In both 2014 and 2015, the Knights of Columbus was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. This is a tremendous honor and achievement that all Knights should be proud of. You are part of a fraternal benefit society that puts integrity above everything.

But tremendous though it is, being one of the world’s most ethical companies is not just an achievement; it’s our legacy and our responsibility. We won’t settle for less. We owe it to our founder, to our Church, and to our members. As a business, the Knights of Columbus holds a unique place in the world.

For starters, we were founded by a Venerable Servant of God, who, we pray, is on the path to Sainthood. How many companies can say that? It is our responsibility to continue the business in a way that Father McGivney intended. He founded this organization so that a caring community of Catholic families could come together and protect widows and orphans from financial devastation upon the death of the bread winner. Our mission remains the same 133 years later.

From our founding to the present day, we are and have been an unapologetically Catholic company. For us, this means that we must conduct our business in accordance with Catholic principles. We have established a strict screening process for our investments, and we refuse to invest in companies that deal in abortions, contraception, human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, for-profit health care that pays for any of the aforementioned, and pornography.

We are an organization by brother Knights, for brother Knights. We don’t worry about stock price, shareholders, or corporate takeovers. We don’t obsess over profit margins and golden parachutes. We worry about doing what’s right for our members and their families. After all, we’re brother Knights too.

As agents, we are rigorously trained to adhere to the highest ethical standards. Each of us must sign a Code of Ethics, which is modeled after the Ten Commandments. Among its commandments is “Thou shall present, honestly and accurately, all the facts necessary to enable a member to make an informed decision.” “Our fraternal ties to our members,” it goes on to say, “make it more incumbent on us, in our dealings with them, to assure that their interests are uppermost in our minds as we provide solutions to their financial needs. It all boils down simply to the golden rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” After all, we are our brother’s keeper.

That’s our commitment to you. And that’s our commitment to conducting our business in line with Church teaching, and in line with the vision of our holy founder.

We are honored that the Ethisphere Institute has acknowledged that commitment.

While jobs are safer in 2015, accidents, injuries, and illnesses that can impact your ability to work still happen. Most, in fact, do not happen on the job site or place of employment. Did you know that a 2011 study revealed that more than 95 percent of the long-term disability claims on file were not work related?

The “loss” of the breadwinner does not have to mean that person’s death; it can also mean the loss of the breadwinner’s income. Consider that loss for a moment. How would your family fare if a source of income suddenly stopped? Could a dual-income family manage on one income stream? What about young families with a working father and a mother who cares for the children? What if his income halted due to an accident or illness?

I’ve heard some people say they have coverage at work, but too many aren’t sure what this coverage entails, how much income it would provide or for how long. Having this protection counts for something, certainly, but it isn’t “yours”; it’s provided by the company for which you work at their discretion. It could be eliminated tomorrow.

That’s where a personally-owned disability income insurance product, like Income Armor, comes into play. It can offer valuable income replacement in the event of an injury or illness. While Father McGivney likely never imagined such a product in 1882, I’m sure he would wholeheartedly endorse the protection it can provide to a family. If you have a job, you must know about this coverage.

Each September since 2003 has been designated as Life Insurance Awareness Month. Like most awarenessraising campaigns, Life Insurance Awareness Month was created because there is an overwhelming lack of understanding of the product among the general public. Each year, the Life Insurance Market Research Association (LIMRA) puts out the results from a recent survey, and unfortunately, the numbers they report continue to be discouraging.

A recent survey found that more than 75 percent of people polled did not have a personal financial advisor. Sixty-eight percent of that same survey group said their opinion of the current economic conditions was somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable.

In other words, a majority of those surveyed were uncomfortable with the economy and the uncertainty it brings, yet they did not seek professional assistance. Maybe they spoke with their friends and family. Maybe they hoped the instability would go away on its own. Maybe they did not know to whom to turn.

If you fall into this category, please remember that as a member of the Knights of Columbus, you have a fulltime, professional agent you can call your own. My primary responsibility is the care and service of your family’s life insurance, retirement and long-term care needs. I’ll answer your questions because I want your decisions to be informed ones. I want to help.

Another LIMRA statistic said 43 percent of people did not buy life insurance because they worry about “making the wrong decision.” Talk with me, and, afterward, you’ll understand that the only wrong decision was not purchasing sooner to protect your family’s future.

Let’s get together as soon as possible.

Knights of Columbus life insurance offers something precious few other financial products can – guarantees. As long as you pay your premiums, the policy proceeds will be there for your beneficiaries should something happen to you. We call that peace of mind, and that’s what we offer with our every product in our portfolio.

