SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.          )

THE ALLSTATE CORPORATION
2775 Sanders Road
Northbrook, Illinois 60062-6127

March 28, 2003

Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement

Dear Stockholder:

        You are invited to attend Allstate's 2003 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2003. The meeting will be held at 11 a.m. in the Bank One Auditorium, 1 Bank One Plaza (located at Dearborn and Madison), Chicago, Illinois.

        We hope you will find our new combined Annual Report, Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement format more useful. We combined the format to facilitate your review of the Company's 2002 performance, its strategies to continue the solid performance of 2002, as well as the items to be covered at the upcoming annual stockholders meeting by providing all important company information in one complete package.

        Following this page are:

•

The notice of meeting



•

The proxy statement



•

Financial information about Allstate and management's discussion and analysis of Allstate's operations and financial condition

        Also enclosed are the following:

•

A proxy card and/or a voting instruction form



•

A postage-paid envelope

        Your vote is important. You may vote by telephone, Internet or mail. Please use one of these methods to vote before the meeting even if you plan to attend the meeting.

Sincerely,



Edward M. Liddy
Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer

THE ALLSTATE CORPORATION
2775 Sanders Road
Northbrook, Illinois 60062-6127

March 28, 2003

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders

        The annual meeting of stockholders of The Allstate Corporation will be held at the Bank One Auditorium which is located on the Plaza level of the Bank One building, 1 Bank One Plaza, Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday, May 20, 2003, at 11 a.m. for the following purposes:

1.

To elect to the Board of Directors thirteen directors to serve until the 2004 annual meeting



2.

To ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as Allstate's independent public accountants for 2003



3.

To consider two stockholder proposals, if properly presented.

        In addition, any other business properly presented may be acted upon at the meeting.

        Allstate began mailing this proxy statement, proxy cards and/or voting instruction forms to its stockholders and to participants in its profit sharing fund on March 28, 2003.

By Order of the Board,



Robert W. Pike
Secretary

Table of Contents

Proxy and Voting Information

Who is asking for your vote and why

        The annual meeting will be held only if a majority of the outstanding common stock entitled to vote is represented at the meeting. If you vote before the meeting or if you attend the meeting in person, your shares will be counted for the purpose of determining whether there is a quorum. To ensure that there will be a quorum, the Allstate Board of Directors is requesting that you vote before the meeting and allow your Allstate stock to be represented at the annual meeting by the proxies named on the enclosed proxy card and/or voting instruction form. Voting before the meeting will not prevent you from voting in person at the meeting. If you vote in person at the meeting, your previous vote will be automatically revoked.

Who can vote

        You are entitled to vote if you were a stockholder of record at the close of business on March 21, 2003. On March 21, 2003, there were 703,629,112 Allstate common shares outstanding and entitled to vote at the annual meeting.

How to vote

        If you hold your shares in your own name as a record holder, you may instruct the proxies how to vote your shares in any of the following ways:

•

By using the toll-free telephone number printed on the proxy card and/or the voting instruction form



•

By using the Internet voting site and instructions listed on the proxy card and/or the voting instruction form



•

By signing and dating the proxy card and/or the voting instruction form and mailing it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope to The Allstate Corporation, c/o Proxy Services, P.O. Box 9112, Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735

        You may vote by telephone or Internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you vote using the Internet, such votes are valid under Delaware law. If you hold your shares through a bank, broker, or other record holder, you may vote your shares by following the instructions they have provided.

How votes are counted and discretionary voting authority of proxies

        When you vote you may direct the proxies to withhold your votes from particular director nominees. With respect to each of the other items, you may vote "for" or "against," or you may "abstain" from voting. If you do not indicate how your shares should be voted on a matter, the shares represented by your signed proxy will be voted as the Board of Directors recommends.

        The thirteen nominees who receive the most votes will be elected to the open directorships even if they get less than a majority of the votes. For any other item to be ratified or approved, a majority of the shares present at the meeting and entitled to vote on the item must be voted in favor of it.

        Abstention with respect to any of items 2 through 4 will be counted as shares present at the meeting and will have the effect of a vote against the matter. Broker non-votes (that is, if the broker holding your shares in street name does not vote with respect to a proposal) and shares as to which proxy authority is withheld with respect to a particular matter will not be counted as shares voted on the matter and will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

        If you use the telephone, the Internet, the proxy card and/or the voting instruction form to allow your shares to be represented at the annual meeting by the proxies but you do not give voting instructions, then the proxies will vote your shares as follows on the four matters set forth in this proxy statement:

•

For all of the nominees for director listed in this proxy statement



•

For the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as Allstate's independent public accountants for 2003

1

•

Against the stockholder proposal for cumulative voting in elections of directors



•

Against the stockholder proposal concerning the shareholder rights plan

How to change your vote

        Before your shares have been voted at the annual meeting by the proxies, you may change or revoke your vote in the following ways:

•

Voting again by telephone, by Internet or in writing



•

Attending the meeting and voting your shares in person

        Unless you attend the meeting and vote your shares in person, you should use the same method as when you first voted—telephone, Internet or writing. That way, the inspectors of election will be able to identify your latest vote.

