FCSLS

What FCSLS does

FCSLA Life is a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society founded in 1892 in Cleveland, Ohio, currently headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio. Operating under Ohio's fraternal code, the organization sells legal-reserve whole life insurance, term life insurance, and annuity products (MYGA 3/5/7-year, Flexible Premium Deferred Annuities, Single Premium Immediate Annuity) to individual members, and refunds operating surplus to members through competitive premiums and guaranteed annuity rates. The company holds an A.M. Best A- (Excellent) rating maintained since June 2007.

The business model is a member-owned fraternal structure: individuals purchase life insurance or annuity certificates, which automatically enrolls them as members. FCSLA Life reports $72.5M in FY2025 revenue, $1.057B in total assets, and $110M in unassigned surplus, with 103,000+ members and 546 branches across 48 states plus Washington D.C. Distribution is built on a licensed producer network organized into five Regional Sales Manager territories, supported by online illustration systems, commission-based producer compensation, co-op marketing money, and a Friends & Family referral program. Non-insurance fraternal benefits include over $287,000 in annual scholarships, the newborn infant fraternal benefit, the monthly Fraternally Yours magazine (~67,250 households), and a culturally-significant Slovak-American Cookbook.

The organization has scaled historically through mergers with smaller ethnic fraternal benefit societies (Catholic Workman in 2004; Polish Union and Polish Women's Alliance in 2016). In 2021 it rebranded to FCSLA Life, and in 2023 shifted governance from an elected National President/CEO to a hired CEO model. The competitive position is anchored by 130+ years of brand equity within the Catholic Slovak-American community, but A.M. Best revised the outlook to negative in October 2025, citing competitive pressures that have materially impacted premium growth.

Name

FCSLS

Legal name

First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association of the United States of America

Website

https://fcsla.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Short description

FCSLA Life is a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society founded in 1892 that sells whole life, term life, and annuity products to over 103,000 members across 48 states through a licensed producer network, while delivering scholarships, community programs, and cultural heritage benefits to its Catholic Slovak-American member base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Beachwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Life Insurance Premiums: FCSLA Life generates revenue through premium payments from various life insurance products including Whole Life (Single Premium, 10 Pay, 20 Pay, Lifetime Pay), Term Insurance (20 Year Level Term, Next Gen Term), and related riders and benefits.
2. Annuity Products: Revenue from annuity products including Single Premium Deferred Annuities (MYGA), Flexible Premium Deferred Annuities (Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite), and Single Premium Immediate Annuities. Annuities provide tax-deferred growth with various surrender charge periods.
3. Fraternal Membership: Members purchase life insurance or annuity certificates which automatically enrolls them as members. The organization operates as a not-for-profit for the sole benefit of its members and refunds annual surplus back to members in forms such as competitive premiums and guaranteed rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FCSLA Life is a fraternal benefit society that sells whole life and term life insurance policies, multi-year guaranteed annuities (MYGA), flexible premium deferred annuities, and single premium immediate annuities to individual members. Membership is automatic upon purchasing an insurance or annuity certificate, and members also receive fraternal benefits including scholarships, the Newborn Infant Fraternal Benefit, and the Fraternally Yours bilingual magazine. The organization redistributes annual surplus to members through competitive premiums and guaranteed rates rather than distributing profits to shareholders.

Product overview

FCSLA Life is a fraternal benefit society founded in 1892 that operates as a not-for-profit organization for the sole benefit of its members. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of life insurance and annuity products distributed through a network of over 546 branches across 48 states. Life insurance offerings include whole life products (Single Premium Whole Life Plus, Single Premium Whole Life Traditional, 1 Pay Life, 10 Pay Life, 20 Pay Life, and Lifetime Pay) as well as term products (Next Gen Term and 20 Year Level Term). Annuity products include the Certain Choice Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuity (MYGA) in 3, 5, and 7-year terms, and the Flexible Premium Deferred Annuity line (Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite), plus Single Premium Immediate Annuity. Beyond financial products, FCSLA Life provides fraternal benefits including newborn infant fraternal benefit, annual scholarships exceeding $287,000, the Fraternally Yours Magazine, and a cultural cookbook. The organization maintains an A- (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fraternally Yours Magazine: The official monthly publication of FCSLA Life, distributed to members. Contains financial reports, member profiles, branch information, scholarship programs, recipes, cultural content, and product information. Circulation is about 67,250 per household.
• Anna Hurban Scholarship Fund

