Discover the History of American Income Life
In 1951, Bernard Rapoport founded American Income Life Insurance Company with $25,000 of borrowed capital. Today, AIL is one of the nation's significant providers of supplemental life insurance to labor unions, credit unions, and associations. American Income Life has more than 4 million policies in force and represents more than $323 million in annualized life premium sales in 2023.* AIL's growth is sustained through high customer satisfaction, innovative lead programs, customer referrals, and a competitive compensation program.
* Source: AIL's Internal Business Records
Choose a Decade:
1950s
1951
American Income Insurance Company is founded with $25,000 of borrowed capital by Company President Harold Goodman and his nephew, Bernard Rapoport, who originally charter an office in Indianapolis, Indiana.
1954
Company receives 6,000 policy applications monthly.In September, Goodman and Rapoport form a new Company called American Income Life Insurance Company(AIL). AIL reinsures policies of American Income and becomes a stock Company.
1956
Bernard Rapoport takes American Income Life national and is operating in 13 states with 300 Agents in 96 Agencies by the end of the year.
1960s
1961
AIL begins selling to labor unions and provides features not offered by other insurers — waives premiums during authorized strikes, develops a scholarship program for children of union members, and contributes to the strike fund of unions engaged in lawful strikes.
1970s
1973
AIL income reaches $31.5 million; the same year the company is granted an official designation as a Union Label company by the AFL-CIO.AIL is only one of two insurance Companies in the entire United States with the official Union Label.
1980s
1986
Rapoport and his wife create the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation to focus on giving back to the community.
1988
Bernard Rapoport named to Fortune magazine's list of '40 most generous Americans'.
1990s
2000s
2000
American Income Life licenses National Income Life Insurance Company(NILICO) as its New York subsidiary, based in Liverpool, New York.
2010s
2011
Bernard Rapoport is awarded the Central Texas AFP Lifetime Achievement Award based on his extensive philanthropy.
2012
Bernard Rapoport passes away at the age of 94. AIL and NILICO together have combined assets of more than $2.6 billion with more than $41.3 billion of life insurance in force. Torchmark Corporation initiates its Closer to the Heart project, a longterm hands-on humanitarian project, in which American Income Life provides hands-on and financial support to the communities in which its associates live, work, and visit.
2013
AIL has more than 2 million policyholders, who represent more than $130 million in product sales.
2015
Roger Smith is awarded the first Yitzhak Rabin Legacy Award in Washington, D.C. AIL is licensed in 49 states, Canada, and New Zealand. AIL's Closer to the Heart donations reach more than $528,000.