        If your shares are held in the name of a bank, broker or other record holder and you plan to attend the meeting, please bring proof of ownership that documents your right to attend and personally vote your shares.

Confidentiality

        All proxies, ballots and tabulations that identify the vote of a particular stockholder are kept confidential, except as necessary to allow the inspectors of election to certify the voting results or to meet certain legal requirements. A representative of IVS Associates, Inc. will act as the inspector of election and will count the votes. The representative is independent of Allstate and its directors, officers and employees.

        Comments written on proxy cards, voting instruction forms or ballots may be provided to the Secretary of Allstate with the name and address of the stockholder. The comments will be provided without reference to the vote of the stockholder, unless the vote is mentioned in the comment or unless disclosure of the vote is necessary to understand the comment. At Allstate's request, the inspectors of election may provide Allstate with a list of stockholders who have not voted and periodic status reports on the aggregate vote. These status reports may include breakdowns of vote totals by different types of stockholders, as long as Allstate is not able to determine how a particular stockholder voted.

Profit Sharing Participants

        If you hold Allstate common shares through The Savings and Profit Sharing Fund of Allstate Employees, your voting instruction form for those shares will instruct the profit sharing trustee how to vote those shares. If you return a signed voting instruction form or vote by telephone or the Internet on a timely basis, the trustee shall vote as instructed for all Allstate common shares allocated to your profit sharing account unless to do so would be inconsistent with the trustee's duties.

        If your voting instructions are not received on a timely basis for the shares allocated to your profit sharing account, those shares will be considered "unvoted". If you return a signed voting instruction form but do not indicate how your shares should be voted on a matter, the shares represented by your signed voting instruction form will be voted as the Board of Directors recommends. The trustee will vote all unvoted shares and all unallocated shares held by the profit sharing fund as follows:

•

If the trustee receives instructions (through voting instruction forms or through telephonic or Internet instruction) on a timely basis for at least 50% of the votable shares in the profit sharing fund, then it will vote all unvoted shares and unallocated shares in the same proportion and in the same manner as the shares for which timely instructions have been received, unless to do so would be inconsistent with the trustee's duties.



•

If the trustee receives instructions for less than 50% of the votable shares, the trustee shall vote all unvoted and unallocated shares in its sole discretion. However, the trustee will not use its discretionary authority to vote on adjournment of the meeting in order to solicit further proxies.

        Profit sharing votes receive the same level of confidentiality as all other votes. You may not vote the shares allocated to your profit sharing account by attending the meeting and voting in person. You must

2

instruct The Northern Trust Company, as trustee for the profit sharing fund, how you want your profit sharing fund shares voted.

If You Receive More Than One Proxy Card and a Voting Instruction Form

        If you receive more than one proxy card and a voting instruction form, your shares are probably registered in more than one account or you may hold shares both as a registered stockholder and through The Savings and Profit Sharing Fund of Allstate Employees. You should vote each proxy card and voting instruction form you receive.

Annual Report and Proxy Statement Delivery

        Allstate has adopted the "householding" procedure approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission that allows us to deliver a single copy of our proxy statement and annual report to a household of stockholders instead of delivering one copy of the document to each stockholder in the household. This procedure saves costs by reducing the number of these materials to be printed and mailed. Stockholders who share the same last name and address, or where shares are held through the same nominee or record holder (for example, when you have multiple accounts at the same brokerage firm), will receive one copy of the proxy statement and annual report per address unless we receive, or have received, contrary instructions. Stockholders will continue to receive separate proxy cards or voting instruction forms to vote their shares.

        If you would like to receive a separate copy of the proxy statement and annual report for this year, please write or call us at the following address or phone number: Investor Relations, The Allstate Corporation, 3075 Sanders Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-7127, (800) 416-8803. Upon receipt of your request, we will promptly deliver the requested materials to you.

        If you and other Allstate stockholders of record with whom you share an address currently receive multiple copies of the proxy statement and annual report, and you would like to receive only a single copy of each in the future, please contact ADP by calling (800) 542-1061 or by writing to ADP Householding Department, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717. If you hold your shares in street name (through a bank, brokerage account or other record holder), please contact your bank, broker or other record holder to request information about householding.

        You may also revoke your consent to householding by contacting ADP at the phone number and address listed above. You will be removed from the householding program within 30 days of receipt of the revocation of your consent.

