The year was 1895. The time period was coined the Gay Nineties, but there was little to be happy about in the U.S. – especially for women. They couldn’t vote, couldn’t own property in all states, and weren’t generally allowed to own life insurance. However, the nine women who founded Royal Neighbors of America helped change things by creating an organization with a vision to protect women financially and empower them to improve their lives, families and communities. That’s how Royal Neighbors became one of the first to insure women in the U.S., and later one of the first to insure children, too.

Today, Royal Neighbors, rated “A Excellent” (3rd highest out of 13) by the AM Best Company for overall financial strength and ability to meet ongoing obligations to certificateholders, is one of the largest women-led life insurers in the nation. For more than 126 years, the founding mission of empowering women and their families through financial protection solutions and opportunities to give back to their communities is as relevant and important as ever. Although much has changed since 1895, Royal Neighbors continues to meet the needs of women and their families through each stage of their lives with annuities and life insurance products such as whole life, term, simplified issue, and universal life.