COUNTRY Financial
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| COUNTRY Financial | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | Mutual, Stock |
| Founded | 1925 |
| Headquarters | Bloomington, Illinois |
| Key people | John Blackburn, CEO |
| Industry | Insurance & Financial Services |
| Products | Insurance & Investing |
| Revenue | $3.101 billion USD (2006) [1] |
| Employees | 5,600 |
| Website | www.countryfinancial.com |
COUNTRY Financial is a group of US insurance and financial services companies. Its corporate headquarters are in Bloomington, Illinois.
Contents |
[edit] History
COUNTRY was founded in 1925 when a group of Illinois Agricultural Association members developed an organization to provide fire and lightning insurance. The farmers created COUNTRY because insurance salesmen rarely traveled the dirt and gravel roads to their homes and they were being charged the same rates as city dwellers. In the company's first year of operation, more than 385 Illinois farmers worked part-time, offering insurance services to their friends and neighbors.
Crop insurance became available in 1926, auto insurance in 1927, and life insurance in 1929. Financial services, including retirement planning, estate planning, investment management, and annuities have been available for more than 35 years.
COUNTRY has grown exponentially since its founding. In more than 80 years of operation, the insurance and financial services provider grew from a small Illinois company serving only Illinois customers to having agents in 14 states and offering products and services in 40 states.
COUNTRY Financial and its alliances now serve about 1 million households and businesses and insure more than 1 million vehicles and a half a million homes throughout the United States. The organization currently has 3,600 employees and more than 2,000 agents[2].
[edit] Rankings
COUNTRY ranked No. 1 for the seventh time in eight years with the lowest ratio of complaints in Illinois[3].
COUNTRY earned an A+ rating for life/health business and an A rating for property/casualty business from Weiss Ratings[4].
A.M. Best Company, Inc. has affirmed the A+ Superior for the property and casualty and primary life and health companies within COUNTRY Financial. COUNTRY Mutual Insurance Company has been included in Best’s highest rating category for more than 65 consecutive years, and COUNTRY Life Insurance Company has received the highest rating for more than 70 consecutive years[5].
[edit] Financial security
COUNTRY specializes in helping families become financially secure by helping people protect what they have today and save for a comfortable tomorrow.
The COUNTRY Financial Security Index is a bi-monthly measure of Americans' sentiments towards their overall financial security. Based on a national telephone survey of 3,000 Americans, the Index tracks how secure Americans feel about their own financial situation in relation to their stage in life. Survey questions range from taking care of short-term needs and protecting current assets to planning for the future.
[edit] CEOs
| CEO | Years Served |
|---|---|
| John Blackburn | 2001–Present |
| Duane Miller | 1974–2001 |
| Darrell Achenbach[6] | 1962–1974 |
[edit] Revenue
2006 Revenue: 3.101 billion USD
[edit] References
- ^ Fortune 1000 (2006)
- ^ "Primary Companies"
- ^ 2005 annual Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
- ^ Ratings reflect year end 2005 performance
- ^ "Industry Analyst Confirms Superior Ratings For COUNTRY"
- ^ Executive VP. Prior to 1962, the companies which comprise COUNTRY Financial had separate leaders. Source: CLIC Magazine, August 1974
