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Who we are

Taking on Your Future Together – Helping people plan their financial futures for over 200 years

Overview

Scottish Widows was set up in 1815 to take care of women and children who lost their fathers, brothers and husbands in the Napoleonic Wars, taking its name after the people it was founded to look after. Now more than 200 years on, we look after almost 6 million customers across the UK. Today our commitment is still the same - to help people plan for their financial futures.

Scottish Widows’ product range includes workplace and individual pensions, annuities, life cover, critical illness, income protection as well as savings and investment products. Customers can access our products and services directly and through Independent Financial Advisers.

Key moments from our history

  • In March 1812, a number of eminent Scotsmen gathered in the Royal Exchange Coffee Rooms in Edinburgh, to consider setting up ‘a general fund for securing provisions to widows, sisters and other females’.
  • The Scottish Widows’ Fund and Life Assurance Society – Scotland’s first mutual life office – opened for business on January 2nd 1815.
  • By September 1821 Scottish Widows had become sufficiently strong to purchase its first property for its sole use in St David Street, Edinburgh.
  • In 1824 a policy of assurance was issued to the novelist Sir Walter Scott for £3,000.
  • April 15 1912. The ‘unsinkable’ Titanic sinks and two Scottish Widows policy holders lose their lives. Scottish Widows goes on to provide annuities for the remainder of dependents when the Titanic Fund is wound up in 1959.
  • In 1962, Sir Basil Spence, noted Edinburgh architect, is commissioned to design and build a new HQ at St Andrew’s Square, Edinburgh.
  • In 1986 Scottish Widows launched the ‘living logo’. The first face of Scottish Widows was Deborah Moore (the daughter of Sir Roger Moore). Deborah featured in the ‘Looking Good for Your Money’ television advert, directed by David Bailey.
  • Scottish Widows Bank launched in 1995 offering customers a range of savings, loan and mortgage products.
  • Scottish Widows was demutualised and became part of the Lloyds TSB Marketing Group in March 2000.
  • In January 2009, Scottish Widows became part of the Lloyds Banking Group.
  • We currently have almost 6 million customers (Source: Internal).
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