Woman’s Life Insurance Society to Merge with Trusted Fraternal Life
April 17, 2024
Woman’s Life Insurance Society is the first fraternal to announce its intent to join Trusted Fraternal Life and help build a family of brands.
Woman’s Life’s intention to join Trusted Fraternal Life marks a pivotal moment in achieving our vision to be the innovative leader in fraternal partnerships and consolidation.
Fraternal organizations that join the Trusted Fraternal Life family of brands will maintain the essence of their brand identity while achieving economies of scale, pursue growth opportunities in different markets, and make an even greater community impact.
Trusted Fraternal Life is excited for the future—to build on the historical strength and values of Woman’s Life, Catholic Financial Life, and Degree of Honor—three distinct and relevant brands in the Trusted Fraternal Life family.
Both fraternal life insurance organizations are working toward a July 1, 2024, effective date, pending regulatory approval.
For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions below by clicking the bars with plus signs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Woman’s Life?
Woman’s Life Insurance Society is headquartered in Port Huron, MI and was founded by a woman named Bina West who made a bold decision in 1892 to build a brand-new fraternal benefit society specifically for women—an idea few companies would even consider at the time—to help women build financial security for themselves and their families and support community outreach.
Why is Woman’s Life merging with Trusted Fraternal Life?
Merging with Trusted Fraternal Life aligns with Woman’s Life’s commitment to adapt and thrive in today’s evolving life insurance industry. As part of the Trusted Fraternal Life family, Woman’s Life will have access to more products and services, advanced technology, and expanded distribution to help even more women and their families throughout the country.
How does this merger benefit Trusted Fraternal Life?
Consolidation has been happening in the life insurance industry and the fraternal sector for the past 30 years. In fact, Catholic Financial Life was the result of nine different mergers during that time (five Catholic organizations, four non-Catholic). This will be the tenth fraternal to merge with what is now Trusted Fraternal Life.
The merger of Woman’s Life helps us achieve our vision of being the innovative leader in fraternal partnerships and consolidation. It brings a new brand with a distinct target market into the Trusted Fraternal Life family of brands. In the process, we benefit from economies of scale and have new opportunities for organic growth.
What is Trusted Fraternal Life and why was it created?
Trusted Fraternal Life is a leading fraternal benefit society whose vision is to be the innovative leader in fraternal partnerships and consolidation within the fraternal sector. Established in March 2024 by Catholic Financial Life, Trusted Fraternal Life is committed to building the NextGen fraternal benefit society.
Kroll Bond Rating Agency upgraded the organization’s financial strength rating to an A with a stable outlook in 2023 and the organization has been recognized as a Top Workplace ten years in a row.
The purpose of creating Trusted Fraternal Life is to facilitate consolidation in the fraternal sector, while preserving unique identities and traditions, and achieving additional scale to compete, to be relevant, and to grow.
What is the size of Woman’s Life and Trusted Fraternal Life?
Woman’s Life has about $200 million of assets, over 23,000 members, and 70 active chapters throughout the United States, with a strong presence in the Great Lakes region.
Once merged, Trusted Fraternal Life will have $1.9 billion of assets, 140,000 members and 225 chapters.
How are Woman’s Life, Catholic Financial Life and Degree of Honor connected to Trusted Fraternal Life?
Catholic Financial Life and Degree of Honor are both unique brands within the Trusted Fraternal Life family of brands. Upon regulatory approval, Woman’s Life will be a brand in the Trusted Fraternal Life family.
What is a family of brands?
Fraternal organizations that join the Trusted Fraternal Life family of brands will maintain the essence of their brand identity while achieving economies of scale, pursue growth opportunities in different markets and make an even greater community impact.
It’s similar to how Coke is part of the Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company has many brands throughout the world including Coke, Dasani, Gold Peak Tea, Powerade and Minute Maid. Trusted Fraternal Life is like the Coca-Cola Company with multiple brands. Catholic Financial Life and Degree of Honor are brands of Trusted Fraternal Life like Coke is a brand of the Coca-Cola Company. Upon regulatory approval, Woman’s Life will be another brand of Trusted Fraternal Life.