Kemper
Kemper Corporation (NYSE: KMPR) is a specialty insurance holding company underwriting personal auto, commercial auto, and life insurance for over 4.6 million policies across 20 U.S. states, primarily serving non-standard and higher-risk drivers through a 24,000+ independent agent network.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1946
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Kemper does
Kemper Corporation is a publicly traded specialty insurance holding company (NYSE: KMPR) headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1946 and operating through subsidiaries including Trinity Universal Insurance Company, Infinity Insurance Company, American Access Casualty Company, and Union National Life Insurance Company. The company underwrites personal and commercial auto insurance, life insurance (whole, term, and graded death benefit), and specialty coverages including motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, boat, and accident/health products, serving over 4.6 million policies across 20 U.S. states. Its core positioning targets non-standard and higher-risk drivers, including significant Hispanic and multicultural customer segments, with a stated focus on affordability and accessibility for customers who may not qualify for standard coverage.
The company distributes primarily through an independent agent network of 24,000+ agents and brokers, supplemented by direct digital sales via kemper.com and mobile applications (iOS and Android) for quoting, policy management, claims reporting, and payments. Kemper operates a voluntary telematics program (Kemper Co-Pilot for personal auto; Telematics-Kemper for commercial auto) that collects driving behavior data for usage-based pricing. Technology initiatives in 2026 include AI-powered claims processing improvements, device-based biometric authentication, and operational restructuring to restore profitability following 2025 net income compression to $143.3 million (from $317.8 million in 2024), driven primarily by elevated loss costs in California following minimum liability limit changes.
In April 2026 Kemper sold its Newins Insurance Agency Holdings captive storefront operation (72 retail locations across five states) to Confie, exiting non-core retail distribution to concentrate on independent agent channels. The company maintains an A- (Excellent) AM Best rating and 37 consecutive years of dividend payments. Recent leadership changes include the October 2025 departure of CEO Joseph Lacher, a seven-month interim period under C. Thomas Evans, and the June 2026 appointment of Stephen McAnena as President and CEO, with new CIO Kelly Coomer and board addition Anthony DeSantis. Multiple securities fraud investigations and a 2026 data breach claimed by the hacker group ShinyHunters represent material ongoing legal and reputational risks.
Kemper firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kemper
- Legal name
- Kemper Corporation
- Website
- https://kemper.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1946
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Kemper Corporation (NYSE: KMPR) is a specialty insurance holding company underwriting personal auto, commercial auto, and life insurance for over 4.6 million policies across 20 U.S. states, primarily serving non-standard and higher-risk drivers through a 24,000+ independent agent network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kemper industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Insurance
- NAICS
- Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers (524126), Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412), Direct Life Insurance Carriers (524113), Direct Life, Health, and Medical Insurance Carriers (52411), Insurance Carriers (5241)
- SIC
- Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Life Insurance (6311), Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty & Excess/Surplus Lines (E&S) (FSAJAMAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mid-Market Commercial Package (Package Policies) (FSAJAFAB)
Keywords
Where Kemper is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Kemper business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Personal Auto Insurance: Specialty personal automobile insurance serving over 4.6 million policies. Revenue generated through premium payments from individual policyholders. The segment has faced challenges with elevated claims severity in California and regulatory changes affecting minimum liability limits.
- Specialty Commercial Automobile Insurance: Small business auto insurance protecting company vehicles. Positive performance noted with 10% PIF growth and 92.4% underlying combined ratio in Q1 2026.
- Life Insurance: Whole life, term life, and graded death benefit insurance products. The Life Insurance segment delivered solid results with $20.1 million in adjusted operating income in Q4 2025.
- Additional Coverages: Accident and health, fire/contents protection, motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, and boat insurance products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Personal auto insurance with state-specific pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kemper product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kemper is a specialty insurance holding company that underwrites and markets personal auto insurance (specialty/non-standard and standard), commercial auto, commercial general liability, business owners policy (BOP), recreational vehicle (motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, boat), surety, Mexico auto, and life insurance products (whole life, term life, graded death benefit, accident & health). The company distributes these products through a network of more than 24,000 independent insurance agents and direct channels, serving individuals, families, and small to mid-sized businesses, with particular focus on higher-risk drivers and affinity markets such as the Hispanic community and military families.
