Thrivent Financial News— A roundup of news and features

GIVING

Hundreds of Homes Built in 2006; More Planned for 2007

In 2006, more than 300 families in 43 states achieved the dream of home ownership, thanks to the home-building efforts of thousands of volunteers and financial support through Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. And, these numbers will be even higher in 2007.

Thrivent Financial became Habitat for Humanity International’s largest ally as a result of a four-year, $105 million commitment to help increase the not-for-profit housing ministry’s home-building production. In addition, Thrivent Financial rallied its national network of nearly 3 million members to volunteer, working in partnership with more families to help them achieve financial independence.

“It warms my heart to know Thrivent Builds with Habitat is helping families get out of substandard housing,” says Bruce Nicholson, Thrivent Financial chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Thrivent Builds has struck a chord with our members like nothing before.”

Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity also sends volunteers around the world to build Habitat homes. In 2006, Thrivent Financial members went on 38 trips to build homes on the Gulf Coast, in Alaska and in 14 countries around the world. More than $500,000 was distributed through the program to support team members and host affiliates. More than 50 trips already are planned for 2007.

To help raise awareness about substandard housing issues, the one-of-a-kind Thrivent Builds Mobile visited 114 events in 20 states, giving more than 30,000 visitors an experience of what substandard housing looks and feels like. The “exhibit on wheels” is designed to educate and call communities to action to support decent, affordable housing. Visits for 2007 already are slated in 17 states, including a stop in Washington, D.C.

For more information, visit www.thriventbuilds.com.

One House Built on a Foundation of Love

Marine veteran Shawn Shoen has faced challenges for which even his military training left him unprepared. A single father of three, Shawn’s life was dramatically changed when he lost a leg in an accident caused by a drunk driver.

His disability challenged him physically and emotionally and led to unexpected financial hardships for him and his boys. He worried that he would never be able to give his children the home that they deserved. That worry subsided thanks to the alliance between Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity and the Martin/Faribault County Habitat affiliate in southern Minnesota.

Normally it can be a stretch for a small, all-volunteer-run affiliate to build one home per year. But when Thrivent Builds offered to fund 70 percent of the cost of a second home and local Thrivent chapters, with the help of area churches, promised to come up with an additional 10 percent, the affiliate saw this as a chance to take the next step in growing its organization. It would build two homes in 2006, the second one with Shawn.

While attending a required finance class, Shawn met Rhonda Dettmer, a single parent of three who was building the other home. Rhonda faced her own battles. Her daughter, Aleia, was born with a serious seizure disorder. Medical expenses mounted, and Rhonda struggled to find decent housing she could afford. As with Shawn, life changed with Habitat for Humanity.

As Shawn and Rhonda continued attending the required classes, they learned a lot about budgeting and finances. They also learned about each other. They shared the same struggles; the same dreams. And soon, they decided, they would share their lives together, blending their two families under one Thrivent Builds roof.

This heartwarming twist of fate freed up a house and allowed the Martin/Faribault County Habitat affiliate to offer another family the same opportunity Rhonda and Shawn had been given.

And Shawn and Rhonda are thankful—not only because the affiliate helped them build a house, they helped them bring their families home.

“Had it not been for Thrivent Builds,” Rhonda explained, “Shawn’s house would not have been built—not this year, anyway—and I may never have met him.”

Shawn and Rhonda were married on Sept. 30, 2006, in Fairmont, Minnesota, and now reside in their new home.

ORGANIZATION

Setting a Standard

At Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, we believe we owe it to our members to conduct all of our business dealings with a high degree of integrity and honesty. And that commitment recently received solid reinforcement.

A rigorous Code of Conduct was introduced at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, summarizing existing policies, setting expectations for behavior and helping to guide everyone affiliated with the organization. The Code embodies the principles that underlie how Thrivent Financial operates for the benefit of members. Every Thrivent Financial employee, financial representative, field member, and board member is required to review the Code and pledge to abide by its guidelines.

“Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is dedicated to acting in the best interest of our members,” says Bruce Nicholson, chairman, president and chief executive officer. “To preserve that level of conduct, we expect everyone acting on behalf of Thrivent Financial to know and understand our Code of Conduct and follow its principles. This is not a reaction to anything we have done wrong. Rather, our Code will help reinforce the high standard our members have come to expect.”

To view a copy of the Thrivent Financial Code of Conduct, visit our Web site at www.thriventcodeofconduct.com.

LEADERSHIP

Kurt Senske Named Board Vice Chair

Dr. Kurt M. Senske, chief executive officer of Lutheran Social Services of the South, was recently named vice chair of the board of directors of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, effective Feb. 1. He replaces Richard Beumer, who retires from the board Jan. 31, 2007.

Senske, of Austin, Texas, has been a member of the Thrivent Financial board and its predecessors since 1999. As vice chair, Senske will serve as lead external director for the board as well as chairman of the governance committee. The board of directors is the organization’s supreme governing body, setting the overall policy for the management of the organization.

Senske has been with Lutheran Social Services of the South since 1994. Previously, he was the assistant to the president at Concordia University at Austin.

He currently serves as chair of the board for Human Care Ministries of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and serves on the board of directors of Lutheran Services in America.

RESEARCH

Baby Boomers Give Glimpse Into Retirement Planning

In a classic case of “Do as I say, not as I do,” a new nationwide survey of pre-retirees offers younger generations a glimpse of what baby boomers might do differently if they could turn back the clock and start their retirement planning over.

According to the survey of 2,500 adults, ages 45 to 64, conducted by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, 71 percent of respondents wished they had started saving for retirement when they had their first full-time job, and a whopping 86 percent would advise younger generations to start saving as soon as possible. In addition, 61 percent would invest $1 million of unexpected income into retirement savings rather than start a business, buy a luxury home or go on a shopping spree.

Beyond saving earlier, pre-retirees advised:

• Don’t procrastinate—retirement will come sooner than you think (57 percent)
• Plan for the unexpected (57 percent)
• Seek help from a financial professional (32 percent)

The survey also found 24 percent of pre-retirees haven’t begun saving for retirement and 19 percent didn’t start until they were at least 45 years old; 59 percent have neither gone through a formal retirement planning process with a financial professional nor done serious calculations on their own; and 41 percent of respondents are worried about the effect of health care costs on their retirement savings.

Data for this survey were collected by the Harris Interactive Service Bureau (HISB) on behalf of Action Marketing Research. HISB was responsible for collection of the online data and demographic weighting only.
Action Marketing Research was responsible for the survey design and was solely responsible for data analysis. HISB collected data Sept. 26 to Oct. 7, 2006, among a nationwide cross-section of 2,500 U.S. adults ages 45 to 64, of whom 1,213 were men and 1,287 were women.

OUTREACH

Four Thrivent Chapters Earn Awards

The National Fraternal Congress of America recognized four chapters from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans during the annual Join Hands Day awards presented last fall. Three chapters received Excellence Awards, while one received an honorable mention. The Excellence Award winners were among 10 recipients selected from hundreds of volunteer projects held on May 6, 2006. Each award-winning project received $1,000 and a distinctive glass trophy.

The Excellence Award winners and their projects included:

• The Miami-Dade County Chapter (Florida) conducted a county-wide food drive by partnering with local schools and other community organizations to collect baby- and kid-friendly food for His House Children’s Home.
• The Gregory County Chapter (South Dakota) partnered with Modern Woodmen of America, another fraternal benefit society, to bring families, neighbors, friends and communities together to remove debris from hiking paths, perform maintenance work to campsites and clean up fishing areas at Burke Lake.
• The East Hillsborough County Chapter (Florida) brought youth together with adult mentors to build a meditation garden and refurbish a labyrinth for the Chapel Center at the University of South Florida.

Get Involved
Get more information on this year’s Join Hands Day, which will be held May 5, 2007.