When you do business with Woodmen of the World, you enjoy the resources of an organization large enough to offer you security, but small enough to care about each individual member. Founded in 1890, Woodmen of the World was established to benefit members, and is now one of the largest fraternal benefit societies with open membership in the United States. With Woodmen of the World, you're not just a "policyholder" – you're a member – and you receive benefits exclusive to Woodmen of the World, including senior and youth camps and financial assistance for catastrophic illnesses.1 Woodmen of the World also cares for its members' communities by presenting American flags to civic and community organizations, by providing assistance to senior citizens, the physically impaired and orphans. Financial strength During the past five years, our assets have increased by more than 17 percent, and in 2008 our: Asset to liabilities ratio was 1.11, indicating Woodmen of the World has $111 of assets for every $100 of liabilities. Net gain before refunds was $200 million. Benefits paid to members and beneficiaries totaled $641.1 million. Refunds to members were $131 million. Life insurance in force, the total amount of life insurance owned by Woodmen of the World members, stood at $34.7 billion. Customer satisfaction LIMRA, an independent life insurance research and consulting company, conducts a customer assurance survey of new members monthly. Ninety-eight percent of Woodmen of the World members who responded to the survey say they consider the service they receive from their Representative at the time of the sale to be "extremely" or "very" helpful. What to look for in an insurer One way to judge a company is to look at how its financial strength and performance are rated by objective rating agency. Woodmen of the World was again awarded a rating of A+ (Superior) with a Stable outlook by A.M. Best for its 2009 financial strength and operating performance. A.M. Best ratings range from A++ (Superior) to F (Liquidation). A+ (Superior) is the second-highest rating out of 15 awarded. A.M. Best is an independent rating company that is nationally recognized for its objective reporting and rating of insurers. Investing in trust In an industry based on long-term success, you want to invest your time and money with a company you can trust to perform. An organization's investment philosophy directly affects its security and is a vital factor in its growth and stability. Woodmen of the World does not chase profit to please stockholders, we pursue the best interests of our members. Some companies today are taking loans to stay in business, but we're not like other companies. Woodmen of the World is an organization that has lasted more than a century by taking the long view and doing what is right. Another sign of Woodmen of the World's steady strength is that our Investment Division has increased the organization's investment income by 5.7 percent since 2003, despite declining interest rates. Bonds One of today's safest investments is bonds, and because of their stability, you'll find over two-thirds of our invested assets here. A large portion of our bond portfolio contains investment-grade corporate bonds. Bonds commonly referred to as "investment-grade" are those included in the top four rating categories – Aaa, Aa, A and Baa. Bond ratings are like grades on a report card, with Aaa carrying the smallest degree of investment risk, and C being the highest. At year end 2008, 97 percent of Woodmen of the World's bond holdings were investment grade bonds. Stability for the future Despite economic ups and downs, Woodmen of the World's outstanding financial performance included a total income of $1.3 billion in 2008. Assets stood at $7.6 billion, and certificate reserves – funds held to guarantee future benefit payments – surpassed $6.0 billion in 2008.