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(in the UK) a mutual association providing sickness benefits, life assurance, and pensions.
‘The friendly society, which specialises in providing affordable products to suit families, has until now relied almost exclusively on a single sales channel - direct home sales.’
‘Among millionaires aged between 18 and 44, there are now 24% more women than men, according to Liverpool Victoria, a friendly society.’
‘According to a survey by the Oddfellows friendly society, the average cost of a burial in 2000 was £2,048.’
‘He has been the labour historian most concerned with uncovering forgotten histories, including the histories of mutuals and friendly societies.’
‘Clubs have always tended to become businesses, since the friendly societies gave way to mutual funds.’
‘He also secured an Act in 1793 to encourage with parochial funds the formation of friendly societies.’
‘In contrast, a building society or a friendly society has set guidelines on the purposes for which it will lend.’
‘An incorporated friendly society must include in its purposes the provision on a mutual basis of insurance against loss of income, principally as a result of sickness, unemployment, or retirement.’
‘It seems more likely that the event grew naturally out of the annual walks and picnics of the Braemar Wrights Society, a friendly society set up for local artisans.’
‘Many friendly societies and insurance companies offer special stock market-based investments for young savers, but charges can be high, conditions can be inflexible and investment performance has often been terrible.’
‘They can buy from life insurance companies, friendly societies, unit trusts, building societies, or banks.’
‘The respectable artisan who attended chapel in his Sunday best and ran a friendly society in his spare time was a more important and emblematic figure of modernity than the wild-eyed revolutionary with flaming torch.’
‘The first was self-help, either by individuals or by groups pooling their resources and sharing risks in friendly societies and workers' associations.’
‘And this particularly applies to the tax exempt savings plans that you can get with friendly societies.’
‘In 1997, over 12 million people were covered for medical expenses by insurers, friendly societies, and cash plan companies.’
‘The select committee has recommended a separate exemption for those funds that have the required mutual characteristics of friendly societies, which are exempt from income tax, provided they meet certain criteria.’
‘The friendly society also offers a facility, which is particularly popular for grandparents, whereby you can give them all the premiums for the entire plan at the outset, in return for a discount.’
‘These are tax-free savings plans sold by The Children's Mutual, which is a friendly society.’
‘The evening also features slides and a talk from local favourite Bill Mitchell, plus songs, dialect poems and a presentation on the growth of friendly societies inspired by Skipton Building Society which is also 150 years old.’
‘It has also installed an integrated sales system for one of the largest friendly societies in the country.’
Origin
Originally the name of a particular fire-insurance company operating c 1700.