What's happening at Thrivent: Summer 2024

Thrivent’s sustained commitment to business ethics and integrity is why, for the 13th consecutive year, the organization has been named one of the 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining the standards of ethical business practices.

We are one of only six honorees in the financial services industry. This year’s recognition included 136 honorees spanning 20 countries and 44 industries who deliver best-in-class ethics and compliance practices.

“Our clients, financial advisors and workforce put their trust in Thrivent because of our ethical culture, and it’s one of the reasons we’re able to deliver strong results that help people lead lives of service and faith,” says Terry Rasmussen, president and CEO of Thrivent.

Ethisphere has a rigorous process in place to select each year’s honorees, says Keturah Pestel, director of business ethics at Thrivent.

“As part of the application process, we responded to a questionnaire of more than 240 multiple-choice and text questions ranging across five broad categories,” says Pestel, who leads the effort at Thrivent.

About 30 employees have a hand in responding to Ethisphere’s questions, which evolve and change each year. Thrivent also provides more than 1,000 pages of supplemental documentation that serve as proof points for how Thrivent’s programs and business practices align to best practices in business integrity, she says.

Ethisphere vets every application with a panel of experts. Thrivent receives a report card that shows where the organization is strong and where Ethisphere believes we can improve.

“We review their recommendations, but we only move forward on those that make sense for our organization and industry,” Pestel says. “At Thrivent, we’re committed to excellence and growth in all we do. We’re honored that Ethisphere recognizes the work we’re doing.”

Thrivent’s active investment management expertise was in the spotlight in this year’s Barron’s Best Fund Families of 2023 recognition as Thrivent Mutual Funds was named to the ninth spot on the list out of 49.

Barron’s, a 100-year-old financial publication, has conducted its annual survey on fund families for more than 20 years and uses its one-year relative performance rankings as its primary ranking. Thrivent Mutual Funds also ranked 18th for the 5-year period and 15th for the 10-year period, out of 47 and 46 respectively, demonstrating Thrivent’s view on managing investments for the long-term.

Ratings are based on performance for the 1-, 5- and 10-year periods, ending Dec. 31, 2023. Here’s how Barron’s determines the rankings:

• All mutual and exchange-traded funds are required to report their returns (to regulators as well as in advertising and marketing material) after fees are deducted, to better reflect what investors would actually experience. Barron’s aim is to measure manager skill, independent of expenses beyond annual management fees. That’s why returns are calculated before any 12b-1 fees are deducted. Similarly, fund loads, or sales charges, aren’t included in the calculation of returns.
• Each fund’s performance is measured against all of the other funds in its LSEG Lipper category, with a percentile ranking of 100 being the highest and one the lowest. This result is then weighted by asset size, relative to the fund family’s other assets in its general classification. If a family’s biggest funds do well, that boosts its overall ranking; poor performance in its biggest funds hurts a firm’s ranking.
• To be included, a firm must have at least three funds in the general equity category, one world equity, one mixed equity, two taxable bond funds and one national tax-exempt bond fund.
• Single-sector and country equity funds are factored into the rankings as general equity. All passive index funds, including pure index, enhanced index and index-based, are excluded. Included are actively managed ETFs and smart-beta ETFs, which are passively managed but created from active strategies.
• Finally, the score is multiplied by the weighting of its general classification, as determined by the entire Lipper universe of funds. The category weightings for the one-year results in 2023 were general equity, 37.7%; mixed asset, 22%; world equity, 16.1%; taxable bond, 20.1%; and tax-exempt bond, 4%. The category weightings for the five-year results were general equity, 37.3%; mixed asset, 22.7%; world equity, 15.9%; taxable bond, 20%; and tax-exempt bond, 4.1%. The category weightings for the 10-year results were general equity, 38.5%; mixed asset, 22.5%; world equity, 15.8%; taxable bond, 19.1%; and tax-exempt bond, 4%.

Thrivent Member Networks, led by Thrivent members for members, give you the chance to connect with others who have a heart for service.

Each Thrivent Member Network offers a variety of free social gatherings and inspirational speaker events.

Upcoming virtual events include:

• Thrivent’s Market & Economic Update, Tuesday, July 30, at 11:30 a.m. CT. Presented by Thrivent leaders, the forum will bring you information on what the latest economic trends may mean for you.
• “The Washington Update,” Tuesday, Oct. 1, at noon and 8:30 p.m. CT. Jeff Bush will present a non-partisan analysis on the changing landscape in the nation’s capital and its impact on taxes, investments and retirement planning.

Find out more about these events and others. No products will be sold. Speaker is not affiliated with Thrivent. Views are their own. See thrivent.com/social for additional disclosures. 

Thrivent and the Minnesota Twins have created a multi-year partnership that will enable Thrivent to connect with clients and reach prospective clients in new ways in Minnesota and across the country.

Each year, baseball fans at Minnesota’s Target Field can help decide how to direct $200,000 annually from a fund the two companies created together. In 2024, the funds will benefit 16 nonprofits focused on youth-centric exercise and education programs.

Thrivent also received naming rights for the fan-favorite, club-level experience at Target Field. The 3,000-seat area is now the Thrivent Club.

Future plans call for Thrivent events to be held in Major League Baseball ballparks across the country.

The Thrivent calendar features beautiful photos and inspiring reflections submitted by our membership. This year’s theme, “Everyday blessings,” will be graced with energizing visuals and words, designed to uplift our daily lives.

We’ve made it easy for you to receive a copy. Here’s how:

• If you’ve ordered the Thrivent calendar within the previous two years, you needn’t worry about placing an order. We’ll automatically send you one. If you don’t want to receive the 2025 or future calendars, you may opt out and unsubscribe at thrivent.com/calendar.
• If you’re a new Thrivent client with membership, or one who hasn’t ordered a calendar since 2022, simply visit thrivent.com/calendar and complete the online order form by July 31.

Each client with membership can receive one calendar at no cost. Additional copies will be available to purchase at a later date. All orders must be received by July 31, 2024, and calendars will be mailed in early October.