GCU
One of the oldest fraternal benefit societies on the platform - founded in 1892 to insure immigrant workers, member-owned and not-for-profit - offering fixed indexed and multi-year guaranteed annuities backed by an AM Best A- (Excellent) rating.
Financial strength
A-
AM Best
A-
KBRA
Fraternal benefit society
GCU is a member-owned, not-for-profit fraternal benefit society - not a stock or mutual insurer. Policyholders are members, and earnings support member benefits, scholarships, and charitable programs.
Founded 1892
Founded February 14, 1892 in Pennsylvania - more than 133 years of continuous operation, serving nearly 50,000 members today.
AM Best A- (Excellent)
GCU carries an A- (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating from AM Best. The outlook has been revised to negative, reflecting a decrease in risk-adjusted capitalization.
Member-owned
Governed for its members rather than outside shareholders, supporting a long-term, conservative orientation.
Aquila FIA line
GCU's annuity lineup is the Aquila fixed indexed annuities plus a Triple Advantage multi-year guaranteed annuity.
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Growth FIAs
Selected product: Aquila V
An accumulation-focused fixed indexed annuity group with index-linked crediting and, for some versions, premium-bonus designs.
Other current products
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Explore GCU products
Known GCU product pages, grouped by what each product group is built to do. Confirm current rates and availability in the analyzer or on the product page.
Fixed Index Annuity - Growth
Index-linked annuities built for protected growth, with product pages for checking caps, participation rates, and fixed-account options.
- Growth-oriented FIAs grouped by accumulation purpose
- Individual product pages are the place to check rates, terms, riders, and disclosures
Best for: Buyers comparing principal-protected growth potential before checking a product page for current strategy details.
Aquila V
A five-year-surrender fixed indexed annuity from GCU, an A- AM Best–rated fraternal carrier, built for indexed accumulation on a short annual-reset participation-rate menu plus a fixed-account option, with no cap-style headline and no income rider.
Comparable FIA metric
Cap, participation, and trigger rates vary by state and strategy - view product for live rates.
Aquila X
A five-year-surrender fixed indexed annuity from GCU, an A- AM Best–rated fraternal carrier, built for indexed accumulation on a participation-rate menu of proprietary volatility-controlled benchmarks plus a fixed-account option, with no cap-style headline and no income rider.
Comparable FIA metric
Cap, participation, and trigger rates vary by state and strategy - view product for live rates.
This directory is not a statement of current availability. Confirm current rates, state availability, premium bands, and rider terms in the analyzer or on each product page.
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Find your fit
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Company overview
What GCU is
GCU, historically the Greek Catholic Union of the USA, is a member-owned, not-for-profit fraternal benefit society founded in 1892 and headquartered in Beaver, Pennsylvania. It provides life insurance and annuities alongside member benefits such as scholarships and charitable programs.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
As a fraternal, GCU is owned by its members rather than public shareholders, and it serves nearly 50,000 members across the country. Annuities are distributed through a network of licensed GCU agents.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
GCU offers Aquila Fixed Indexed Annuities alongside Triple Advantage.
Verified July 2026 · CANNEX Financial Exchanges via AdvisorWorld
Scale, labeled
Founded
1892
Founded Feb 14, 1892; HQ Beaver, Pennsylvania.
Founded 1892 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
Members
~50,000
Nearly 50,000 members nationwide.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
Structure
Fraternal
Member-owned, not-for-profit fraternal benefit society.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
AM Best
A- (neg. outlook)
A- (Excellent); outlook revised to negative on risk-adjusted capitalization.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026; AM Best
History highlights
GCU was formally established on February 14, 1892 with 743 founding members and $600 in assets, to insure immigrant workers denied affordable commercial coverage.
Founded 1892 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
Over the 20th century, GCU expanded beyond its immigrant origins into a national fraternal provider of life insurance, annuities, and community programs.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
Today GCU serves nearly 50,000 members and reports a statutory solvency ratio above 100% of total adjusted capital.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
A member-owned fraternal since 1892
GCU was established on February 14, 1892 by Rusyn and Eastern-European immigrants who combined church lodges into a mutual-aid society after commercial insurers refused to cover immigrant coal, steel, and iron workers.
Founded 1892 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
As a fraternal benefit society, GCU is owned by and operated for its members, with no public shareholders or outside investors - a structure that supports a long-term, conservative orientation.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
Membership extends beyond insurance into scholarships, charitable matching, and community programs - part of the fraternal mission that distinguishes GCU from stock and mutual carriers.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
Financial strength
AM Best
A-
Excellent financial-strength rating; outlook revised to negative on a decrease in risk-adjusted capitalization.
Checked 2026-06-30
KBRA
A-
Insurance Financial Strength Rating (per company disclosure).
Checked 2026-06-30
What makes GCU different
A fraternal, not a stock or mutual
GCU is a member-owned, not-for-profit fraternal benefit society - it combines insurance with scholarships, charitable matching, and community programs, and answers to members rather than shareholders.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
A 133-year founding mission
Created in 1892 specifically to insure immigrant coal, steel, and iron workers whom commercial insurers refused, GCU carries one of the oldest founding narratives among carriers.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
A- strength, stated with its outlook
GCU holds an A- (Excellent) rating from AM Best. We also note that AM Best has revised the outlook to negative on a decrease in risk-adjusted capitalization - an honest read of a smaller fraternal carrier's current profile.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026; AM Best
A focused annuity shelf
The live lineup is the Aquila V and Aquila X fixed indexed annuities plus the Triple Advantage Plus multi-year guaranteed annuity - with all crediting and rate detail shown with current values for each product.
Verified July 2026 · CANNEX Financial Exchanges via AdvisorWorld
About GCU
GCU, historically the Greek Catholic Union of the USA, is a member-owned, not-for-profit fraternal benefit society founded in 1892 and based in Beaver, Pennsylvania. It has served members for more than 133 years and today counts nearly 50,000 members.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026
GCU carries an A- (Excellent) rating from AM Best; the outlook has been revised to negative on a decrease in risk-adjusted capitalization, which we state plainly. Its live annuity shelf is the Aquila fixed indexed annuities and the Triple Advantage Plus MYGA.
Checked 2026-06-30 · AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research, June 2026; AM Best
GCU combines the Aquila fixed indexed annuity family with the Triple Advantage fixed-rate annuity.
Verified July 2026 · CANNEX Financial Exchanges via AdvisorWorld
Free Comparison Report
Get GCU's current rate report
Compare GCU's live rates, carrier ratings, and product tradeoffs against alternatives in one personalized report.
Sources
- GCU corporate site — 2026-06-30
- AnnuityRatesHQ carrier research - GCU overview, fraternal benefit society founded 1892, ~50,000 members, AM Best A- (outlook negative); KBRA A- — Checked 2026-06-30
- Live product catalog (Aquila V, Aquila X FIAs; Triple Advantage Plus MYGA), rates, riders: CANNEX Financial Exchanges via AdvisorWorld — Verified July 2026