Derivative Instrument Level 2 (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments

Overview

The Company utilizes a variety of over-the-counter ("OTC"), transactions cleared through central clearing houses ("OTC-cleared") and exchange traded derivative instruments as part of its overall risk management strategy as well as to enter into replication transactions. The types of instruments may include swaps, caps, floors, forwards, futures and options to achieve one of four Company-approved objectives:


•	to hedge risk arising from interest rate, equity market, commodity market, credit spread and issuer default, price or currency exchange rate risk or volatility;


•	to manage liquidity;


•	to control transaction costs;


•	to enter into synthetic replication transactions.

Interest rate, volatility, dividend, credit default and index swaps involve the periodic exchange of cash flows with other parties, at specified intervals, calculated using agreed upon rates or other financial variables and notional principal amounts. Generally, little to no cash or principal payments are exchanged at the inception of the contract. Typically, at the time a swap is entered into, the cash flow streams exchanged by the counterparties are equal in value.

Interest rate cap and floor contracts entitle the purchaser to receive from the issuer at specified dates, the amount, if any, by which a specified market rate exceeds the cap strike interest rate or falls below the floor strike interest rate, applied to a notional principal amount. A premium payment is made by the purchaser of the contract at its inception and no principal payments are exchanged.

Forward contracts are customized commitments that specify a rate of interest or currency exchange rate to be paid or received on an obligation beginning on a future start date and are typically settled in cash.

Financial futures are standardized commitments to either purchase or sell designated financial instruments, at a future date, for a specified price and may be settled in cash or through delivery of the underlying instrument. Futures contracts trade on organized exchanges. Margin requirements for futures are met by pledging securities or cash, and changes in the futures’ contract values are settled daily in cash.

Option contracts grant the purchaser, for a premium payment, the right to either purchase from or sell to the issuer a financial instrument at a specified price, within a specified period or on a stated date. The contracts may reference commodities, which grant the purchaser the right to either purchase from or sell to the issuer commodities at a specified price, within a specified period or on a stated date. Option contracts are typically settled in cash.

Foreign currency swaps exchange an initial principal amount in two currencies, agreeing to re-exchange the currencies at a future date, at an agreed upon exchange rate. There may also be a periodic exchange of payments at specified intervals calculated using the agreed upon rates and exchanged principal amounts.

The Company’s derivative transactions conducted in insurance company subsidiaries are used in strategies permitted under the derivative use plans required by the State of Connecticut, the State of Illinois and the State of New York insurance departments.

Accounting and Financial Statement Presentation of Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Derivative instruments are recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value and are reported in Other Investments and Other Liabilities. For balance sheet presentation purposes, the Company has elected to offset the fair value amounts, income accruals, and related cash collateral receivables and payables of OTC derivative instruments executed in a legal entity and with the same counterparty or under a master netting agreement, which provides the Company with the legal right of offset.

The Company also clears interest rate swap and certain credit default swap derivative transactions through central clearing houses. OTC-cleared derivatives require initial collateral at the inception of the trade in the form of cash or highly liquid securities, such as U.S. Treasuries and government agency investments. Central clearing houses also require additional cash as variation margin based on daily market value movements. For information on collateral, see the derivative collateral arrangements section in Note 7 - Derivative Instruments of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statement. In addition, OTC-cleared transactions include price alignment interest either received or paid on the variation margin, which is reflected in net investment income. The Company has also elected to offset the fair value amounts, income accruals and related cash collateral receivables and payables of OTC-cleared derivative instruments based on clearing house agreements.

On the date the derivative contract is entered into, the Company designates the derivative as (1) a hedge of the fair value of a recognized asset or liability (“fair value” hedge), (2) a hedge of the variability in cash flows of a forecasted transaction or of amounts to be received or paid related to a recognized asset or liability (“cash flow” hedge), (3) a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation (“net investment” hedge) or (4) held for other investment and/or risk management purposes, which primarily involve managing asset or liability related risks and do not qualify for hedge accounting.