3

Item 1
Election of Directors

        Each nominee was previously elected by the stockholders at Allstate's Annual Meeting on May 16, 2002, and has served continuously since then. The terms of all directors will expire at this annual meeting in May 2003. No person, other than the directors of Allstate acting solely in that capacity, is responsible for the naming of the nominees. The Board of Directors expects all nominees named in this proxy statement to be available for election. If any nominee is not available, then the proxies may vote for a substitute.

        The Board of Directors has determined each of the following nominees, with the exception of Mr. Liddy in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer, is independent according to the Board's criteria as contained in its Corporate Governance Guidelines (which are posted on the company's website at allstate.com), the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the independence standards contained in the New York Stock Exchange's Listed Company Standards.

        Information as to each nominee follows. Unless otherwise indicated, each nominee has served for at least five years in the business position currently or most recently held.

Nominees

		F. Duane Ackerman (Age 60) Director since 1999         Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer since 1997 of BellSouth Corporation, a communications services company. Mr. Ackerman also serves as a director of Wachovia Corporation.
		James G. Andress (Age 64) Director since 1993         Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Warner Chilcott PLC, a pharmaceutical company, from February 1997 until his retirement in January 2000. Mr. Andress previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Warner Chilcott from November 1996 until 1998. Mr. Andress is also a director of Dade Behring, Inc., Information Resources, Inc., OptionCare, Inc., Sepracor,  Inc., and Xoma Corporation.
		Edward A. Brennan (Age 69) Director since 1993         Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sears, Roebuck and Co. from January 1986 until his retirement in August 1995. Mr. Brennan is also a director of AMR Corporation, Exelon Corporation, 3M Company, McDonald's Corporation and Morgan Stanley.
		W. James Farrell (Age 61) Director since 1999         Chairman since May 1996 and Chief Executive Officer since September 1995 of Illinois Tool Works Inc., a manufacturer of engineering and industrial components. Mr. Farrell is also a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Kraft Foods Inc., Sears, Roebuck and Co. and UAL Corporation.

4

		Jack M. Greenberg (Age 60) Director since February 2002         Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of McDonald's Corporation from May 1999 until his retirement on December 31, 2002. Previously, Mr. Greenberg served as President and Chief Executive Officer since April 1998 and had been a member of McDonald's board of directors since 1982. Mr. Greenberg is also a director of Abbott Laboratories.
		Ronald T. LeMay (Age 57) Director since 1999         President and Chief Operating Officer since October 1997 of Sprint Corporation, a global telecommunications company. Mr. LeMay is also a director of Ceridian Corporation, Imation Corporation and Sprint Corporation.
		Edward M. Liddy (Age 57) Director since 1999         Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allstate since January 1999. Mr. Liddy served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Allstate from January 1995 until 1999. He is also a director of 3M Company and The Kroger Co.
		Michael A. Miles (Age 63) Director since 1993         Special Limited Partner since 1995 of Forstmann Little & Co., an investment firm. Mr. Miles is also a director of AMR Corporation, AOL Time Warner Inc., Community Health Systems, Inc., Dell Computer Corporation, Exult, Inc., Morgan Stanley and Sears, Roebuck and Co.
		J. Christopher Reyes (Age 49) Director since February 2002         Chairman since January 1998 of Reyes Holdings LLC and its affiliates, a privately held food and beverage distributor. Mr. Reyes is also a director of Fortune Brands,  Inc. and Wintrust Financial Corporation.
		H. John Riley, Jr. (Age 62) Director since 1998         Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer since April 1996 of Cooper Industries Ltd., a diversified manufacturer of electrical products and tools and hardware. He is also a director of Baker Hughes Inc..

5

		Joshua I. Smith (Age 62) Director since 1997         Chairman and Managing Partner since 1999 of The Coaching Group, a management consulting firm. As part of the consulting business of The Coaching Group, Mr. Smith was Vice Chairman and Chief Development Officer of iGate, Inc., a manufacturer of broadband convergence products for communications companies from June 2000 through April 2001. Previously, Mr. Smith had been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The MAXIMA Corporation, a provider of technology systems support services, from 1978 until 2000. In June 1998, The MAXIMA Corporation filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 in the United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Maryland. Mr. Smith is also a director of Cardio Comm Solutions, Inc., Caterpillar, Inc. and Federal Express Corporation.
		Judith A. Sprieser (Age 49) Director since 1999         Chief Executive Officer since September 2000 of Transora, a global eMarketplace for consumer packaged goods. Ms. Sprieser was Executive Vice President of Sara Lee Corporation from 1998 until 2000 and had also served as Chief Financial Officer from 1994 to 1998. Ms. Sprieser also serves as a director of Kohl's Corporation, Transora, and USG Corporation and is a trustee of Northwestern University.
		Mary Alice Taylor (Age 53) Director since 2000         Ms. Taylor is currently an independent business executive. From July 2001 to December 2001, Ms. Taylor accepted a temporary assignment as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Webvan Group, Inc., an Internet e-commerce company. Prior to that Ms. Taylor was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HomeGrocer.com, from September 1999 until October 2000. Ms. Taylor was Corporate Executive Vice President of Citigroup, Inc. from January 1997 until September 1999. Ms. Taylor also serves as a director of Autodesk, Inc. and Sabre Holdings Corporation.

