BRINGING THE THRIVENT STORY TO LIFE TOGETHER

Transcription

1 BRINGING THE THRIVENT STORY TO LIFE TOGETHER 2014 Annual Report to Members The Schlicher family, Thrivent members

2 BRINGING THE THRIVENT STORY TO LIFE IN 2014 OPEN OUR MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION OF CHRISTIANS HELPS MEMBERS BE WISE WITH MONEY NEARLY 2.4 MILLION THRIVENT MEMBERS shared a common bond of Christianity 17,268 CHRISTIAN CHURCHES received Thrivent Choice grant funds, based on member input* THRIVENT HELPED 1,520 churches, schools and other ministries with loans to support their needs, for a total investment of almost $1 billion 25,477 MEMBERS SERVED AS CONGREGATIONAL ADVOCATES connecting their churches to Thrivent resources FINANCIAL 2,392 REPRESENTATIVES provided guidance to members nationwide 46,018 taking steps to secure their financial futures INSURANCE 38,303 CHECKUPS held to review families financial security 43,839 contracts written to protect members and families 40,000+ PEOPLE LEARNED MORE ABOUT FINANCIAL TOPICS NEW MEMBERS JOINED THRIVENT LIFE AND DISABILITY INCOME INSURANCE by attending Thrivent workshops All numbers as of Dec. 31, 2014 * Directing Choice Dollars is subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Thrivent Choice program. The Thrivent Choice charitable grant program engages Thrivent members and chapters in providing grants that support charitable activities, furthering Thrivent s mission and its purposes under state law. 2 Thrivent Financial

3 OPEN AND LIVE GENEROUSLY $106.7 million RAISED & DONATED by members and supporters 10.7 million VOLUNTEER HOURS given by Thrivent members 53,995 LOCAL ACTIVITIES held by members to help communities 273,289 MEMBERS DIRECTED THRIVENT CHOICE DOLLARS to enrolled churches, schools, social ministries and other nonprofits* 18,397 MEMBERS LED THRIVENT ACTION TEAMS because positive change begins by taking action LEADING TO STRONGER MEMBERS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES PAID OUT $1.8 billion to member families/beneficiaries through insurance and annuity benefits $182.5 billion of life insurance in force, ready to help when needed $209.8 million IN TOTAL OUTREACH from Thrivent** and our members to help communities $54.9 MILLION IN THRIVENT CHOICE GRANT FUNDS 481 went to 25,652 enrolled nonprofit organizations THRIVENT BUILDS with Habitat for Humanity homes built or repaired, serving 1,380 individuals ** Funding for Thrivent s outreach comes from our tax exemption as a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society. Money we would otherwise pay in certain taxes instead goes to strengthen the communities, congregations and causes our members care about. Members are actively involved in deciding where the money goes locally Annual Report to Members 3

4 Dear Fellow Members: Thrivent s story started more than a century ago. That s when our founders started this organization to provide affordable life insurance to Lutheran immigrants. Back then, farm and factory accidents could be devastating to a family without insurance. The concept behind our founding was simple: to help people bear one another s burdens (Galatians 6:2). In 2014, we began another chapter in our story welcoming more Christians to join our membership organization, inviting them to be wise with money and live generously, and to ultimately have a healthier relationship with money. Because we re starting to share our story with people who don t know us, we came up with a simple equation to describe Thrivent and how we re different. We call it The Thrivent Story. Pages 2 and 3 show how we re bringing this unique story to life through our nearly 2.4 million member-owners. The Thrivent Story is just one way we re telling others about who we are, and it s helped us achieve another year of new-member growth. As a membership organization, nothing is more satisfying than this. It means we re helping more people. Another important part of our story is our financial strength. And we re proud to report to you, our memberowners, that our financial position is as strong as ever. In fact, in 2014 we hit a few financial milestones that demonstrate our strength. Check them out on page 7. In closing, we know Thrivent wouldn t exist without you, so we thank you for being a Thrivent member and bringing The Thrivent Story to life. Brad Hewitt President and Chief Executive Officer Dick Moeller Chair of the Board of Directors Growth New Members Joining Thrivent 40,931 40,981 46, Includes benefit, associate and juvenile members 4 Thrivent Financial

5 MEMBERS BRING THE THRIVENT STORY TO LIFE Tara s Story: brightpeak financial, a division of Thrivent, was created to help young families cut through financial uncertainty. And brightpeak was just what stay-at-home mom Tara Wilson of Fort Collins, Colorado, needed after she was injured in a car accident about a year ago. After the accident, she started wondering what would happen if she ever got too sick or injured to take care of the kids. Through her church, she heard about affordable disability income insurance and life insurance from brightpeak. I knew this was exactly what our family needed, she says. Now I feel so much more at peace knowing that what I contribute as a stay-at-home mom is protected. By providing unique solutions, like protecting the job of a stay-at-home parent, brightpeak financial ( helps young Christians grow stronger financially so they can live with confidence and generosity. Trina s Story: Pastor Trina Petersen believes in feeding the stomach first, then the spirit. That s why she led a Thrivent Action Team to support the Thanksgiving Giving event in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The event, sponsored by A New Thing Christian Church, served more than 100 of the community s homeless and working poor. Volunteers served a fellowship meal featuring traditional Thanksgiving fixings. The menu for the spirit included joy and thanksgiving. A woman who was in tears on her way out after the meal said she was totally overwhelmed by the food and the love. This was a wonderful opportunity to share our gifts of love and hospitality with others, Trina says. Thrivent Action Teams are a new, easy way for members to support a cause they care about. 5