Fair Value Hedges- Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is designated and qualifies as a fair value hedge, including foreign-currency fair value hedges, along with the changes in the fair value of the hedged asset or liability that is attributable to the hedged risk, are recorded in current period earnings as net realized capital gains and losses with any differences between the net change in fair value of the derivative and the hedged item representing the hedge ineffectiveness. Periodic cash flows and accruals of income/expense (“periodic derivative net coupon settlements”) are recorded in the line item of the Consolidated Statements of Operations in which the cash flows of the hedged item are recorded.

Cash Flow Hedges - Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is designated and qualifies as a cash flow hedge, including foreign-currency cash flow hedges, are recorded in AOCI and are reclassified into earnings when the variability of the cash flow of the hedged item impacts earnings. Gains and losses on derivative contracts that are reclassified from AOCI to current period earnings are included in the line item in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in which the cash flows of the hedged item are recorded. Any hedge ineffectiveness is recorded immediately in current period earnings as net realized capital gains and losses. Periodic derivative net coupon settlements are recorded in the line item of the Consolidated Statements of Operations in which the cash flows of the hedged item are recorded.

Net Investment in a Foreign Operation Hedges - Changes in fair value of a derivative used as a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation, to the extent effective as a hedge, are recorded in the foreign currency translation adjustments account within AOCI. Cumulative changes in fair value recorded in AOCI are reclassified into earnings upon the sale or complete, or substantially complete, liquidation of the foreign entity. Any hedge ineffectiveness is recorded immediately in current period earnings as net realized capital gains and losses. Periodic derivative net coupon settlements are recorded in the line item of the Consolidated Statements of Operations in which the cash flows of the hedged item are recorded.

Other Investment and/or Risk Management Activities - The Company’s other investment and/or risk management activities primarily relate to strategies used to reduce economic risk or replicate permitted investments and do not receive hedge accounting treatment. Changes in the fair value, including periodic derivative net coupon settlements, of derivative instruments held for other investment and/or risk management purposes are reported in current period earnings as net realized capital gains and losses.

Hedge Documentation and Effectiveness Testing

To qualify for hedge accounting treatment, a derivative must be highly effective in mitigating the designated changes in fair value or cash flow of the hedged item. At hedge inception, the Company formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as its risk-management objective and strategy for undertaking each hedge transaction. The documentation process includes linking derivatives that are designated as fair value, cash flow, or net investment hedges to specific assets or liabilities on the balance sheet or to specific forecasted transactions and defining the effectiveness and ineffectiveness testing methods to be used. The Company also formally assesses both at the hedge’s inception and ongoing on a quarterly basis, whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions have been and are expected to continue to be highly effective in offsetting changes in fair values, cash flows or net investment in foreign operations of hedged items. Hedge effectiveness is assessed primarily using quantitative methods as well as using qualitative methods. Quantitative methods include regression or other statistical analysis of changes in fair value or cash flows associated with the hedge relationship. Qualitative methods may include comparison of critical terms of the derivative to the hedged item. Hedge ineffectiveness of the hedge relationships are measured each reporting period using the “Change in Variable Cash Flows Method”, the “Change in Fair Value Method”, the “Hypothetical Derivative Method”, or the “Dollar Offset Method”.

Discontinuance of Hedge Accounting

The Company discontinues hedge accounting prospectively when (1) it is determined that the qualifying criteria are no longer met; (2) the derivative is no longer designated as a hedging instrument; or (3) the derivative expires or is sold, terminated or exercised.

When hedge accounting is discontinued because it is determined that the derivative no longer qualifies as an effective fair value hedge, the derivative continues to be carried at fair value on the balance sheet with changes in its fair value recognized in current period earnings. Changes in the fair value of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk is no longer adjusted through current period earnings and the existing basis adjustment is amortized to earnings over the remaining life of the hedged item through the applicable earnings component associated with the hedged item.