6

Meetings of the Board and Board Committees

        The Board held 6 meetings during 2002. Each incumbent director attended at least 75% of the Board meetings and meetings of committees of which he or she was a member. The following table identifies each committee, its members and the number of meetings held during 2002. The Board of Directors, in its business judgment, has determined that all members of the Audit Committee are "independent" as required by the applicable listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange. A summary of each committee's functions and responsibilities follows the table.

(1)

Mr. Ackerman joined the Audit Committee on May 16, 2002.

(2)

On May 16, 2002, Mr. Andress became Audit Committee chairperson, a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee and left the Compensation and Succession Committee.

(3)

Mr. Farrell joined the Nominating and Governance Committee on May 16, 2002.

(4)

On May 16, 2002, Mr. Miles joined the Compensation and Succession Committee and left the Audit Committee.

(5)

Ms. Sprieser became a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee on May 16, 2002.

Functions of Board Committees

        Audit Committee Functions:

•

Select, appoint, determine compensation and provide oversight of the independent public accountants



•

Review Allstate's annual audited and quarterly financial statements



•

Determine whether audited financial statements should be included on Form 10-K and in annual report to stockholders



•

Prepare the Audit Committee Report for the proxy statement



•

Review disclosures by the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer for the quarterly and annual financial reports related to Allstate's internal controls design and operation



•

Review Allstate's accounting and auditing principles and practices affecting the financial statements



•

Examine the scope of audits conducted by the independent public accountants and the internal auditors

7

•

Review and evaluate at least annually, the qualifications, independence and performance of the independent public accountants



•

Approve services provided by independent public accountants



•

Discuss with management Allstate's processes for risk assessment and risk management, including major financial risk exposures



•

Review reports by the independent public accountants and internal auditors concerning management's compliance with law



•

Confer with the General Counsel on the status of potentially material legal matters affecting Allstate's financial statements



•

Discuss with management processes for earnings releases, providing financial information and earnings guidance to analysts and rating agencies generally



•

Review and approve Allstate's Code of Ethics



•

Adopt procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls and auditing matters, including procedures for receiving confidential, anonymous employee concerns



•

Conduct independent inquiries when deemed necessary by the Committee to discharge its duties



•

Conduct annual review and assessment of Committee's Charter and performance

        Compensation and Succession Committee Functions:

•

Make recommendations with respect to executive officer salaries, bonuses and other compensation, including terms and conditions of employment



•

Retain and terminate independent compensation consultants as needed



•

Annually review management organization and succession plans for Allstate and senior officers of each significant operating subsidiary



•

Recommend nominees for certain officer positions



•

Administer Allstate's equity incentive and other executive benefit plans



•

Advise the Board on the proxy statement and form of proxy for the annual meeting



•

Provide annual report on executive compensation for proxy statement



•

Conduct annual review and assessment of Committee's Charter and performance

        Nominating and Governance Committee Functions:

•

Recommend size and composition of Board and criteria used to select nominees for election to the Board and its committees, including determinations of independence and qualifications



•

Recommend nominees for election as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer



•

Determine criteria for the assessment of the Board's performance and oversee assessment of the Board



•

Administer non-employee director compensation



•

Make recommendations with respect to the periodic review of the performance of and succession planning for the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer



•

Advise the Board on the proxy statement and form of proxy for the annual meeting



•

Review the shareholder rights plan triennially and make recommendations to the Board with respect to its terms and retention



•

Conduct periodic review and assessment of the guidelines on corporate governance



•

Advise the Board on policies and practices on stockholder voting

8

•

Retain and terminate independent consultants as needed



•

Conduct annual review and assessment of Committee's Charter and performance

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

        During 2002, the Compensation and Succession Committee consisted of H. John Riley, Jr., Chairman, F. Duane Ackerman, Edward A. Brennan, W. James Farrell, Jack M. Greenberg, Ronald T. LeMay and Michael A. Miles. None is a current or former officer of Allstate or any of its subsidiaries. There were no committee interlocks with other companies in 2002 within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Commission's proxy rules.

