We want Standard Life to be the business that people trust to guide their retirement journey. For more than 200 years, we have been standing beside our customers, helping them plan and prepare for their financial future.

Our diverse portfolio of brands allows us to deliver for our customers at every stage of their lives. It’s how we help even more people imagine the later life they want and to live retired life their way. 

Key milestones

1700s/1800s

1782

Phoenix Assurance

1806

London Life

1835

National Provident Institution

1864

Pearl Life Assurance Loan Investment Company Limited

1866

British Workman's Association (renamed Britannic Assurance)

1900s

1983

Century Life closes to new business

1984

Sun Alliance acquires Phoenix Assurance

1989

London Life merges with Australian Mutual Provident Society (AMP)

1992

Scottish Mutual acquired by Abbey Life

1993

AMP closes London Life to new business

1995

AMP closes London Life to new business

1997

AMP demutualises and seperates from London Life Ltd comprising London Life & AMP (UK)

1998

Alba Life closes to new business

1999

Britannic acquires Alba Life (previously named Britannia Life)

AMP acquires NPI

2000s

2001

Abbey National acquires Scottish Provident

2003

Resolution Life Group established to manage closed funds

Britannic closes to new business

AMP closes Life Companies to new business and demerges them as HHG with Henderson Investors

2004

Resolution Life Group Ltd acquires UK Life operations of Royal & Sun Alliance

Britannic Group acquires Life operations of Allianz Cornhill

2005

Resolution Life Group Ltd merges with Britannic Group plc and becomes Resolution PLC

Britannic Group acquires Century Group

HHG sells Pearl, London Life and NPI to Sun Capital, Partners and TDR Capital: Pearl

2006

Resolution PLC acquires Abbey National plc's life business

2008

Pearl Group Ltd acquires Resolution PLC for £5bn and sells open business of Scottish Mutual Assurance Ltd & Scottish Provident Ltd

2009

Fund merger programme Scottish Mutual Ass Ltd & Scottish Provident Ltd rebranded Phoenix Life Ltd (only for life & pension product)

Liberty Acquisition Holdings (International) acquires Pearl Group Ltd and becomes the ultimate holding company

2010s

2010

Pearl Group changes its name to Phoenix Group Holdings

2016

Acquisition of AXA Wealth’s pensions and protection business including SunLife

Acquisition of Abbey Life

2018

Acquisition of Standard Life Assurance Limited and the beginning of our strategic partnership with Standard Life Aberdeen PLC

2020s

2020

Acquisition of ReAssure

Membership of the FTSE 100 index

2021

Samaritans chosen as charity partner by UK colleagues (a partnership now extended until 2024)

Acquisition of Standard Life brand

2022

Launch of Phoenix Insights think tank (now the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement) to transform how society responds to the possibilities of longer lives

Signature of Vision for Literacy Business Pledge 2022

2023

We became one of the first UK organisations to join forces with the Living Wage Foundation and sign up as a Living Pension Employer

Award of the Terra Carta Seal, launched at COP26, for our commitment and action on climate change and biodiversity loss

2026

Phoenix Group Holdings plc changed its name to Standard Life plc

Discover more

  • About us

    We're a retirement specialist focused entirely on retirement savings and income. 

  • Our values

    Our values are the foundation of our culture and the success of our business.

  • Our history

    We’re a retirement specialist focused entirely on retirement savings and income, and our roots go back over 200 years.