Fulfilling Promises for more than 150 Years

Guardian was founded by Hugo Wesendonck in 1860 in New York. At the time, it was called The Germania Life Insurance Company of New York.

• Within two short years, the company began opening agencies across the country. We even served policyowners in Colorado, the Dakotas, New Mexico, and Arizona, long before these territories became states.
• In 1868, Germania became the first U.S. insurance company to start an agency in Europe. By the early 1900s, almost half of its business was outside North America, until the pressures of World War I forced it to stop writing business in Europe.
• In 1917, the company changed its name to The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.
• In 1925, Guardian converted from a mixed stock and mutual company to a wholly mutual company. As such, we have no stockholders or private owners. The policyholders own the company and profits are distributed to them in the form of dividends on policies.

Financial information concerning The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America as of 12/31/10 on a statutory basis: Admitted Assets = $33.1 Billion; Liabilities = $28.7 Billion (including $25.1 Billion of Reserves); and Surplus = 4.4 Billion.

Guardian History Video

The Guardian history video, Changing Times, Timeless Values, tells the story of the achievements and the actions we've taken over the last century and a half to serve the individuals and businesses who put their trust in us.

Guardian's Historical Timeline

The Guardian timeline highlights the extraordinary people who built our illustrious past, and the milestones they achieved to make us the successful organization we are today.

Click on each year within the timeline to read about the highlights of our company’s century-and-a-half history of profitable growth and enriching the lives of the people we serve.

Learn about a career at Guardian, contact us.