Product overview
Kemper is a specialty insurance holding company offering a multi-line portfolio of property & casualty and life insurance products. The company operates two primary segments: Specialty Property & Casualty Insurance (focused on personal and commercial auto insurance) and Life Insurance. Core P&C products include Personal Auto Insurance and Commercial Auto Insurance, supplemented by Commercial General Liability and Business Owners Policy for business customers. Life Insurance offerings include Whole Life, Term Life, and Graded Death Benefit products. Additional coverage options include Accident and Health, Fire/Contents Protection, and specialty recreational products (Motorcycle, ATV, Snowmobile, Boat). The company distributes through independent agents (over 24,000 agents and brokers) and serves over 4.6 million policies. Recent focus has been on turnaround efforts in the specialty personal auto segment, particularly in California where regulatory changes have impacted profitability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Personal Auto Insurance (Specialty / Non-Standard)
Quantifiable outcome
- Specialty Commercial Automobile achieved 10% PIF growth and 92.4% underlying combined ratio in Q1 2026
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kemper
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kemper technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
Kemper partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and minor.
- ConfiestrategicKemper sold its Newins Insurance Agency Holdings property and casualty distribution operation to Confie, a personal lines insurance distribution company. The transaction included 72 retail locations across Illinois, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, and Indiana, with all employees transitioning to Confie. The sale aligns with Kemper's strategy to concentrate on independent agent distribution for specialty auto insurance and improve performance in core operations.
- JAMS (Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services)minorJAMS serves as the arbitration administrator for resolving disputes between Kemper and customers per the company's arbitration procedures. The arbitrator is chosen from JAMS's roster of neutral arbitrators and proceedings are governed by JAMS Streamlined Arbitration Rules & Procedures.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kemper competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The General Insurance: The General is a non-standard personal auto specialist owned by American Family Insurance, directly competing with Kemper Specialty Auto for higher-risk, price-sensitive drivers through similar direct-to-consumer and agent-led distribution channels.
- National General Insurance: National General (an Allstate subsidiary) is a major non-standard personal auto and RV/specialty carrier, directly competing with Kemper for non-standard drivers and small commercial auto accounts.
- Direct Auto Insurance: Direct Auto is a National General/Allstate-owned non-standard auto carrier focusing on state minimum and price-sensitive drivers, the closest direct competitor to Kemper's specialty personal auto book.
- Dairyland Insurance: Dairyland (Sentry Insurance) writes non-standard auto and motorcycle/ATV coverage, directly competing with Kemper's specialty personal auto and recreational product lines through independent agent distribution.
- Bristol West Insurance: Bristol West (a Farmers Insurance Group company) is a specialty non-standard auto carrier targeting similar higher-risk driver segments as Kemper Specialty Auto.
Broad incumbents
- Progressive: Progressive is the largest US personal auto writer by market share, including a meaningful non-standard segment (overlaps with Kemper Specialty Auto) plus commercial auto that competes with Kemper Specialty Commercial Auto.
- Allstate: Allstate is a national multi-line P&C carrier whose National General and Direct Auto subsidiaries compete directly in non-standard auto while its standard auto and small commercial lines compete with Kemper's full portfolio.
- GEICO: GEICO (Berkshire Hathaway) is a top-three US personal auto writer competing on price and direct-to-consumer digital distribution, putting pressure on Kemper's specialty auto retention and pricing.
- Liberty Mutual Insurance: Liberty Mutual is a multi-line P&C incumbent with personal and commercial auto products that overlap with Kemper's specialty personal auto and commercial auto offerings.
Emerging players
- Horace Mann Educators Corporation: Horace Mann is a multi-line P&C and life/annuity carrier that shares Kemper's niche-distribution and small-line approach, and is the source of incoming Kemper CEO Stephen McAnena, indicating strong industry comparability.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kemper social profiles
Digital presenceKemper financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kemper leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Kemper subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries10 records
Kemper funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kemper M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments8 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kemper
What does Kemper do?
Kemper is a specialty insurance holding company that underwrites and markets personal auto insurance (specialty/non-standard and standard), commercial auto, commercial general liability, business owners policy (BOP), recreational vehicle (motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, boat), surety, Mexico auto, and life insurance products (whole life, term life, graded death benefit, accident & health). The company distributes these products through a network of more than 24,000 independent insurance agents and direct channels, serving individuals, families, and small to mid-sized businesses, with particular focus on higher-risk drivers and affinity markets such as the Hispanic community and military families.
Is Kemper a public or private company?
Kemper is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Kemper founded?
Kemper was founded in 1946. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Kemper based?
Kemper is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kemper make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Personal Auto Insurance is the primary driver. The others are specialty Commercial Automobile Insurance, life Insurance and additional Coverages.
Who are Kemper's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The General Insurance, National General Insurance, Direct Auto Insurance, Dairyland Insurance and Bristol West Insurance. Broad incumbents are Progressive, Allstate, GEICO and Liberty Mutual Insurance. Horace Mann Educators Corporation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kemper have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kemper.
What industry is Kemper in?
Kemper's product category is Specialty Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAJAMAH, Specialty & Excess/Surplus Lines (E&S), with a secondary code of FSAJAFAB, Mid-Market Commercial Package (Package Policies). Its NAICS code is 524126 and its SIC code is 6331.