6 Drew and Meghan s Story: With the high cost of college, many of today s students fall short on funding. This can often be the case despite tapping into savings, scholarships and federal loans. To help fill the gap, Drew and Meghan Keeley, siblings from Appleton, Wisconsin, each applied for a Thrivent Private Student Loan. The loans are helping them pay for their education at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Going to college is now one more part of life s journey where Thrivent can help families be wise with money. The new loan product is an offering of Thrivent Federal Credit Union in partnership with Thrivent Financial. It offers competitive rates and no origination fees. Neal s Story: Neal Kraemer (left) is one of the 46,018 new members who joined Thrivent in He co-owns a travel services business in Richfield, Minnesota. Working with Financial Consultant Darryl Savage (right), he and his business partner each purchased life insurance contracts on each other. These contracts will help protect the business in the future no matter what happens to either of the co-owners. As the leader of a successful company, Neal wanted to work with a strong financial services organization that he felt would outlast his business. For Neal, Thrivent s strength and stability and his great relationship with Darryl fit the bill. These member experiences may not be representative of the experience of other clients. These stories are also not indicative of future performance or success. 6

7 Financial Results Condensed Statutory Financial Information As of Dec. 31 (in millions) Admitted assets Bonds $37,437 $39,036 Stocks 1,163 1,339 Mortgage loans 7,298 7,378 Cash and short-term investments 1,430 1,503 Other investments 3,849 4,063 Total investments 51,177 53,319 Other assets Assets held in separate accounts 20,414 23,079 Total admitted assets $72,162 $76,994 Liabilities Reserves for life, annuity $42,781 $43,990 and health contracts Dividend and contract claims Other liabilities 2,771 3,004 Liabilities related to separate accounts 20,335 23,006 Total liabilities 66,364 70,501 Capital and surplus 5,798 6,493 Total liabilities and surplus $72,162 $76,994 For the year ended Dec. 31 (in millions) Premium income and contract proceeds $5,332 $5,540 Net investment income 2,575 2,686 Other income Total revenue $8,524 $8,939 Contractholders benefits 3,616 3,867 Reserve increase (decrease) 1,243 1,283 Dividends* Commissions and operating costs 967 1,008 Other 1,688 1,728 Total benefits and expenses $7,746 $8,125 Gain from operations before capital gains and losses Capital gains (losses), net (78) (49) Net income $700 $765 * Dividends are not guaranteed. Thrivent Financial derived the financial information above from our audited financial statements. For a copy of the complete statutory-basis financial statements, visit Thrivent.com. FINANCIAL MILESTONES Assets under management/ advisement In billions as of Dec. 31 $98.8 $105.4 $ SURPASSED $100 Our assets show we have size and scale two things that are essential in financial services. We understand that these assets are our members, not ours, and that our members have trusted us to be wise stewards for them. Total adjusted surplus In billions as of Dec. 31 $ SURPASSED $7 $6.9 billion billion $7.6 Total adjusted surplus is a comprehensive measure that third parties use to evaluate an insurer s financial strength. This rainy day fund means we are well-positioned to withstand the economy s ups and downs and steadfastly deliver on members claims. DIVIDENDS INCREASED BY We take pride in sharing our 3% financial success with our members OVER 2013 via dividends Annual Report to Members 7

8 The Thrivent Way We are a membership organization of Christians, and our members are our owners. Our purpose is to serve our members and society by guiding both to be wise with money and live generously. We believe that all we have is a gift from God and that generosity is an expression of faith. We succeed when our members, their families and their communities thrive. We value our relationships, so we will: Be trustworthy in character and competence, and Act like owners and treat each other as owners, and Live balanced and generous lives. HIGHEST OF 16 RATINGS A++ SUPERIOR* A.M. BEST, APRIL 2014 No.335 ON THE FORTUNE 500 FORTUNE MAGAZINE, JUNE 2014 NAMED ONE OF THE WORLD S MOST ETHICAL COMPANIES BY ETHISPHERE INSTITUTE ** * Ratings reflect Thrivent s overall financial strength and claims-paying ability but do not apply to the performance of investment products. ** Thrivent earned this distinction as a result of our leadership in promoting ethical business standards. Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anticorruption and sustainability. Insurance products issued or offered by Thrivent Financial, the marketing name for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Appleton, WI. Not all products are available in all states. Securities and investment advisory services are offered through Thrivent Investment Management Inc., 625 Fourth Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55415, a FINRA and SIPC member and a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent. Thrivent Financial representatives are registered representatives of Thrivent Investment Management Inc. They are also licensed insurance agents/producers of Thrivent. Deposit and lending services are offered by Thrivent Federal Credit Union, a member-owned not-for-profit financial cooperative that is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration and doing business in accordance with the Federal Fair Lending Laws. Insurance, securities, investment advisory and trust and investment management accounts and services offered by Thrivent Financial, the marketing name for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans or its affiliates are not deposits or obligations of Thrivent Federal Credit Union, are not guaranteed by Thrivent Federal Credit Union or any bank, are not insured by the NCUA, FDIC or any other federal government agency, and involve investment risk, including possible loss of the principal amount invested R3-15