Directors' Compensation and Benefits

        The following table lists the compensation and benefits provided in 2002 to directors who are not employees of Allstate or its affiliates ("non-employee directors").

Non-Employee Directors' Compensation and Benefits

(a)

Under the Equity Incentive Plan for Non-Employee Directors, directors may elect to receive Allstate common stock in lieu of cash compensation. In addition, under Allstate's Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors, directors may elect to defer directors' fees to an account that generates earnings based on:

1. The market value of and dividends on Allstate's common shares ("common share equivalents")

2. The average interest rate payable on 90-day dealer commercial paper

3. Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (with dividends reinvested)

4. A money market fund

No director has voting or investment powers in common share equivalents, which are payable solely in cash. Subject to certain restrictions, amounts deferred under the plan (together with earnings thereon) may be transferred between accounts and are distributed in a lump sum or over a period not in excess of ten years.

(b)

Granted each December 1st under the Equity Incentive Plan for Non-Employee Directors and subject to restrictions on transfer until the earliest of six months after grant, death or disability or termination of service. Grants are accompanied by a cash payment to offset the increase in the director's federal, state and local tax liabilities (assuming the maximum prevailing individual tax rates) resulting from the grant of shares. Directors who are elected to the board between annual shareholder meetings are granted a pro-rated number of Allstate shares on June 1st following the date of the director's initial election.

(c)

Granted each June 1st at exercise prices equal to 100% of value on the date of grant. Directors who are elected to the board between annual shareholder meetings are granted an option for a pro-rated number of shares on the date of their election at an exercise price equal to 100% of value on the date of their election. The options become exercisable in three substantially equal annual installments, expire ten years after grant, and have a "reload" feature. The reload feature permits payment of the exercise price by tendering Allstate common stock, which in turn gives the option holder the right to purchase the same number of shares tendered, at a price equal to the fair market value on the exercise date. Upon mandatory retirement pursuant to the policies of the Board, the unvested portions of any outstanding options fully vest. The options permit the option holder to exchange shares owned or have option shares withheld to satisfy all or part of the exercise price. The vested portion of options may be transferred to any immediate family member, to a trust for the benefit of the director or immediate family members, or to a family limited partnership.

9

Security Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers

        The following table sets forth certain information as to shares of Allstate common stock beneficially owned by each director and executive officer named in the Summary Compensation Table, and by all executive officers and directors of Allstate as a group. Shares reported include shares held as nontransferable restricted shares awarded under Allstate's employee benefit plans, subject to forfeiture under certain circumstances, shares held indirectly through The Savings and Profit Sharing Fund of Allstate Employees and other shares held indirectly, and shares subject to stock options exercisable on or prior to April 1, 2003. The percentage of Allstate shares beneficially owned by any Allstate director or nominee or by all directors and executive officers of Allstate as a group does not exceed 1%. The following share amounts are as of January 31, 2003.

(a)

Each of the totals for Messrs. Andress, Brennan, and Miles includes 15,334 Allstate shares subject to option.

(b)

Includes 4,834 shares subject to option.

(c)

Includes 36,894 shares held by Mr. Brennan's spouse. Mr. Brennan disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares.

(d)

Includes 554,099 shares subject to option and 130 shares held by Mr. Cohen's spouse. Mr. Cohen disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares

(e)

Includes 6,334 shares subject to option.

(f)

Includes 334 shares subject to option.

(g)

Includes 7,084 shares subject to option.

(h)

Includes 1,636,960 shares subject to option.

(i)

Includes 321,936 shares subject to option.

(j)

Includes 334 shares subject to option.

(k)

Includes 8,834 shares subject to option.

(l)

Includes 13,084 shares subject to option.

(m)

Includes 5,834 shares subject to option.

(n)

Includes 3,334 shares subject to option.

(o)

Includes 44,186 shares subject to option.

(p)

Includes 501,428 shares subject to option.

(q)

Includes 4,518,673 shares subject to option.

10

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners

(a)

As of December 31, 2002. Held by Northern Trust Corporation together with certain subsidiaries (collectively "Northern"). Of such shares, Northern held 2,890,711 with sole voting power; 38,246,222 with shared voting power; 4,175,285 with sole investment power; and 177,082 with shared investment power. 36,462,431 of such shares were held by The Northern Trust Company as trustee on behalf of participants in Allstate's profit sharing plan. Information is provided for reporting purposes only and should not be construed as an admission of actual beneficial ownership.

(b)

As of December 31, 2002 based on Form 13G reflecting sole investment power over shares, filed by Capital Research and Management Company on February 13, 2003.

(c)

As of December 31, 2002 based on Form 13G reflecting sole investment power over shares, filed by FMR Corporation on February 13, 2003.

