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KEMPER Press Release Kemper Corporation 200 East Randolph Street Suite 3300 Chicago , IL 60601 kemper.com Exhibit 99.1 Kemper Reports Strong First Quarter 2021 Operating Results CHICAGO , April 29 , 2021 - Kemper Corporation ( NYSE : KMPR ) reported net income of $ 123.2 million , or $ 1.85 per diluted share , for the first quarter of 2021 , compared to $ 64.0 million , or $ 0.95 per diluted share , for the first quarter of 2020. In the first quarter of 2021 , net income included a $ 41.2 million after - tax gain , or $ 0.62 per diluted share , attributable to the change in fair value of equity and convertible securities . Adjusted Consolidated Net Operating Income¹ was $ 87.2 million , or $ 1.31 per diluted share , for the first quarter of 2021 , compared to $ 162.9 million , or $ 2.43 per diluted share , for the first quarter of 2020 . Highlights of the quarter include : Specialty P & C earned premiums increased 7 % and policies - in - force ( ex . Classic Car ) grew ~ 2 % , reflecting headwinds from continued state shut - downs early in the quarter impacting shopping behavior • ⚫ Underlying Specialty combined ratio was 94 % , in line with 10'20 as miles driven and corresponding accident frequency are increasing • Repurchased shares worth $ 47 million • Kemper remains well positioned to support customers and grow long - term shareholder value " I'm pleased to report that Kemper , despite some short - term headwinds , continued to deliver solid results and intrinsic value to our shareholders , " said Joseph P. Lacher , Jr. , President and Chief Executive Officer . " This quarter , we continued to generate double - digit ROE and growth in tangible book value per share excluding fixed income unrealized gains and losses . Our Specialty Auto business continues to produce strong earnings , and although we saw impacts from slower state re - openings , our Specialty Auto business reported net operating income of $ 80 million , or 33 % over the prior year quarter , with the top line increasing by 7 % . The business remains well - positioned for attractive long - term growth and returns . " " Further , since the beginning of the year , we have deployed roughly $ 500 million of capital through several actions . These demonstrate our thoughtful approach to capital deployment . Notable items include the repurchase of approximately $ 85 million in stock , the repayment of a $ 50 million term loan , an increase in our annual dividend to $ 1.24 per share , and the close of our acquisition of American Access . The strength of Kemper's business model and our history of effective strategy execution positions us to navigate through the pandemic recovery . We feel confident that we will continue to meet the ongoing needs of our customers , as well as provide quality results and value creation for our stakeholders . " 1 Non - GAAP financial measure . All Non - GAAP financial measures are denoted with footnote 1 throughout this release . See " Use of Non - GAAP Financial Measures " for additional information .