GNW

Genworth Financial, Inc.

A financial services company best known for mortgage insurance, helping homebuyers who put down small down payments qualify for a loan; its mortgage arm operates under the brand Enact. It was born in 2004 when General Electric spun off its life, long-term care, and mortgage insurance businesses into an independent firm. A fun twist: though the Genworth name is new, its roots reach back to 1871, when an ancestor company, The Life Insurance Company of Virginia, opened its doors in Petersburg, Virginia.