ICMIF is growing again; eleven new organisations have recently become members taking the numbers of new members during the year of 2011 up to fifteen.  In total, ICMIF now has 221 members, located in 71 countries across the globe. One major newcomer is the US financial services society, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.  Thrivent is a member-controlled not-for-profit organisation which is established as a fraternal benefit society.  Fraternal societies, founded around the turn of the ...

The first of two tug and barge sets built to help an Alaska co-op control its fuel cost is now hauling fuel and other supplies through a far-flung service territory. Anchorage-based Alaska Village Electric Cooperative invested $12 million in the project, which is expected to increase competition in western Alaska’s fuel delivery market. “We’ve seen drastic increases in energy costs since 2007,” said Meera Kohler, president and CEO of the co-op. AVEC buys more than 5 million gallons of ...

Co-operative Financial Services is to axe 670 field-based financial advisors' jobs and is planning to sell its life and savings business to the mutual, Royal London, subject to regulatory approval being granted.