen members were part of 2,529 adult chapters, 290 Summit chapters (for members age 55 and over) and 805 youth service clubs. 677,308 attendees enjoyed social, educational and volunteer events coordinated by these groups throughout the year.
- Members partnering with community groups raised a total of $45.3 million for local causes through Modern Woodmen’s Matching Fund Program.
- Members recorded more than 463,000 hours of volunteer service in their local communities
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About Modern Woodmen:
Modern Woodmen was founded in 1883 as a fraternal benefit society. The organization supports members, families and communities with a unique blend of financial services, fraternal benefits and local-impact opportunities. In 2019, Modern Woodmen and its members provided $20.4 million and 464,000 volunteer hours to support fraternal activities and programs.
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