Western and Southern

Western & Southern Financial Group grew from a late-19th-century life insurer into a diversified financial services family. The group's "About" history states it was founded as The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company on February 23, 1888.[1] Over time it expanded beyond traditional life insurance into annuities, investment management, and related financial businesses, using a holding-company structure to operate multiple subsidiaries.[1]

Independent summaries note that Western & Southern is the parent of a diversified group that includes several life insurance companies and investment firms.[2] This kind of diversification can be a strategic response to economic cycles: when interest rates compress spreads on long-duration guarantees, investment management and broader fee-based businesses can help stabilize results and fund continued innovation.

Historically, the opportunity for Western & Southern has been combining a long brand legacy with careful capital and investment management, then using subsidiary growth to broaden what it can offer families and institutions. In an industry shaped by regulation and periodic market shocks, longevity often comes from patient asset-liability management and the willingness to evolve the business model while protecting policyholder promises.[1][2] That long-term orientation is especially important for insurers with significant annuity and long-duration obligations, where investment discipline and expense control can matter as much as sales.

Sources: [1] https://www.westernsouthern.com/about ; [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_%26_Southern_Financial_Group