Demerara Mutual

The mark of distinction for Demerara Mutual is the quality of insurance coverage it provides, the solid security and protection that thousands of policyholders have enjoyed since 1891. Four (4) generations of Caribbean peoples have seen DM evolve from its inception as the first local carrier of Life Insurance in then British Guiana. Though the company was set up as an off-shoot of the Hand-in-Hand Mutual Insurance company, it could not be established without acquiring the then princely sum of $100,000 as "guaranteed capital" to begin operating as a Life Insurance business. Forty-one persons contributed this capital, among them the Right Reverend W.P. Austin, Bishop of Guiana, and Drs. J.L. Veendam and F.H. Anderson. Demerara Mutual's mantra then, as it is now, was "to encourage thrift and prudence by offering cheap but safe Life Insurance on a basis adapted to the special needs of tropical countries", according to international journal, The Review, in 1918. "Sound economic management" was the kind of terminology commonly used to describe Demerara Mutual as it grew and expanded its product range to accommodate changing times. Despite the nuts-and-bolts economics that must govern every business, Demerara Mutual continued to be innovative, providing AFFORDABLE insurance and managing the finances of the 'smaller man".