Keeping Our Retirement Funds Busy

MEDA photo

Imagine having the money you've set aside for retirement working around the clock accomplishing things that really matter to you, like helping farmers in South America grow and market their own coffee, providing capital for women in Africa developing small businesses, and funding alternative energy projects at home and abroad.

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Instead of investing in Wall Street traded corporations, Alma Jean and I have been blessed by having the bulk of our retirement funds in microlending and other programs that benefit the poor and help the environment.

Our local financial adviser Glen Kauffman, with Everence Association Inc., a fraternal benefit society, has helped us do this through Calvert, MEDA, Oikocredit and similar organizations.

For us this represents the best of both worlds, having our money meet the kinds of needs we typically associate with charitable giving, yet also having it available for later use as needed for our retirement.

For example, Everence offering an Advantage Select High Impact Annuity for individuals wanting to save for retirement while their money is invested helping others. It offers an annual interest rate guarantee of 1.7% for two years or 2.05% for four years.

That may not seem like much, but it helps provide loans for causes that are priceless:

• Emerging and socially engaged congregations growing their ministries and community services.
• Green lending for nonprofit organizations making environmentally friendly improvements.
• Community development needs in underserved areas in the U.S. and around the world.

“We are excited to offer our members a way to help others while also saving for their own future,” says Michael Horn, Everence Director of Charitable Products and Church Loans. “The Everence Advantage Select High Impact Annuity gives people an opportunity to live out their faith and values through their financial decisions. It’s another way we are doing better, together.”

As a disclaimer, I am not a part of any organized effort to promote Everence or any of its products. But as one of its customers, I definitely approve this message.

Check this link for previous blogs on this subject.