The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-09
fCOmmuDicsied.1
The Northwestern Mutual Life-
Insurance COmnauy.
From the Investigator, November. lss

From the Investigator, November. lSsO.J
It Is now twenty-five years since the
above-named COMPANY, bailing from Mil
waukee, entered the field OF life insurance
as home company, IN some sense, for the
great and growing Northwest. Since thar
time, during al the successive changes Of
fortune which have come TO the business
interests OF the country, and affecting ma
ieriaIly those OF life insurance, this COM
piny has gone steadily forward accumu-
lstiDg additional assets, Increasing its sur
plus, and iDtrencbiDg Itself In the conf.
dence OF the people no. only OF the North
west, but OF the entire country. While
various other companies, which set on, un-
der fl,'ering prospects and spread eXten-
sVe sail for time. have gone bv the board.
and wDie these weak or badiy-managed
companies have by their failure created
widespread ds,rust among the people con.
cerning other companies, the entire sound
ness and reliability OF the Northwestern
has not once been questioned. With bu.i-
ness distributed over forty.three States and
Territories, with thirty-thrcc thousand poll
cv-hOlders, whose policies aggregate over
siXty-two million dollars OF insurance. and
with q clear surplus Of more than three
million dollars, on per cent. basis, this
company holds to-day an eGyiabIe position
in the ranks OF hfe insurance.
II is interesting to trace the progress OF
this COMPANY, SHOWING, az it does, year by
year steady increase in the business trans.
acted and corresponding increase In the
volume of iis assets. Thus in November,
1864, when its business may be said to have
been fairly established, the assets OF the
company were S369,3 On December 81.
1870, they hOd reached SS,99i, 7jG, while the
surplus was S633 02G. Five years later the
assets amounted to the comfortable sum OF
Sij,527 ,532, and The surplus 10 S2.0j9, 1i0.
On the 3lst Of December. IS10-iVe wears
later stilI-SlS, ,002, l42 measured the assets.
and SO OPS, l59, by "a per cent. standard,
the surplus. In the mean time so well had
the affairs OF the company been managed,
the ability 10 return liberaI dividends TO the
poIicy.hoIders is shown abundantly bv the
record which has been made. This diyi.
dend for The past ten years has averaged
over 80 per cent. OF its premium Income.
though for the past three years it has been
considerably above that figure.
III We look for the causes underlying the
prosperity OF the Northwestern they will
not be difficult TO find. They consist IN the
cart ful, conservative management by which,
while the deatb-raie has been exceptionally
low, the rate Of interest realized has been
exceptionally high. The rep p)rts Of interest.
receip's by all the life companies in the
Uni ed states for the ten years past show
that, while the average rate Of interest has
been very satisfactory, that oi the North
westera is considerably The largest. The
average OF this company for the ten years
has been 30 per cent. In view OF this
fact we are not surprised 10 find thit the
interesl.receips alone have been more than
sufficient TO pay all death-claims aud man.
agement expenses. The excess OF interest
receipts over death.IOsses since the forma-
ti0n Of the company i9 very large, being
nearly three and "a half millions of dollars.
The total iDterest-receiDts from Organlza.
ton 10 December 81, 1879, were 81 ,4Sl .373.
and the total deatb-loS ses SS,0l3,5y2, show
ing the excess as stated.
The real estate loans OF the comDlny
amount 10 SlO,3 3 9S4, and almost every
dollar OF tDis is loaned on western real
estate at such rates that when taken to-
gether With bower interest on other securi-
ties, such as bOOds. ETC., the average rate
realized IS nearly seven and half per cen,.
rhe fact - The high character Oi the real
estate loans OF the Northwestern, taken to-
geher with The profitable rate OF interest
sure TO be realized for long time TO come.
tower OF strength from which
nOfhiDg but the muSt gross mismana9emeDt
can di>Iodge il. We confidently look 10 see
rapidly increasing surplus, large DIVIDENDS,
plans, and, what is more i'm
pOrant tnan all 10 its army OF pOlicy.bold.
ers, an institution OF such continued sound |
ness as TO be absolutely above adverse crlti-
.i .In