Item 2
Ratification of Appointment of Independent Public Accountants

        The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has recommended the selection and appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as Allstate's independent public accountants for 2003. The Board has approved the Audit Committee's recommendation. Stockholder approval of the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP is not required by law, however, the Board is submitting the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP upon the Audit Committee's recommendation, to the stockholders for ratification consistent with our long-standing prior practice. If the selection is not ratified by the stockholders, the Audit Committee may reconsider its selection. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee may, in its discretion, appoint a different independent public accountant at any time during the year if the Committee determines a change would be in the best interests of Allstate and the stockholders.

        The Audit Committee has considered whether the provision of non-audit services is compatible with maintaining the independent public accountant's independence, and has discussed with Deloitte & Touche LLP that firm's independence.

        In November 2002, the Audit Committee adopted a Policy Regarding Pre-Approval of Independent Auditors' Services for all services provided after that date. A copy of the policy, as amended March 10, 2003, is attached as Appendix B to this Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement.

11

        The following fees have been, or will be, billed by Deloitte & Touche LLP, the member firms of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, and their respective affiliates, for professional services rendered to Allstate for the fiscal years ending December 31, 2002 and December 31, 2001.

(1)

Fees for audits of annual financial statements, reviews of quarterly financial statements, statutory audits, attest services, comfort letters, consents and review of documents filed with the Commission.

(2)

Audit Related Fees relate to professional services such as accounting consultations relating to new accounting standards, due diligence assistance and audits of non-consolidated entities (i.e. employee benefit plans, various trusts, Allstate Foundation, etc.) and are set forth below. The fees associated with the 2001 audits of these entities (totaling $416,150) were not included in last year's Proxy Statement.

(3)

Includes fees for tax compliance, consultation and planning

(4)

All Other Fees primarily include professional fees for consulting services related to financial and non-financial information systems, as well as fees for other consulting services:

        Representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP will be present at the meeting, will be available to respond to questions and may make a statement if they so desire.

        The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors unanimously recommend that stockholders vote for the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as independent public accountants for 2003 as proposed.

Item 3
Stockholder Proposal on Cumulative Voting

        Mr. William E. Parker, 6906 Village Parkway, Dublin, California, 94568, registered owner of 222 shares of Allstate common stock as of November 19, 2002, intends to propose the following resolution at the Annual Meeting.

        "Resolved: That the stockholders of The Allstate Corporation, assembled at the annual meeting in person and by proxy, hereby request the Board of Directors to take steps necessary to provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means each stockholder shall be entitled to as many votes as shall

12

equal the number of shares he or she owns multiplied by the number of directors to be elected, and he or she may cast all of such votes for a single candidate, or any two or more of them as he or she may see fit."

        Supporting Statement

"Even before corporate accountability and integrity became a national issue, this proposal received strong support from the shareholders, proving that there is strong interest and awareness on the part of the shareholders for the need for oversight and accountability at The Allstate Corporation.

We believe that the company's financial performance is directly related to its corporate governing procedures and policies.

As we write this statement, The Allstate Corporation is under investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, and numerous state departments of insurance for various business practices.

The Allstate Corporation is being sued by consumers for discrimination, redlining and unfair claim practices. Its employees and agents are suing for overtime wages, misrepresentation, breech [sic] of contract, bad faith and fraud.

Currently the company's Board of Directors is composed entirely of management nominees.

Cumulative voting increases the possibility of electing independent-minded directors that will enforce management's accountability to shareholders and the public at large.

Corporations that have independent minded directors can help foster improved financial performance and greater stockholder wealth.

The argument that the adoption of cumulative voting will lead to the election of dissidents to the board that will only represent the special interest is misleading because standards of fiduciary duty compel directors to act in the best interest of all shareholders.

        Please help us bring The Allstate Corporation back to being a "great American company" by voting "yes" on this resolution."

        The Board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote against this proposal for the following reasons:

        The Board believes its current method of electing directors, by a plurality of the votes cast, will continue to work as successfully in the future as it has in the past because it is the fairest way to elect an independent board that represents the interests of all stockholders and not a particular interest group. A majority of Allstate's stockholders have rejected this proposal at the last five consecutive annual meetings from 1998 to 2002.

        Cumulative voting is inconsistent with the principle that each director should represent all stockholders equally and can result in the election of a director who feels accountable to a particular stockholder constituency, not to stockholders as a whole. Currently each director nominee stands each year for election by all stockholders. Cumulative voting could give disproportionate and unfair weight to the votes cast by a minority shareholder or shareholders which may lead to partisanship among the directors. Such partisanship and voting on behalf of special interests could interfere with the effectiveness of a Board and could be contrary to the interests of Allstate and its stockholders as a whole.

