2024 Annual Report

Helping people design a better farewell, benefiting those they love.

Homesteaders President, CEO & Board Chair Steve Shaffer

 

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A Year of Transformational Growth

2024 will stand out as a defining year for Homesteaders Life Company — a year when we built on our foundation of success to strengthen our vision for the future.

Thanks to the dedication of our partners and the team at Homesteaders, we achieved a record sales year and reinforced our position as a leader in preneed funding. The strategic investments we made in 2024 position us as one of the largest providers of capital to the funeral profession and we will continue to expand our efforts to support our customers’ growth.

As we take these transformational steps, we remain a dedicated leader through financial support, expertise and partnerships that bring value to funeral professionals and the families we serve together. We’re making moves to keep Homesteaders strong, resilient and positioned for success for the next 100 years and beyond.

Stephen M. Shaffer
President, CEO & Board Chair
 

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Unparalleled Investment

Through developing valued partnerships, Homesteaders provides streamlined tools and technology to support funeral professionals in growing their businesses, so they can focus on what matters most — serving client families.

Supporting Funeral Providers

 

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Growth Rate Increases

Homesteaders implemented significant growth rate increases at the start of the year, reaching a 10-year high — and placed them among the highest of any nationally ranked preneed provider.

 

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Funeral Home Lending

We expanded our funeral home lending program with The Bancorp, providing more than $100 million in funding to help independent funeral providers grow.

 

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myHomesteaders Mobile App

Our biggest update to the mobile app added powerful tools to accelerate preneed business and enhance efficiency based on our partners’ most requested features.

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EnGauge

EnGauge, our exclusive Salesforce-powered CRM, streamlines funeral home operations, enhances preneed sales and now integrates with Marketing Cloud and Homesteaders’ policy system for seamless policy matching and marketing automation.

 

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eFuneral

eFuneral Partner seamlessly integrates with funeral home websites, helping funeral professionals reach preneed and at-need consumers ready to plan online. In 2024, eFuneral generated over 31,000 leads for funeral home partners.

 

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P3 Casket Price Protection

Our exclusive partnership with Matthews Aurora™ Funeral Solutions helped thousands of funeral home customers lock in wholesale costs of caskets and urns on qualifying Homesteaders-funded policies.

Supporting the Funeral Profession

 

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Funeral Service Foundation

Throughout the year, Homesteaders donated more than $100,000 to the Funeral Service Foundation — bringing our cumulative giving to nearly $750,000.

 

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Association Endorsements

North Carolina Funeral Director Association (NCFDA) joined other state and regional associations in selected Homesteaders as the exclusively endorsed preneed provider.

  

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Park Lawn

Homesteaders strategically invested in Park Lawn Corporation and, working in partnership with Birch Hill Equity Partners, transitioned Park Lawn to private ownership, reinforcing our commitment to the future of the funeral profession.

 

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Industry-Leading Support for Families

Homesteaders is leading the profession in providing grief resources and support for families as they process their loss.

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For Grief is our expert-led, peer-supported community aimed at providing grief support through accessible resources. The website offers various tools and a community connection to help individuals at different stages of their grief journey.

 

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Elevia, our award-winning text-based aftercare program, introduced three new enhancements: co-branded partner websites through ForGrief.com, enhanced survey development and reporting with Qualtrics and estate settlement solutions in partnership with Alix.

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Innovative Solutions & Service

Homesteaders continues to build on its legacy of financial strength, stability and innovation, ensuring long-term support for our funeral home customers, agents and policy owners. In 2024, we reinforced our commitment to the profession through significant investments in business acquisitions, enhancing our products and services and continuing to deliver an unparalleled customer experience.

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Account Executive Support

Our industry-leading team of account executives dedicate themselves to strengthening relationships with our funeral home customers and prospects, making more than 40,000 contacts throughout the year.

Training and Development

Our training and development team provides year-round continuing education opportunities for funeral professionals, offering flexible online webinars and in-person workshops designed to fit into their busy schedules.

Customer Service

We’re committed to providing exceptional experiences, making it easy for customers to reach us. Last year, we answered over 185,000 calls while maintaining a near-perfect satisfaction rating.

 

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Lasting Financial Strength & Security

Homesteaders maintains a strong and stable financial foundation, ensuring our ability to fulfill our commitment to protecting our policy owners’ end-of-life funds with reliability and confidence.

We reported
$11.55 million
in income.

 

We reported
$4.2 billion
in total assets.

 

We redistributed
91%
of our income to our funeral home customers, agents and policy owners.

 

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Next Generation Leadership

Our company’s strength comes from its leaders, and we’re investing in the next generation of visionaries to guide Homesteaders into the future. We are proud to highlight emerging leaders’ insights, vision and commitment to building a strong foundation while honoring our legacy of financial security and service.

 

2024 Annual Report Digital Assets_LP Leadership_Bischoff

“By embracing new opportunities, fostering strong partnerships and staying ahead of emerging trends, we’re expanding our reach and reinforcing our commitment to innovation, stability and service.”

Will Bischoff
Senior VP-Strategic Markets

2024 Annual Report Digital Assets_LP Leadership_Covington

“What excites me most about the future is how we can continue to help funeral home owners extend their value beyond the immediate days after a loss — creating meaningful, ongoing support for grieving families.”

Laurie Covington
SVP-Enterprise Strategic Planning

2024 Annual Report Digital Assets_LP Leadership_Goins

“By collaborating with leadership to evaluate opportunities, we shape a future where financial security and strategic growth go hand in hand — ensuring Homesteaders’ legacy endures.”

Ryan Goins
SVP-Finance & Accounting

2024 Annual Report Digital Assets_LP Leadership_Curry

“Through technology, strategic vision and dedication to progress, we are shaping the future of the profession.”

Elizabeth Curry
COO-eFuneral

2024 Annual Report Digital Assets_LP Leadership_Burmeister

“As we look ahead, I’m excited about how we can continue to expand our reach, elevate our brand and showcase the lasting value Homesteaders brings to providers and families.”

Danielle Burmeister
VP-Marketing Communications

2024 Annual Report Digital Assets_LP Leadership_Morris2

“Homesteaders’ culture is what inspired me to join the organization. As we continue to grow and evolve, this environment remains a cornerstone of our success."

Scott Morris
VP-Business Development