For 135 years, Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company has remained focused on helping working Americans and their families protect what matters most.
A Legacy Built From 19th Century Roots
Our company was founded on August 18, 1891, as Boston Mutual Life Association in Boston, Massachusetts, with the purpose as a mutual life insurer to provide insurance to working Americans. Our first president, John H. Wheeler, opened our first office at 17 Milk Street, a location built on the site of Benjamin Franklin’s birthplace. Just eight years later, in 1899, the Board of Directors voted to change the company’s name to Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company, marking an early milestone in a long history of growth and service.
Since then, we have continued to evolve while staying grounded in the values that shaped our beginning. In 1923, we sold our first policy outside Massachusetts, expanding our reach beyond our home state. In 1956, we entered the group insurance market and reached the $1 billion life insurance mark, giving more individuals and families access to affordable insurance solutions.
Meeting Customers’ Changing Needs
Over the decades, we continued to grow our footprint, offerings, and capabilities. In 1978, we added worksite products to our portfolio, further expanding our ability to serve employees and their families through the workplace. By 1985, we reached the milestone of one million policyholders. In 1988, Life Insurance Company of Boston & New York was launched as a subsidiary to offer products in New York.
Throughout our history, we have also embraced innovation. In 1969, we were the first insurance company in the world to use IBM’s Advanced Life Information System (ALIS) software. Today, that spirit continues through our ongoing modernization efforts, including the rollout of BML Connect, our online policy administration platform designed to make it easier and simpler for Boston Mutual Life broker partners and customers to do business and manage policies.
Guided by Mutual Values
As a national mutual life insurance company, Boston Mutual Life is owned by its policyholders. That structure means we put customers at the center of what we do as a trusted mutual insurer to deliver real solutions to people and their families. That commitment remains at the heart of our mission today.
Today, we provide life and benefits insurance solutions for working Americans, including union members, municipal and public sector employees, first responders, teachers, small businesses, and local communities. We remain committed to providing access to insurance solutions designed to protect customers, their future, and the people they care about.
As this year also marks America’s 250th birthday, we’re proud that Boston Mutual Life has been helping families protect their loved ones and prepare for the future for more than half of our nation’s history.
Making An Impact Beyond Insurance
That commitment extends beyond products and policies. In 2018, we formalized our longstanding tradition of giving back by establishing our corporate citizenship program, Making An Impact. Since its inception, the program has supported communities across the country through employee volunteerism and monetary donations, giving back in many ways to non-profit causes where we live and work.
Supporting Broker Partners and Families for Years to Come
Boston Mutual Life continues to adapt by being mindful of evolving customer expectations and investing in service, technology, employee development, and strong relationships with producer partners. From our beginnings on Milk Street in Boston, we’ve grown into a company that serves customers across the country. We’ve expanded our products, entered new markets, opened an office in Omaha, and most recently launched BML Connect, our online policy administration platform.
Through every change, we’ve stayed focused on serving our customers and making insurance more accessible to working Americans, their future, and the people they care about – because your family matters.