Our story.

Our purpose is to help make financial security easier to achieve. This was a founding principle when we started life as The Legal & General Life Assurance Society in 1836 and it continues to guide us today.

The Society opened its doors for business on 19 September 1836, operating from the temporary premises taken on lease at 10 Chancery Lane. The founding members were six men who were lawyers and men of honesty and diligence; their care and skill laid the foundations of the extensive worldwide business we have today and their concept of service to the public continues today.

The first life policy was issued on 14 October 1836, over 175 years ago.

Since the company was started, we have continuously extended the services and products we offer.

By the end of the 1960s the company had an asset value of over £1 billion and in the 1970s Legal & General Group Plc was established. On the 30 June 2011 we were responsible for investing £370 billion worldwide on behalf of investors, policyholders and shareholders. We have also expanded geographically, and we now have businesses in the United States, France, the Netherlands, Egypt, India and the Gulf.

We believe that, in addition to our role of delivering returns for our shareholders and customers, as a business, we have a responsibility to take a position of leadership in broader society. We must ensure that we relate to the day-to-day lives and concerns of our customers, and as a shareholder, we must set new and higher standards of stewardship and engagement with the business in which we invest.

As well as running a business, we believe we have social responsibilities and that whilst operating as a profitable enterprise we should also play a part in the cultural and social life of the community. It is for this reason that we have developed a conscious and sustained programme of corporate responsibility. Read more about these activities.