Rural Mutual Insurance Company

Rural Mutual was founded by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation in 1934 and remains an affiliate of the Bureau. The two organizations share common management and a board of directors, making the insurer structurally embedded in Wisconsin's agricultural sector beyond a typical endorsement deal.

The general account concentrates on Wisconsin-based assets: agricultural and commercial mortgages, municipal bonds from Midwestern issuers, and direct loans to farms and businesses. The firm also holds a corporate-owned life insurance portfolio. It does not invest in external private funds or make LP commitments.

No. Rural Mutual underwrites exclusively within Wisconsin, a deliberate constraint tied to its founding charter and its interdependence with the state's Farm Bureau. Premiums collected in the state remain invested in Wisconsin assets.

Rural Mutual holds an A+ (Superior) Financial Strength Rating from AM Best, earned for nine consecutive years. It is one of only seven single-state insurers in the U.S. — and the only one in Wisconsin — to carry that rating, indicating strong balance-sheet resilience despite geographic concentration.

Dan Merk serves as Executive Vice President and CEO. Governance is interlocked with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation through a shared board, a structure that dates to the 1934 founding and gives the agricultural membership direct influence over the insurer's strategic posture.

The firm supports three legally separate foundations: the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation, and the Wisconsin FFA Foundation. Each serves as a charitable vehicle aligned with the agricultural communities that make up Rural Mutual's core membership.

Yes. Rural Mutual participates in crop-hail insurance pools to spread catastrophic weather risk. Nodak Insurance Company, a North Dakota-based farm mutual, is a known co-pool participant, though the full syndicate is not publicly detailed.