Dear Brothers,

According to researchers, there is a greater than 50% chance that sometime in your lifetime, you will need long term care services – either in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or at home.

Even though this risk is greater than losing your home to fire or totaling your car, few people seem to be aware of this threat to their financial security.   A properly designed long-term care program can cover this risk and provide the peace of mind you will need to weather this potential storm.

The Knights of Columbus has long term care plans that can fit your budget as well as your need.  

Knights of Columbus Pledges $1.4 Million for Special Olympics World Games in L.A.

7/14/2014

The Knights of Columbus formally announced a donation to cover the costs of athletes from the United States and Canada during their time in Los Angeles as they participate in next year’s Special Olympics World Games.

The Knights’ $1.4 million sponsorship will cover the costs of food, transportation and entertainment for every athlete from the two countries during their time in Los Angeles.

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson made the announcement during a news conference on July 14 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Joining him at the announcement was World Games CEO and President Patrick McClenahan and Archbishop of Los Angeles José H. Gomez.

“The Knights of Columbus were there with Special Olympics and its founder, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, from the very beginning,” said Supreme Knight Anderson. “Sargent Shriver, Eunice’s husband, was a friend and a proud member of the Knights of Columbus, and like him, we are here today to continue those efforts on behalf of people with intellectual disabilities. Our support exemplifies our commitment to the dignity of every person, our dedication to assisting with our neighbors’ needs whatever they may be, and our deep appreciation for the great work done by Special Olympics.”

Anderson also announced that he is asking the leadership of the K of C in each U.S. state and Canadian province to increase the number of volunteer hours donated to Special Olympics this year.

In a 1986 letter, Eunice Kennedy Shriver reflected on the Knights’ long involvement, observing, “When a great organization like the Knights of Columbus decides to support Special Olympics, I know that God is looking after his children.”

Patrick McClenahan, president and CEO of Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015, noted: “Anyone that is a part of the Special Olympics movement is deeply aware of the long and generous support by the Knights of Columbus, and today’s pledge is another amazing milestone. We hope their donation inspires other organizations to be a part of what will no doubt be a life-changing experience for all involved in the 2015 Special Olympic World Games.”

At Monday’s event, the Knights were also named as a “Founding Champion of the World Games.”

Also at that event, Archbishop José H. Gomez also announced the Archdiocese’s spiritual support for the World Games.

“The Catholic community is happy and proud to welcome the Special Olympics to Los Angeles,” Archbishop Gomez said. “The Special Olympics is a celebration of human dignity and a beautiful sign that our world is truly one family drawn from peoples of every race and language. We look forward to working with the Knights of Columbus, and we pray that this competition will promote solidarity and make all of us more aware of our common humanity.”

In keeping with its long history of support for Special Olympics, K of C councils donated more than $3.5 million to Special Olympics in 2013. Members also provided more than 250,000 hours of service at nearly 20,000 Special Olympics events. K of C councils also donated an additional $13.5 million to a number of other projects assisting people with intellectual disabilities.

Knights of Columbus Surpasses $95 Billion of Life Insurance In Force

9/2/2014

The Order has added nearly $50 billion in last decade

The Knights of Columbus surpassed $95 billion of life insurance in force in late August, marking the latest milestone for the company, which has experienced unprecedented growth in the last decade.

“This milestone isn’t just a number,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, “it’s an indication that we are protecting even more Catholic families and continuing the mission of our venerable founder, Father Michael J. McGivney. Every dollar of top-rated insurance that our professional agency force adds means real, meaningful security for the families we help protect.”

The Knights offers insurance to its members and their families through a network of 1,500 dedicated, professional agents in the United States and Canada — all of whom are members of the Knights of Columbus.

This latest milestone comes amid a year of records and accolades for the organization. In January, the Knights announced its 13th consecutive year of sales growth for their insurance business, issuing nearly $8.2 billion of business in 2013.

In June, the Knights earned its 39th consecutive A++, Superior rating for financial strength — the highest rating available — from ratings agency AM Best. No insurer in North America is more highly rated than the Knights of Columbus.

Also this year, in March, the Knights of Columbus was named a 2014 “World’s Most Ethical Company” by the Ethisphere Institute, an independent center for research promoting best practices in corporate ethics and governance. It was one of two companies named in the “life insurance” category and one of fewer than 150 total companies worldwide to earn this distinction.