We guarantee the cash value in your whole life policies will be there.

We guarantee the rates on your term insurance.

We guarantee our retirement products will provide a stream of income when you need it.

On top of those product guarantees, I guarantee that I will offer professional, high-quality service that you would expect from our organization.

Our Order is among the highest rated life insurers in North America. AM Best has rated the Knights of Columbus “A++, Superior” for 37 consecutive years. This shows our track record for excellence and security. I would suggest that a principal reason that we were able to achieve those accolades is because we remain steadfastly committed to the vision of Father Michael J. McGivney by providing life insurance by brother Knights for brother Knights.

That commitment is an essential core value of the Knights of Columbus, and our core values permeate all levels of our organization. These principles for marketing are summed up by our Golden Rule: “In all my professional relationships, I pledge myself to the following rule of conduct: I shall, in light of all conditions surrounding those I serve, render that service which, under the same circumstances, I would apply to myself.”

Let’s talk soon to discuss how our products can bring that peace of mind to you and your family.

Let’s get together as soon as possible.

Fraternally, Your Brother and Field Agent,
Marco Manrique
CA LIC 0I39878, FA16570
(707) 301-1783
marco.manrique@kofc.org

We all know the old adage, “the grass seems greener on the other side of the fence.” When it comes to replacing your existing Knights of Columbus life insurance with coverage offered by another company, the adage holds true. Perceptions are deceiving. A move to the other side of the fence might seem like a good one, but it can leave you with less green in your wallet — in some cases, a lot less. That’s why it pays to remember another old saying, “Read the fine print.”

There are many reasons to keep your existing coverage in force, whether that coverage is with the Knights of Columbus or with another company. I’ll focus on the potential pitfalls of replacing coverage here — pitfalls that an agent trying to convince you that the grass actually is greener might neglect to mention.

First, all life insurance contracts contain a contestability period, which allows the insurer to contest claims made for a period — typically two years — after the contract is issued. Chances are this is no longer an issue with your current coverage.

Second, it’s unlikely that you can obtain the same amount of coverage, for the same premium, that you were able to obtain with your existing contract. The two factors that determine how much you’ll need to pay for life insurance coverage are age and health. Certainly, you’re older now than you were when you took out your current coverage. There’s no way around that one. And you have to ask yourself, has your health changed during that time? Is your blood pressure the same? Your cholesterol? Have you gained weight? All these factors can affect the amount of coverage you’ll get for your premium dollar.

If someone encourages you to replace — or worse, drop — your existing coverage, please call me. I’ll show you how your existing coverage is working for you and why replacement is rarely in your best interest.

Let’s get together as soon as possible.

Fraternally, Your Brother and Field Agent,
Marco Manrique
CA LIC 0I39878, FA16570
(707) 301-1783
marco.manrique@kofc.org

Some people believe that ethics in business is a contradiction in terms. They think that in order to be profitable, a company and its leaders must abandon morality and embrace the dark, greedy side of capitalism. At the Knights of Columbus, we know this business model is incorrect. As a Catholic organization, we understand the value and importance of our core beliefs and the original mission of Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney. In fact, much of the strength and financial security we provide to members and their families can be attributed to our ethical, moral standards.

More than 96 percent of Knights who buy our life insurance keep it, year in and year out. The Order takes this commitment to our members very highly. This means carefully planning when it comes time to invest. Our professional staff researches all transactions to insure that they fall in line with Catholic values. If a transaction makes them uncomfortable, they don’t make it.

“We exclude any company engaged in activity that conflicts with Catholic moral teaching: companies directly involved in abortion, contraception, human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, for-profit health care that pays for any of these, or pornography,” said the Supreme Knight. “There are many companies in the pharmaceutical and communications industries that would undoubtedly provide excellent returns for us, but which are not in our portfolio because they engage in research and development or programming in ways that violate the sanctity or dignity of human life.”

In the end, the Knights of Columbus investment strategy is motivated by morality and not money-making. Yet, each year we remain profitable, increase our assets and stay dedicated to this vision that will keep the Order sound financially for generations to come.

“Faithful Catholics have choices when buying life insurance,” said the Supreme Knight. “But they know that at the Knights of Columbus their policy is supplied by an insurer that shares their moral and ethical values and is guided in all of its investment and sales practices by those values.”

Contact me today to learn more about our products.

Fraternally, Your Brother and Field Agent,
Marco Manrique
CA LIC 0I39878, FA16570
(707) 301-1783
marco.manrique@kofc.org