ELCO Mutual News

  The old saying “There are two things you can’t avoid: Death and taxes” is a popular phrase for a reason. However, while the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is often strict with taxation-related issues, there are some ways to put off taxes on your income and reduce the amount of money you owe on your yearly income.

  497.6 It’s hard to argue with the fact that numbers are a part of our everyday life.  The number 497.6, may not mean much to you or me today, but for many it could be the difference between eating today and having shoes on their feet.  Let’s put the letters “lbs” behind that number.  Now you can start to see that number a little differently.  Those were the letters ELCO Mutual and their partners were able to put behind the amount of food we collected for our program, “Impacting Veteran’s Lives 2018”.  Midwest Veterans Closet, located in North Chicago, Il, ...

Earlier this month, ELCO Mutual sponsored the Survivor’s Tent at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Libertyville, IL. This tent is dedicated to the brave and courageous individuals who have fought and beaten Breast Cancer. Appropriately, October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can show your support by wearing pink and attending local events such as walks. If you are interested in finding a walk near you or would like to donate, visit their website here.

On September 29th, ELCO Mutual sponsored the Promise Garden tent at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The tent provided participants with different colored flowers that represented the person’s relationship to the disease, which was both a rewarding and exhilarating experience for the members of our staff. At 10 A.M., the ceremonial walk around the University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s campus began. The walk itself was filled with excitement as the volunteers guided the participants down the roads with the upmost enthusiasm, making this event ...

  If a person was asked what a Claims Department does at an insurance company, more than half would say, “That’s simple, when a loved one comes to the end of their life, the insurance company pays beneficiaries”.  I too would have been one of those that said, “That’s simple”.   Talking with our ELCO Mutual Claims Department has made me reexamine this proclamation.  Our claims team may make the process look easy, but it is anything but.  I discovered that a lot of care goes into each and every claim.  The ELCO Claims Department is made up of five moving parts.  ...

  Earlier this month, W. D. Bruce (Bill) stepped down as Chairman and CEO.  He has spent his entire career at ELCO, devoted to its success.  ELCO was only in its eighth year when Bill joined the company on February 1, 1954.  At that time, the company’s assets were a little over $118,000 with approximately $13,000 in surplus. After serving as a vice president for nineteen years, Bill succeeded his father and took over the company reins in 1973 as ELCO’s second president.  While Harley Bruce was the founder of the company, most would think of Bill as the father ...

  May is National Military Appreciation Month.  It gives us a chance to honor active duty members, veterans as well as those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom.  It was not until 1999 when May was first selected as National Military Appreciation Month.  There are several holidays observed throughout this month that honor our military members. If you want to show your appreciation, you do not need to go above and beyond as there are many simple ways to thank our military that can be very effective. The armed forces have shaped our nation’s ...

  The July 29th night baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs included a “ceremonial first pitch” honor for Senior Vice President and Secretary, Richard Leach.  It appeared to be a 25 mph screwball. This honor was made possible through the courtesy of the law firm of Foley & Lardner, LLP and our attorney, Bart Reuter. Check out the video below:  

  “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks” --James Allen: British Author, Philosophical Writer This Friday March 3rd, marks National Employee Appreciation Day.  Celebrated since 1995 in both Canada and the United States, it is a time to celebrate the efforts of those individuals who serve as the foundation for some of America’s success stories.  This positive day of celebration begs the question:  Is one day really enough?  We think not.  That said, ELCO Mutual believes it’s a good excuse to remind ourselves of the power of appreciation and why ...

          This Veterans Day, we at ELCO wish to honor our military veterans and current service members. The sacrifices these men and women have given (some giving the ultimate sacrifice) have provided us the freedom we all too often take for granted.  On behalf of ELCO Mutual and our staff, we extend our most heartfelt thanks to all veterans and military service members.  The next time you see a veteran or military service man or woman, tell them thanks for their service to our country.  You’ll both smile as a result.