Northwestern Mutual is one of the leading providers of life insurance, disability insurance, and long-term care insurance in the United States. The company also offers a range of financial products, including retirement planning and investment services.
Despite this company's significant presence in the financial industry, it is not possible to invest directly in Northwestern Mutual stock. Since it's a mutual company, policyholders, rather than shareholders, own it. However, there are several ways to get exposure to the insurance industry and companies tangentially related to Northwestern Mutual.

Is Northwestern Mutual publicly traded?
No, Northwestern Mutual isn't publicly traded on the stock market. This means you cannot directly buy shares of Northwestern Mutual stock as you could with a publicly traded company. As a mutual company, its policyholders own it.
What does it mean when a company operates as a mutual company?
A mutual company is owned by its policyholders rather than shareholders. Northwestern Mutual policy owners can benefit from the company's profits through dividends or reduced premiums. This structure enables Northwestern Mutual to prioritize policyholder interests over shareholder profits.
When will Northwestern Mutual IPO?
It's highly unlikely that Northwestern Mutual will conduct an initial public offering (IPO). An IPO would involve Northwestern Mutual selling shares to the public and being listed on a stock exchange. Because of its mutual company structure, Northwestern Mutual would need to overhaul its business model to go public.
IPO
How to buy Northwestern Mutual stock
While you can't purchase shares of Northwestern Mutual, you can invest in other insurance companies or companies that provide goods or services to the insurance industry. Here's a step-by-step list of how to invest in companies similar to Northwestern Mutual.
- Open your brokerage app: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
If you're unsure which insurance companies to invest in, here are a few options.
MetLife
The bottom line on Northwestern Mutual
Although you can't directly invest in Northwestern Mutual because it's not publicly traded, there are several ways to gain indirect exposure to its performance. By investing in related companies and ETFs, you can benefit from Northwestern Mutual's success and the stability of the broader insurance sector.