Products and services

• Single Premium Whole Life Plus A single premium whole life insurance product with issue ages 45-85 and minimum face amount $50,000, featuring early and strong cash value growth with liquidity options, designed as a wealth transfer tool for individuals.
• Single Premium Whole Life (Traditional) A single premium whole life insurance product with issue ages 0-90 and minimum face amount $5,000, offering strong cash value growth and suitability for gifting permanent life insurance to children and grandchildren.
• 1 Pay Life A whole life insurance product allowing the insured to pay the single premium over the entire first contract year, providing payment flexibility while building permanent coverage.
• 10 Pay Life A whole life insurance product with premiums paid over 10 years, designed for working individuals who want coverage paid up before retirement.
• 20 Pay Life A whole life insurance product with premiums paid over 20 years, offering slightly lower annual premiums than 10 Pay Life while providing lifetime protection and cash value accumulation.
• Whole Life - Lifetime Pay A whole life insurance product with premiums paid throughout the insured's lifetime, offering cash value accumulation and lifetime protection, suitable for retirement savings supplementation or final expense coverage.
• Next Gen Term A term life insurance product for children and young adults with issue ages 0-23 (annual premium) or 0-19 (single premium), face amounts $10,000-$50,000, convertible with a conversion credit at age 30.
• 20 Year Level Term A 20-year level term insurance product with issue ages 18-75 and face amounts $25,000-$100,000, notable for providing coverage opportunities for insureds over age 65.
• Certain Choice MYGA 3-Year A 3-year Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuity offering 4.5% APY guaranteed interest rate for 3 years, with $10,000 minimum and $2,000,000 maximum premium, issue ages up to 85.
• Certain Choice MYGA 5-Year A 5-year Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuity offering 4.8% APY guaranteed interest rate for 5 years, with surrender charges of 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5% over the term.
• Certain Choice MYGA 7-Year A 7-year Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuity offering 4.9% APY guaranteed interest rate for 7 years, with surrender charges declining from 9% to 3% over the term.
• Silver Elite Flexible Premium Deferred Annuity A flexible premium deferred annuity with 4.75% APY current credited rate (as of June 2025), 5-year withdrawal penalty period, 3% minimum guaranteed rate, $250 minimum initial premium.
• Gold Elite Flexible Premium Deferred Annuity A flexible premium deferred annuity with 4.85% APY current credited rate (as of June 2025), 7-year withdrawal penalty period, designed for medium-term savings.
• Platinum Elite Flexible Premium Deferred Annuity A flexible premium deferred annuity with 5.00% APY current credited rate (as of June 2025), 10-year withdrawal penalty period, maximum issue age 79.
• Single Premium Immediate Annuity An immediate annuity using an initial large premium deposit as the basis for immediate contracted settlement payments, with minimum deposit $2,000 and various settlement options.
• Licensed Producer Network A sales network of contracted agents and licensed producers selling life insurance and annuity products with commission-based compensation across 48 states and Washington D.C., supported by Regional Sales Managers and online illustration systems.
• Online Member Portal Online member portal at memberportal.fcsla.com allowing existing members to access their accounts and manage insurance and annuity certificates.
• Life Insurance Needs Calculator An interactive calculator helping members determine how much life insurance they need by analyzing college funding, outstanding financial commitments, assets, and potential future income.
• Life Insurance Cost Quote System Online cost quote generator providing personalized life insurance pricing estimates to prospective members.

Quantifiable outcome

• A.M. Best A- (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating maintained since June 2007
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Polish National Alliance: Slavic fraternal benefit society offering life insurance and annuities to Polish-Americans. Adjacent ethnic fraternal with comparable products and structure; FCSLA absorbed sister organization Polish Women's Alliance in 2016, evidencing direct overlap.

Direct peers

• Royal Neighbors of America: Fraternal benefit society providing life insurance and annuities primarily to women, with community impact programs and chapter-based structure analogous to FCSLA's women-founded, branch-based fraternal model.
• Croatian Fraternal Union: Slavic/Catholic fraternal benefit society providing life insurance and annuities to members of Croatian heritage. Highly analogous ethnic-Catholic fraternal model with similar product mix.
• Gleaner Life Insurance Society: Fraternal benefit society offering life insurance, annuities, and accident/health coverage to members, with branch structure and fraternal benefits comparable to FCSLA's operating model.
• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans: Fraternal benefit society offering life insurance, annuities, and fraternal benefits to a faith-based community (Lutherans), analogous to FCSLA's Catholic Slovak fraternal model. Both combine insurance products with member benefits and operate under fraternal tax structure.
• Catholic Order of Foresters: Catholic fraternal benefit society offering life insurance and fraternal benefits. Comparable to FCSLA on Catholic eligibility, fraternal member benefits, and life insurance/annuity product set.
• Modern Woodmen of America: Fraternal benefit society offering life insurance, annuities, and member benefits through a similar branch-based, community-driven distribution model. Comparable in structure (mutual/fraternal), product set, and member-benefit orientation.
• WoodmenLife: Fraternal benefit society providing life insurance and retirement products with member benefits and community programs. Operates a similar chapter-based fraternal structure and competitive product lineup.
• National Catholic Society of Foresters: Catholic fraternal benefit society offering life insurance and fraternal benefits to Catholic families. Directly comparable niche and product set to FCSLA's Catholic-eligibility focus.
• Knights of Columbus Insurance: Catholic fraternal benefit society providing life insurance and annuities to a specific faith community. Highly comparable to FCSLA on faith-based eligibility, fraternal member benefits, and product mix (whole life, term, annuities, disability income).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FCSLALife
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FCSLALife?sub_confirmation=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/First-Catholic-Slovak-Ladies-Association-National-Headquarters-829643137092360
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fcsla-life-insurance-annuities
• Instagraminstagram.com/FCSLALife
• TikToktiktok.com/@fcsla.life?_t=zt-8wbapgbb1jp&_r=1

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FCSLS