Knights of Columbus Announces Accelerator Term Insurance Series

7/10/2014

Adding to its portfolio of top-quality insurance products, the Knights of Columbus announced the new Accelerator Term Insurance series available to Knights and their eligible family members, effective this July.

The new series will offer term insurance protection up to age 85, a 15-year increase from previous term products.

Level Term Insurance offered in the Accelerator Term Insurance Series includes a special acceleration feature that automatically increases the initial death benefit of the policy by five percent for each of the first five years of the policy.*

Accelerator Term Insurance is also convertible to permanent insurance, and comes with an optional full term conversion rider, which extends many of the guaranteed conversion options of the policy.

Term Insurance from the Knights of Columbus is an economical way to cover short-term needs such as income replacement, mortgage protection, debt protection, and tuition expense protection.

“We are always looking to update and to innovate to better serve our members and their families,” said Chief Insurance Officer Thomas P. Smith, Jr. “With the new Accelerator Term Insurance, we are giving our members and their families another fantastic option for protection.”

The release of the Accelerator Term Insurance Series comes amidst a year of records and firsts for the Knights of Columbus Insurance program. The program, founded by Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney in 1882, topped $94 billion of insurance in force early in 2014, while also earning its 39th consecutive year of the highest possible ratings for financial strength (A++, Superior) from A.M. Best. The Knights was also named a 2014 “World’s Most Ethical” Company by the Ethisphere Institute.

Earlier this year, the Knights of Columbus launched the Young Adult Insurance Program, which offers term insurance protection to Knights and their spouses from ages 18-to-29.

To learn more about the Knights of Columbus Insurance program and the new Accelerator Term Insurance Series, contact your local Knights of Columbus Agent.

* Face amount increases and corresponding premium increases can be declined by the policy owner by providing written notice to the Supreme Office within 60 days prior to or after each contract anniversary.

Knights of Columbus Sets Record for Charity in 2013

New records set for dollars and hours donated in year marked by traumas During his address at the opening business session of the Organizational Meeting of State Deputies, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson announced that the Knights of Columbus set all-time records for charitable donations and service hours in 2013 while helping in communities worldwide, including responses to a number of large-scale humanitarian crises. The K of C’s Annual Survey of Fraternal Activity for the year ending Dec. 31, 2013, reports that Knights donated record amounts of money and hours of volunteer service — more than $170 million and more than 70.5 million hours. Contributions increased for the 14th consecutive year, growing by more than $2.3 million to $170,135,754. “Charity has been at the heart of the Knights’ mission for the past 132 years,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said after announcing the figures. “Whether with funds or service, and whether quietly helping someone overcome a personal tragedy or assisting in the aftermath of a widely known humanitarian disaster, the outpouring of charity by our members produces meaningful results, especially by helping to bring peace of mind to those who find themselves in incredibly difficult situations.” In 2013, Anderson explained, “Knights were part of relief efforts for a number of tragic events, including two enormous natural disasters in the Philippines; tornados in Moore, Oklahoma; floods in Alberta, Canada; the factory explosion in West, Texas; and the Boston Marathon bombing. The year also saw the Knights continue their support for the victims of Superstorm Sandy, and for the people of Newtown, Conn, as they recovered from the school shooting that took the lives of 26 residents, most of whom were young children.” The response to unexpected tragedies was accomplished while the Knights continued their strong support within their communities through initiatives like the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids and Food for Families, programs supporting those with intellectual disabilities, organizing blood drives, and providing funding and volunteer time to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics and the Global Wheelchair Mission. The number of volunteer service hours rose in 2013 by 421,071 hours over the 2012 total. At an average value of $22.55 per service hour as estimated by Independent Sector, the value of the Knights’ volunteer service last year was nearly $1.6 billion. Cumulative figures show that during the past decade the Knights of Columbus has donated nearly $1.5 billion to charity and 683 million hours of volunteer service in support of charitable initiatives.

Knights of Columbus Earns Top Rating from A.M. Best for 39th Consecutive Year

Financial Strength Rated A++ (Superior)

Citing the Knights of Columbus’ strong presence in Catholic communities and its members’ loyalty, ratings agency A.M. Best reaffirmed the K of C’s rating of A++ (Superior) for financial strength.

