ReliaStar Life Insurance Company traces its origins to 1885 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Originally founded as the Northwestern Aid Association, it operated for over a century under the name Northwestern National Life Insurance Company (NWNL) before rebranding to ReliaStar in the 1990s and eventually becoming a subsidiary of Voya Financial.
The following timeline highlights its evolution, name changes, and key mergers.
Early History: The Northwestern National Era (1885–1994)
- 1885: The company is founded in Minneapolis, MN, as the Northwestern Aid Association.
- 1888: The company changes its name to the Northwestern Life Association.
- 1901: The company merges with National Mutual Life Association to form Northwestern National Life Insurance Company (NWNL).
- 1924: NWNL moves into its historic headquarters near Loring Park in Minneapolis.
- 1967: NWNL expands by purchasing North Atlantic Life Insurance Company of Jericho, New York.
- 1977: NWNL acquires Northern Life Insurance Company of Seattle.
The ReliaStar Era: Rebranding & Expansion (1995–1999)
- 1995: NWNL unifies its various subsidiaries (including Northern Life and North Atlantic Life) under the ReliaStar brand identity.
- 1995 (Jan 17): ReliaStar Financial Corp acquires USLICO Corporation, the parent company of Bankers Security Life Insurance Society (which itself dated back to 1917 as The Morris Plan Insurance Society). This acquisition significantly expanded their presence in New York.
- 1996 (Aug 1): The company legally changes its name from Northwestern National Life Insurance Company to ReliaStar Life Insurance Company.
- 1996: The New York subsidiary, Bankers Security, is renamed ReliaStar Bankers Security Life Insurance Company.
- 1997: ReliaStar acquires Security-Connecticut Corporation, adding its life insurance business to the portfolio.
- 1999 (May 5): ReliaStar United Services Life Insurance Company merges into ReliaStar Life Insurance Company.
The ING Acquisition & Consolidation (2000–2013)
- 2000: ING Group, a Dutch multinational banking and financial services corporation, acquires ReliaStar Financial Corp for approximately $6 billion. ReliaStar becomes a subsidiary of ING U.S..
- 2002: First Golden America Life Insurance Company merges into ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York.
- 2003 (Oct 1): Security-Connecticut Life Insurance Company merges into ReliaStar Life Insurance Company.
- 2004 (June 8): Northern Life Insurance Company (held since 1977) is formally merged into ReliaStar Life Insurance Company, with ReliaStar as the surviving entity.
Voya Financial Era (2014–Present)
- 2013–2014: ING U.S. spins off from its Dutch parent and rebrands as Voya Financial. ReliaStar Life Insurance Company operates as a subsidiary of Voya.
- 2014 (Sept 1): The rebranding to Voya Financial is completed. Policies issued by ReliaStar continue to be serviced under the Voya umbrella, though the legal entity name ReliaStar Life Insurance Company remains in use for legacy policies and specific filings.
- 2021 (Jan 4): Voya sells its individual life insurance and non-retirement annuity businesses to Resolution Life US. While ReliaStar Life Insurance Company remains a legal subsidiary of Voya, the administration and reinsurance of its legacy individual life policies were largely transferred to Resolution Life in this transaction.
Sources: [1] https://interactive.web.insurance.ca.gov/companyprofile/companyprofile?doFunction=getCompanyProfile&event=companyProfile&naic=67105 (CA Dept. of Insurance - Company Profile (NAIC 67105)) ; [2] https://www.voya.com/about-us/our-company/company-history (Voya - Company history)
