Life Insurer Northwestern Mutual Buys $400 Million In Gold – 1st Time In 152 Years
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., the third-largest U.S. life insurer by 2008 sales, has bought gold for the first time the company’s 152-year history to hedge against further asset declines.
“Gold just seems to make sense; it’s a store of value,” Chief Executive Officer Edward Zore said in an interview following his comments at a conference hosted by Standard & Poor’s in Brooklyn. “In the Depression, gold did very, very well.”
Northwestern Mutual has accumulated about $400 million in gold, and Zore said the price could double or even rise fivefold if the economy continues to weaken…..
“The downside risk is limited, but the upside is large,” Zore said…..
Policyholder-owned Northwestern Mutual, based in Milwaukee, ranks third by 2008 life insurance premiums according to data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners….
– “Northwestern Mutual Makes First Gold Buy In 152 Years”, Bloomberg, June 1 (via Money & Co)