        The proponent erroneously suggests that Allstate's Board is not independent. With the typical exception of the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, all of the nominees and incumbent directors are independent as determined by the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Board of Directors and as defined by all current securities laws regulations and as further defined in the current proposed standards of the New York Stock Exchange. No directors are employees or former employees of Allstate and none have any significant financial or personal ties to Allstate or to its management. Moreover, all nominees have been evaluated and recommended for election by the Nominating and Governance Committee which is comprised solely of independent, non-employee directors. The Committee recommends members who are highly qualified and reflect a diversity of experience and viewpoints.

13

        In addition, stockholders may recommend candidates for election. The process for recommending nominees is provided in each year's proxy statement (see "Stockholder Proposals for Year 2004 Annual Meeting" below).

        The Board agrees that financial performance is driven in part by strong corporate governance standards and is proud of its own corporate governance practices and procedures. There has been an extraordinary amount of attention and focus on corporate governance, including the independence of directors, driven by recent high profile corporate scandals. In response to these corporate scandals, lawmakers and regulators have raised the bar on corporate governance processes, including the independence standards to which corporate directors should be held. Allstate's Board has undergone a strenuous review of its corporate governance to ensure that it continues to meet the highest standards of ethical corporate best practices, including the independence of its members and nominees. The Board has established Governance Guidelines which are posted on the Company's website and which include, among other things, specific selection criteria for Board nominees that emphasize leadership, independence, and ability to act in the interest of all stockholders. These Guidelines are regularly reviewed by the Board to ensure that they remain current and consistent with corporate governance best practices. Allstate's corporate governance practices and procedures have recently been reviewed by Institutional Shareholder Services, a leading provider of proxy voting and corporate governance services. As of February, 25, 2003, Allstate was rated as outperforming 95.4% of the companies in the S&P 500 Index, and 96.8% of its peer insurance industry group.

        In addition to its strong corporate governance, the Board has demonstrated its focus and commitment to increase stockholder value by taking actions necessary to improve financial performance. Allstate's 2002 results demonstrate that these efforts delivered value to our shareholders. The success of the actions and strategies taken will continue to be leveraged in order to drive increasing shareholder value into the future.

        Like other members of the industry and corporate America in general, Allstate is a target of an increasing number of class action lawsuits and other types of litigation. Allstate is vigorously defending these lawsuits and is committed to conducting its business in full compliance with the law and to cooperating fully with the state and federal agencies that regulate its business.

        For the reasons stated above, the Board recommends a vote against this proposal.

14

Item 4
Stockholder Proposal Concerning the Rights Plan

        Mr. Emil Rossi, P.O. Box 249, Boonville, CA 95415, registered owner of 6,094 shares of Allstate common stock as of October 1, 2002, has submitted notice to the Company of his intention to present the following proposal at the Annual Meeting and has furnished the following statements in support of his proposal.

"SHAREHOLDER VOTE ON POISON PILLS
This topic won an average 60%-yes vote at 50 companies in 2002

This is to recommend that the Board of Directors redeem any poison pill previously issued (if applicable) and not adopt or extend any poison pill unless such adoption or extension has been submitted to a shareholder vote.

Harvard Report

A 2001 Harvard Business School study found that good corporate governance (which took into account whether a company had a poison pill) was positively and significantly related to company value. This study, conducted with the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, reviewed the relationship between the corporate governance index for 1,500 companies and company performance from 1990 to 1999.

        Some believe that a company with good governance will perform better over time, leading to a higher stock price. Others see good governance as a means of reducing risk, as they believe it decreases the likelihood of bad things happening to a company.

        Since the 1980s Fidelity, a mutual fund giant with $800 billion invested, has withheld votes for directors at companies that have approved poison pills, Wall Street Journal, June 12, 2002.

Council of Institutional Investors Recommendation

The Council of Institutional Investors, an organization of 120 pension funds which invests $1.5 trillion, called for shareholder approval of poison pills. In recent years, various companies have been willing to redeem existing poison pills or seek shareholder approval for their poison pill. This includes Columbia/HCA, McDermott International and Bausch & Lomb. I believe that our company should follow suit and allow shareholder input.

Shareholder Vote on Poison Pills
YES ON 4"

        The Board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote against this proposal for the following reasons:

        The Board adopted the shareholder rights plan (commonly known as a "poison pill") in 1999 to protect the stockholders against unsolicited attempts to gain control of the Company without providing fair value to all of its shareholders. The adoption of the rights plan was a proper exercise of the Board's responsibilities under Delaware corporate law to direct the management of Allstate's business and affairs. The rights plan is designed to prevent partial or two-tier bids that fail to treat all stockholders equally, creeping acquisitions through open market purchases and other acquisition tactics that the Board believes are unfair to stockholders. The Board continues to believe that the rights plan protects the Company's stockholders by allowing the Board to carefully evaluate any takeover proposal to determine whether, in the exercise of its fiduciary responsibilities, a proposed offer adequately reflects the value of the Company and is in the interests of all stockholders.