The rating announcement marks the 39th consecutive year that the Knights of Columbus earned A.M. Best’s top marks. The Order has $94 billion of life insurance in force and $21 billion in assets under management. No insurer in North America is more highly rated than the Knights of Columbus.

“Our top rating from A.M Best underscores our commitment to our members and their families,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “We were founded to protect the financial futures of Catholic families, and we take that obligation seriously. In our sales, operations and investments, we keep in mind that Knights and their families are more than customers, they are members of our fraternal family.”

Supreme Knight Anderson added: “We credit our commitment to our members, our excellent sales force of agents who are all Knights of Columbus, and our commitment to our Catholic values, which are the keys to the work we do.”

Earlier this year, the Knights of Columbus was named a 2014 “World’s Most Ethical Company” by the Ethisphere Institute — an independent center for research promoting best practices in corporate ethics and governance. It was one of two companies named in the “life insurance” category, and one of fewer than 150 total companies worldwide.

A.M. Best noted that the rating of the Knights of Columbus “reflects its strong fraternal and insurance presence within the Catholic communities in the United States and Canada, its strong risk-adjusted capitalizations as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio, and its consistently positive statutory operating results.” It added that the Knights of Columbus “has a strong affinity with its large membership base through its charitable programs and competitive portfolio of life insurance and annuity products.”

Knights of Columbus Named a 2014 World’s Most Ethical Company by Ethisphere Institute

K of C sees commitment to Catholic values as key to its ethical, sustainable, successful business model

The Knights of Columbus has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, an independent center of research promoting best practices in corporate ethics and governance, as a 2014 World’s Most Ethical Company.®

This is the first time that the Knights of Columbus has been honored with this award, which recognizes organizations that continue to raise the bar on ethical leadership and corporate behavior. World’s Most Ethical Company honorees understand the correlation between ethics, reputation and daily interactions with their brand and that the award belongs as much to their associates as it does to them. The Knights is one of only two companies in the life insurance category honored this year.

“The Knights of Columbus was founded more than 130 years ago to protect the financial future of Catholic families in the event of the tragic death of a breadwinner and to provide charity to those on the margins of society,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “Today, those same founding principles are at work in every aspect of our business, guiding our corporate governance, our professional agency force, our investments, and our day-to-day business operations. It is this continued commitment to our foundational, Catholic principles that is the key to our ethical, sustainable and successful business model.”

“The entire community of World’s Most Ethical Companies believe that customers, employees, investors and regulators place a high premium on trust and that ethics and good governance are key in earning it,” said Ethisphere Chief Executive Officer Timothy Erblich. “The Knights of Columbus join an exclusive community committed to driving performance through leading business practices. We congratulate everyone at Knights of Columbus for this extraordinary achievement.”

The World’s Most Ethical Company assessment is based upon the Ethisphere Institute’s Ethics Quotient™ framework. The Ethics Quotient framework has been developed over years of effort to provide a means to assess an organization’s performance in an objective, consistent and standardized way. The information collected provides a comprehensive sampling of definitive criteria of core competencies, rather than all aspects of corporate governance, risk, sustainability, compliance and ethics. The Ethics Quotient framework and methodology was determined, vetted and refined by the expert advice and insights gleaned from Ethisphere’s network of thought leaders and from the World’s Most Ethical Company Methodology Advisory Panel.

Scores are generated in five key categories: ethics and compliance program (25%), reputation, leadership and innovation (20%), governance (10%), corporate citizenship and responsibility (25%) and culture of ethics (20%).

The full list of the 2014 World’s Most Ethical Companies can be found at http://ethisphere.com/worlds-most-ethical/wme-honorees/.

About the Ethisphere Institute
The Ethisphere® Institute is an independent center of research, best practices and thought leadership that promotes best practices in corporate ethics and governance and enables organizations to improve compliance, mitigate risk, and enhance relationships with employees, business partners, investors and the broad regulatory community. Ethisphere evaluates and benchmarks compliance and governance programs, honors superior achievement through its World’s Most Ethical Companies® recognition program and publishes Ethisphere Magazine. Ethisphere is also the leading provider of independent verification of corporate ethics and compliance programs that include: Ethics Inside® Certification, Compliance Leader Verification™ and Anti-Corruption Program Verification™. More information about Ethisphere can be found at: www.ethisphere.com.