When hedge accounting is discontinued because the Company becomes aware that it is not probable that the forecasted transaction will occur, the derivative continues to be carried on the balance sheet at its fair value, and gains and losses that were accumulated in AOCI are recognized immediately in earnings.

In other situations in which hedge accounting is discontinued, including those where the derivative is sold, terminated or exercised, amounts previously deferred in AOCI are reclassified into earnings when earnings are impacted by the hedged item.

Embedded Derivatives

The Company purchases and has previously issued financial instruments and products that contain embedded derivative instruments. When it is determined that (1) the embedded derivative possesses economic characteristics that are not clearly and closely related to the economic characteristics of the host contract and (2) a separate instrument with the same terms would qualify as a derivative instrument, the embedded derivative is bifurcated from the host for measurement purposes. The embedded derivative, which is reported with the host instrument in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, is carried at fair value with changes in fair value reported in net realized capital gains and losses.

Credit Risk

Credit risk is defined as the risk of financial loss due to uncertainty of an obligor’s or counterparty’s ability or willingness to meet its obligations in accordance with agreed upon terms. Credit exposures are measured using the market value of the derivatives, resulting in amounts owed to the Company by its counterparties or potential payment obligations from the Company to its counterparties. The Company generally requires that OTC derivative contracts, other than certain forward contracts, be governed by International Swaps and Derivatives Association ("ISDA") agreements which are structured by legal entity and by counterparty, and permit right of offset. These agreements require daily collateral settlement based upon agreed upon thresholds. For purposes of daily derivative collateral maintenance, credit exposures are generally quantified based on the prior business day’s market value and collateral is pledged to and held by, or on behalf of, the Company to the extent the current value of the derivatives exceed the contractual thresholds. For the Company’s domestic derivative programs, the maximum uncollateralized threshold for a derivative counterparty for a single legal entity is $10. The Company also minimizes the credit risk of derivative instruments by entering into transactions with high quality counterparties primarily rated A or better, which are monitored and evaluated by the Company’s risk management team and reviewed by senior management. OTC-cleared derivatives are governed by clearing house rules. Transactions cleared through a central clearing house reduce risk due to their ability to require daily variation margin and act as an independent valuation source. In addition, the Company monitors counterparty credit exposure on a monthly basis to ensure compliance with Company policies and statutory limitations.

The Company utilizes a variety of OTC, OTC-cleared and exchange traded derivative instruments as a part of its overall risk management strategy as well as to enter into replication transactions. Derivative instruments are used to manage risk associated with interest rate, equity market, commodity market, credit spread, issuer default, price, and currency exchange rate risk or volatility. Replication transactions are used as an economical means to synthetically replicate the characteristics and performance of assets that are permissible investments under the Company’s investment policies. The Company also may enter into and has previously issued financial instruments and products that either are accounted for as free-standing derivatives, such as certain reinsurance contracts, or as embedded derivative instruments, such as certain GMWB riders included with certain variable annuity products.

Derivatives, Methods of Accounting, Hedge Documentation [Policy Text Block]

Strategies that Qualify for Hedge Accounting

Some of the Company's derivatives satisfy hedge accounting requirements as outlined in Note 1 of these financial statements. Typically, these hedging instruments include interest rate swaps and, to a lesser extent, foreign currency swaps where the terms or expected cash flows of the hedged item closely match the terms of the swap. The interest rate swaps are typically used to manage interest rate duration of certain fixed maturity securities or liability contracts. The hedge strategies by hedge accounting designation include:

Cash Flow Hedges

Interest rate swaps are predominantly used to manage portfolio duration and better match cash receipts from assets with cash disbursements required to fund liabilities. These derivatives primarily convert interest receipts on floating-rate fixed maturity securities to fixed rates. The Company also enters into forward starting swap agreements to hedge the interest rate exposure related to the future purchase of fixed-rate securities, primarily to hedge interest rate risk inherent in the assumptions used to price certain product liabilities.