        The proponent seems to argue that the adoption of a rights plan is not in keeping with good corporate governance practices. Allstate's Board, comprised entirely of independent (the sole exception being the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer) outside directors adopted the rights plan as an exercise in good corporate governance practice. The decision to adopt the shareholder rights plan was made after careful evaluation and deliberation of the market environment and risks faced and after consideration of legal and financial expert opinions.

15

        In November 2002, in response to shareholder sentiment, the Board approved a new feature to the rights plan designed to assure periodic, independent evaluation of the need for the rights plan. This feature is the triennial independent director evaluation process, otherwise known as a TIDE provision. The TIDE process will require the disinterested periodic review of the rights plan at least every three years, commencing in 2003. The Nominating and Governance Committee, comprised entirely of independent outside directors, will conduct this review and will (1) set its own agenda, (2) retain its own legal counsel, investment bankers and other advisors as it deems appropriate and (3) take into consideration factors such as shareholder opinion, Allstate's assets, market valuations of Allstate stock, relative valuations of peer companies, developments in rights plans, the mergers and acquisitions and buy-out financing markets, and studies of rights plans and contests for corporate control. The TIDE process may lead to improvements in the rights plan, if the Nominating and Governance Committee determines such changes would be beneficial to Allstate and its stockholders. Further, the TIDE process provides an additional safeguard to insure that the rights plan will be maintained only for so long as it remains in the best interest of Allstate's stockholders.

        The rights plan does not prevent anyone from making a takeover proposal. The rights plan simply preserves the Board's ability to negotiate directly with a bidder on behalf of the stockholders. In general, directors are required to act with due care, in good faith and in the best interests of stockholders. The Board's duties to the stockholders require that it evaluate the merits of each and every takeover proposal to ensure that any proposed business combination is in the best interests of stockholders. The rights plan is designed to ensure that takeover proposals are submitted to the Board and that the Board is provided with the time necessary to properly evaluate each proposal and alternatives to each proposal. After it has thoroughly reviewed a takeover proposal and considered alternative opportunities available for the Company, the Board will approve a proposal if it determines that the proposal serves the stockholders' best interests. If, however, the proposal is inadequate in any respect, the rights plan enables the Board to either reject the proposal, or to insist that it be changed. By inducing a bidder to negotiate with the Board, a rights plan operates to strengthen the Board's bargaining position for the benefit of the stockholders.

        The 2001 Harvard study cited by the proponent acknowledges that when management judiciously uses the strengthened negotiating power that a rights plan confers, the result can lead to an increase in overall shareholder wealth. The economic benefits of a shareholder rights plan have been validated in several studies. A 2001 Investor Responsibility Research Center report on poison pills cites several empirical studies which demonstrate that companies with rights plans are not insulated from bids and receive higher takeover premiums for their shareholders. One of those studies, conducted by Georgeson Shareholder, Poison Pills and Shareholder Value / 1992-1996 analyzed takeover data between 1992 and 1996 and found premiums paid to targeted companies with poison pills were on average eight percentage points higher than the premiums paid to target companies without poison pills in place, which represented a difference of approximately $13 billion in shareholder value. A 1997 J.P. Morgan Securities study found that companies with rights plans in place received approximately a 10% greater premium for their shareholders in takeover situations as compared to companies without a rights plan.

        These empirical studies support the underlying reasons why more than half of the companies in the S&P 500 Index have some type of rights plan in place.

        Allstate's Board is comprised of independent directors who are, or were prior to their respective retirements, partners, executive officers or directors of major corporations. All are versed in business and financial matters and all are familiar with Allstate's business. As an independent body, the Board is fully cognizant of its duties to its stockholders to carefully evaluate the merits, free from self-interest, of any acquisition proposal. The Board is thus uniquely and best qualified to act in the best interests of the stockholders. The rights plan strengthens the ability of the Board in the exercise of its duties, to protect and further the interests of the stockholders by providing it with the opportunity to thoroughly and completely evaluate an offer in order to maximize shareholder value.

        For the reasons stated above, the Board recommends a vote against this proposal.

16

Executive Compensation

        The following Summary Compensation Table sets forth information on compensation earned in 2000, 2001 and 2002 by Mr. Liddy (Allstate's Chief Executive Officer) and by each of Allstate's four most highly compensated executive officers (with Mr. Liddy, the "named executives").

Summary Compensation Table