How would it play out financially? Mostly alot of folks would be able to pay as they go. But they would be the same that couldn’t come up with a large chunk of change. I guess I would use something I heard at a Harley dealer years ago. Guy was talking to finance manager at the dealership. I heard all he cared about was how much the monthly payment was. Not how much he had paid
on the end. 
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That’s the thing.
An honest life membership will usually pay off for the member if you:
- really expect to be a member for life,
- realistically expect the organization to continue as long as you do,
- trust the organization to not change the “contract”; and
- can afford the buy-in.
Inflation and etc will inevitably drive dues up over time. Divide the buy-in by the current annual dues, and look at how many years ahead you are paying. If you and the club will still be around then, it’s almost certainly a long-term win to get it out of your checkbook now.
The advantages for the organization are:
- they have all your money now — to invest or capitalize or whatever their growth plan calls for;
- you have “gifted” them the money they would otherwise spend on retention;
- they have your “head count” more or less forever.
Some organizations even sweeten the arrangement with installment payments toward the large fee and/or a “life expectancy” price schedule. If they are a charity or fund-raising entity, they will probably keep after you to chip in more — you need to be able to say yes or no to the pitch.
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All very good points
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I am a member of several firearms organizations. Two of them a life member and yet still get PESTERED for more money monthly. I will stick to annual.
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Are young…
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Well, that makes the amortization easier, but probably makes the outlay harder. Maybe also harder to guess whether an organization, its integrity, or your affinity will persist.
I think the math will usually work out if you’ll be in it for another 20 years. If you don’t think you’ve got that much time, it might be more of a gift to whatever cause the organization represents.
For folks who think a fundraising organization will quit hassling you if you pick one class of membership or another — 
. Maybe if you find the path to register a hard opt-out. NRA finally gave up on mailing me appeals after a few decades; 2AF thinks I should “renew” or make a “special emergency contribution” every week or two. 
But the CID-blocked phone banks will never stop, because TCPA.
Deciding when enough is enough is the job of the giver, not the asker. That’s just how it works.
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Well said.
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I think it’s a good idea but pay one time fee for a lifetime of everything
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I bought a membership in 2013. As a lifetime member of the uscca I could not have invested my money more wisely. Though the uscca no longer offers lifetime memberships I was very fortunate to get one.
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Nice! Not a whole lot of Lifetime members out there as far as I can tell. IDK how many, there certainly are, but…most are not.
A decade and going woo!
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Its hard to sell lifetime memberships for an insurance product. You need a constant revenue stream to pay for claims, and underwriting would lose their ■■■■ if someone presented with them with that kind of business model.
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USCCA membership is primarily training and education.
Also, prior to 2020, I don’t think it had an i-word component. Something similar, but different.
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Congratulations SIR. I BLEAVE THAT THE USCCA IS THE GRATEST TRAINING AN GROOP OF PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND I AM PROUD TO KNOW YOU . I do Not Have That Kind of money but it I did I would gladly pay for a lifetime member ship and you are a great American SIR AND WHEN YOU KNOW 
AND BLEAVE IN WHAT YOU WANT . PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS . I am Bobby Jean and .? I LOVE THE FAITH THAT YOU HAVE IN THE USCCA as I said I Love anyone that knows what they want and they . Give it 1,110.ten. Percent . I Have GRATE RESPECT FOR YOU THANK YOU FOR SHEARING . A lot of people would be bragging about what you did and I have just began to be a member . I pray I will be a member the rest of my LIFE . I have my best friends here and it’s people like you that has made mr. Tim. Sir DREAM COME TRUE PEOPLE THAT BLEAVE AND GO ALL IN THANK YOU SIR LOVE Bobby Jean and family 
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Nathan 57 what I BLEAVE is so kool James the life long membership brother never asked anyone else what they would do he said he was blessed to be able to be , that’s also and after a decade HE SAD HE WAS BLESSED and I may be wrong and I AM usually but this brother DID WHAT HE DID AND JUST SAID . Hes HAPPY . I wish more members were as this man . And I just heard of him . I THANK THE FATHER OF LITES HE NEVER FLAGED ME . KAZ I JUST GOT HE I AM HONORED TO BE IN THE COMPANY OF GRATENESS . Bobby Jean an Family 
ALSOME
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I feel that the lifetime membership would be an excellent membership to bring to fruition. I have inquired about it for some time and have always been informed that there was no such membership available. There are scores of members that support our family and cause that would welcome this type of membeership. It could also incorporate some type of directive, where suggestions and a type of leadership role in the organization would apply moreso to the elevated members. Our organization is a gem among gems and needs no comparison to other similar organizations. We should be stand alone in our beliefs and causes.
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I’ve read several posts in the thread that have the assumption that the NRA loses out on revenue by offering lifetime memberships like the lifetime memberships are a better deal for the members than annual memberships. Currently the NRA lifetime membership is $1,500 and their 1 year membership is $45.
The NRA makes out like a bandit when they sell lifetime memberships which are much more profitable than 1, 3, and 5 year memberships. $1,500 is equal to 33 years of annual memberships payments. Even if the NRA runs a huge promotion for their annual membership selling it for as little as $750, they are still coming out way ahead compared to the revenue and profit earn by selling 1, 3, and 5 year memberships.
I can see why some people might not think so. If you’re 25 years old and you can pay $750 for an annual membership, that’s equivalent to 16.6 years of $45 annual memberships, and after 16 years the lifetime member starts to come out ahead.
But for the NRA, the lifetime memberships are a hugely profitable cash cow because they aren’t comparing the lifetime membership revenue vs. the revenue from a lifetime of annual membership payments because the average non-lifetime NRA member isn’t a member for life. I bet the average NRA member who buys a 1, 3, or 5 year membership remains a member for no more than 10 years.
The NRA prices the lifetime memberships taking into account the average lifetime revenue per non-lifetime member, and all of the marketing expenses that they have to invest trying to get non-lifetime members to renew every year or every few years; plus the time value of money getting all of the lifetime membership revenue upfront.
Even if the average non-lifetime member is a member for 20 years and generates $900 in total lifetime revenue (20 X $45), a lifetime membership sold for $750 today has a much higher net present value than $900 collected over 20 years; $45 a year.
Not to mention all of the extra marketing expenses the NRA has to spend trying to get the non-lifetime members to renew every 1 to 5 years. The NRA saves all those marketing expenses with lifetime members.
I’m sure the NRA has much smarter people than me who do all of these financial calculations. They know exactly where they need to price the lifetime memberships so they either provide the same or greater lifetime revenue and profit than non-lifetime memberships. I can guarantee the lifetime memberships are much more profitable for the NRA than 1, 3, and 5 year memberships, which is why they market the heck out of them.
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Greetings, Eric, and welcome to the community!
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USCCA already had a lifetime membership and discontinued it. I signed up as a life member in 2015, and I still hold that status today. For me it was the only realistic choice to maintain my coverages. My only concern now is if there is a day or age that I will be cut off, since the organization discontinued the practice.
Welcome Richard! A member all these years, and this is your first foray into the forums? Better late than never! How much was a lifetime membership before they discontinued the practice? (Make me cry 
)
Unfortunately, I don’t have records going back that far. It was comparable with the NRA life membership, but back then the NRA didn’t have a defense plan like we enjoy through USCCA, and if I am not mistaken they still don’t offer that with the current life membership still. Mind you, I am a life member to both organizations.
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