Foreign currency swaps are used to convert foreign currency-denominated cash flows related to certain investment receipts and liability payments to U.S. dollars in order to reduce cash flow fluctuations due to changes in currency rates.

Fair Value Hedges

Interest rate swaps are used to hedge the changes in fair value of fixed maturity securities due to fluctuations in interest rates. These swaps are typically used to manage interest rate duration.

Non-qualifying Strategies

Derivative relationships that do not qualify for hedge accounting (“non-qualifying strategies”) primarily include the hedge program for the Company's variable annuity products as well as the hedging and replication strategies that utilize credit default swaps. In addition, hedges of interest rate, foreign currency and equity risk of certain fixed maturities, equities and liabilities do not qualify for hedge accounting.

The non-qualifying strategies include:

Interest Rate Swaps, Swaptions and Futures

The Company uses interest rate swaps, swaptions, and futures to manage interest rate duration between assets and liabilities in certain investment portfolios. In addition, the Company enters into interest rate swaps to terminate existing swaps, thereby offsetting the changes in value of the original swap. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the notional amount of interest rate swaps in offsetting relationships was $10.6 billion and $12.9 billion, respectively.

Foreign Currency Swaps and Forwards

Foreign currency forwards are used to hedge non-U.S. dollar denominated cash and equity securities as well as currency impacts on changes in equity of the U.K. property and casualty run-off subsidiaries that are held for sale. For further information on the disposition, see Note 2 of these financial statements. The Company also enters into foreign currency swaps and forwards to convert the foreign currency exposures of certain foreign currency-denominated fixed maturity investments to U.S. dollars.

Fixed Payout Annuity Hedge

The Company has obligations for certain yen denominated fixed payout annuities under an assumed reinsurance contract. The Company invests in U.S. dollar denominated assets to support the assumed reinsurance liability. The Company has in place pay U.S. dollar, receive yen swap contracts to hedge the currency and yen interest rate exposure between the U.S. dollar denominated assets and the yen denominated fixed liability reinsurance payments.

Credit Contracts

Credit default swaps are used to purchase credit protection on an individual entity or referenced index to economically hedge against default risk and credit-related changes in the value of fixed maturity securities. Credit default swaps are also used to assume credit risk related to an individual entity or referenced index as a part of replication transactions. These contracts require the Company to pay or receive a periodic fee in exchange for compensation from the counterparty should the referenced security issuers experience a credit event, as defined in the contract. The Company is also exposed to credit risk related to certain structured fixed maturity securities that have embedded credit derivatives, which reference a standard index of corporate securities. In addition, the Company enters into credit default swaps to terminate existing credit default swaps, thereby offsetting the changes in value of the original swap going forward.

Equity Index Swaps and Options

The Company enters into equity index options to hedge the impact of a decline in the equity markets on the investment portfolio. During 2015, the Company entered into a total return swap to hedge equity risk of specific common stock investments which were accounted for using fair value option in order to align the accounting treatment within net realized capital gains (losses). The swap matured in January 2016 and the specific common stock investments were sold at that time. In addition, the Company formerly offered certain equity indexed products that remain in force, a portion of which contain embedded derivatives that require changes in value to be bifurcated from the host contract. The Company uses equity index swaps to economically hedge the equity volatility risk associated with the equity indexed products.

Commodity Contracts

The Company has used put options contracts on oil futures to partially offset potential losses related to certain fixed maturity securities that could be impacted by changes in oil prices. These options were terminated at the end of 2015.

GMWB Derivatives, net

The Company formerly offered certain variable annuity products with GMWB riders. The GMWB product is a bifurcated embedded derivative (“GMWB product derivatives”) that has a notional value equal to the GRB. The Company uses reinsurance contracts to transfer a portion of its risk of loss due to GMWB. The reinsurance contracts covering GMWB (“GMWB reinsurance contracts”) are accounted for as free-standing derivatives with a notional amount equal to the GRB reinsured.

