By: Staff Writer

September 27, 2005, Church Executive

WEST DES MOINES, IA-GuideOne Insurance has been named one of the 2005 winners of The Principal® 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security. An independent judging panel of business leaders and employee benefits experts selected GuideOne Insurance for its dedication to its employees as demonstrated by its outstanding package of employee benefits; noting in particular the insurance company's commitment to health care insurance and retirement savings.

The national program, which is sponsored by the Principal Financial Group, recognizes growing companies (between five and 1,000 employees) that excel at contributing to their employees' long-term financial security, particularly through employee benefits programs.

"In a benefits landscape that is rife with cost pressures, the judges were extremely impressed that GuideOne Insurance has maintained a solid commitment to help its employees achieve financial security," said Renee Schaaf, vice president at the Principal Financial Group. "GuideOne stood out among the competition and is a role model for providing the very best in employee benefits." A summary of best practices gleaned from GuideOne and other winners will be published in a Best Practices guide, available in January 2006 at www.principal.com.

"The judges were very impressed with GuideOne's very generous benefits overall. What particularly stood out was their retirement plans," said Deborah Lucas, Household International professor of finance at Northwestern University and judging panel member. "Not only do they have a very nice defined benefit pension plan, they have a 401(k) plan on top of that. In addition, they offer good health benefits to their full-time and part-time employees, which all speaks very highly of GuideOne's commitment to offering a solid benefit package."

GuideOne Insurance, which provides personal and commercial insurance with an emphasis on coverage for churches and churchgoers, has 807 employees.

"It's a great honor to be recognized as one of The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security," says John Roberts, senior vice president of human resources for GuideOne Insurance. "At GuideOne Insurance, our employees truly are one of the company's greatest assets and competitive strengths. That is why we go all out in providing them an array of attractive benefit options and perks. We know that our team members are busy with their personal lives, and that is why GuideOne provides many options for financial planning, family-friendly policies, and opportunities for personal growth and convenience throughout their workday."