The Company utilizes derivatives (“GMWB hedging instruments”) as part of a dynamic hedging program designed to hedge a portion of the capital market risk exposures of the non-reinsured GMWB riders. The GMWB hedging instruments hedge changes in interest rates, equity market levels, and equity volatility. These derivatives include customized swaps, interest rate swaps and futures, and equity swaps, options and futures, on certain indices including the S&P 500 index, EAFE index and NASDAQ index. The Company retains the risk for differences between assumed and actual policyholder behavior and between the performance of the actively managed funds underlying the separate accounts and their respective indices.

GMWB Hedging Instruments



	Notional Amount				Fair Value
	As of December 31,				As of December 31,
	2016		2015		2016			2015
Customized swaps	$	5,191	$	5,877	$	100		$	131
Equity swaps, options, and futures	1,362		1,362		(27		)	2
Interest rate swaps and futures	3,703		3,740		21			25
Total	$	10,256	$	10,979	$	94		$	158

Macro Hedge Program

The Company utilizes equity swaps, options, futures, and forwards to provide partial protection against the statutory tail scenario risk arising from GMWB and the guaranteed minimum death benefit ("GMDB") liabilities on the Company's statutory surplus. These derivatives cover some of the residual risks not otherwise covered by the dynamic hedging program.

Contingent Capital Facility Put Option

The Company entered into a put option agreement that provides the Company the right to require a third-party trust to purchase, at any time, The Hartford’s junior subordinated notes in a maximum aggregate principal amount of $500. On February 8, 2017, The Hartford exercised the put option resulting in the issuance of $500 in junior subordinated notes with proceeds received on February 15, 2017. Under the put option agreement, The Hartford had been paying premiums on a periodic basis and has agreed to reimburse the trust for certain fees and ordinary expenses. For further information on the put option agreement, see the Contingent Capital Facility section within Note 13 - Debt.

Modified Coinsurance Reinsurance Contracts

As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company had approximately $875 and $895, respectively, of invested assets supporting other policyholder funds and benefits payable reinsured under a modified coinsurance arrangement in connection with the sale of the Individual Life business, which was structured as a reinsurance transaction. The assets are primarily held in a trust established by the Company. The Company pays or receives cash quarterly to settle the operating results of the reinsured business, including the investment results. As a result of this modified coinsurance arrangement, the Company has an embedded derivative that transfers to the reinsurer certain unrealized changes in fair value of investments subject to interest rate and credit risk. The notional amount of the embedded derivative reinsurance contracts are the invested assets which are carried at fair value and support the reinsured reserves.

Derivative Balance Sheet Classification

For reporting purposes, the Company has elected to offset within assets or liabilities based upon the net of the fair value amounts, income accruals, and related cash collateral receivables and payables of OTC derivative instruments executed in a legal entity and with the same counterparty under a master netting agreement, which provides the Company with the legal right of offset. The Company has also elected to offset within assets or liabilities based upon the net of the fair value amounts, income accruals and related cash collateral receivables and payables of OTC-cleared derivative instruments based on clearing house agreements. The following fair value amounts do not include income accruals or related cash collateral receivables and payables, which are netted with derivative fair value amounts to determine balance sheet presentation. Derivative fair value reported as liabilities after taking into account the master netting agreements was $963 and $1.1 billion as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Derivatives in the Company’s separate accounts, where the associated gains and losses accrue directly to policyholders, are not included in the table below. The Company’s derivative instruments are held for risk management purposes, unless otherwise noted in the following table. The notional amount of derivative contracts represents the basis upon which pay or receive amounts are calculated and is presented in the table to quantify the volume of the Company’s derivative activity. Notional amounts are not necessarily reflective of credit risk. The following tables exclude investments that contain an embedded credit derivative for which the Company has elected the fair value option. For further discussion, see the Fair Value Option section in Note 5 - Fair Value Measurements of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.