Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. is a holding company for insurance and financial services subsidiaries that provide property and casualty insurance, group life and disability products and mutual funds and exchange-traded products to individual and business customers in the United States (collectively, “The Hartford”, the “Company”, “we” or “our”).

On May 31, 2018, Hartford Holdings, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, completed the sale of the issued and outstanding equity of Hartford Life, Inc. (“HLI”), a holding company for its life and annuity operating subsidiaries. For further discussion of this transaction, see Note 18 - Business Dispositions and Discontinued Operations of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

On November 1, 2017, Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company ("HLA"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, completed the acquisition of Aetna's U.S. group life and disability business through a reinsurance transaction. For further discussion of this transaction, see Note 2 - Business Acquisitions of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

On May 10, 2017, the Company completed the sale of its United Kingdom ("U.K.") property and casualty run-off subsidiaries.

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information, which differ materially from the accounting practices prescribed by various insurance regulatory authorities. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in the Company's 2017 Form 10-K Annual Report. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year.

The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes are unaudited. These financial statements reflect all adjustments (generally consisting only of normal accruals) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for the fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods. The Company's significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company's 2017 Form 10-K Annual Report.

Consolidation

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., and entities in which the Company directly or indirectly has a controlling financial interest. Entities in which the Company has significant influence over the operating and financing decisions but does not control are reported using the equity method. All intercompany transactions and balances between The Hartford and its subsidiaries and affiliates that are not held for sale have been eliminated.

Discontinued Operations, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Discontinued Operations

The results of operations of a component of the Company are reported in discontinued operations when certain criteria are met as of the date of disposal, or earlier if classified as held-for-sale. When a component is identified for discontinued operations reporting, amounts for prior periods are retrospectively reclassified as discontinued operations. Components are identified as discontinued operations if they are a major part of an entity's operations and financial results such as a separate major line of business or a separate major geographical area of operations.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements, in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

The most significant estimates include those used in determining property and casualty and group long-term disability insurance product reserves, net of reinsurance; evaluation of goodwill for impairment; valuation of investments and derivative instruments; valuation allowance on deferred tax assets; and contingencies relating to corporate litigation and regulatory matters.

Reclassification, Policy

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year financial information to conform to the current year presentation. In particular:


•	Distribution costs within the Mutual Funds segment that were previously netted against fee income are presented gross in insurance operating costs and other expenses.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Reclassification of Effect of Tax Rate Change from AOCI to Retained Earnings

In February 2018, the FASB issued new accounting guidance for the effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities related to items recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") resulting from legislated Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 ("Tax Reform") enacted on December 22, 2017. Tax Reform reduced the federal tax rate applied to the Company’s deferred tax balances from 35% to 21% on enactment. Under U.S. GAAP, the Company recorded the total effect of the change in enacted tax rates on deferred tax balances as a charge to income tax expense within net income during the fourth quarter of 2017, including the change in deferred tax balances related to components of AOCI. The new accounting guidance permitted the Company to reclassify the “stranded” tax effects out of AOCI and into retained earnings that resulted from recording the tax effects of unrealized investment gains, unrecognized actuarial losses on pension and other postretirement benefit plans, and cumulative translation adjustments at a 35% tax rate because the 14 point reduction in tax rate was recognized in net income instead of other comprehensive income. On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the new guidance and recorded a reclassification of $88 from AOCI to retained earnings. As a result of the reclassification, in the first quarter of 2018, the Company reduced the estimated loss on sale recorded in income from discontinued operations by $193, net of tax, for the increase in AOCI related to the assets held for sale. The reduction in the loss on sale resulted in a corresponding increase in assets held for sale and AOCI as of January 1, 2018 and the AOCI associated with assets held for sale was removed from the balance sheet when the sale closed on May 31, 2018. Additionally, as of January 1, 2018, the Company reclassified $105 of stranded tax effects related to continuing operations which reduced AOCI and increased retained earnings.

Financial Instruments- Recognition and Measurement

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted updated guidance issued by the FASB for the recognition and measurement of financial instruments through a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balances of retained earnings and AOCI. The new guidance requires investments in equity securities to be measured at fair value with any changes in valuation reported in net income except for investments that are consolidated or are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The new guidance also requires a deferred tax asset resulting from net unrealized losses on available-for-sale fixed maturities that are recognized in AOCI to be evaluated for recoverability in combination with the Company’s other deferred tax assets. Under prior guidance, the Company reported equity securities, available for sale ("AFS"), at fair value with changes in fair value reported in other comprehensive income. As of January 1, 2018, the Company reclassified from AOCI to retained earnings net unrealized gains of $83, after tax, related to equity securities having a fair value of $1.0 billion. In addition, $10 of net unrealized gains net of shadow DAC related to discontinued operations were reclassified from AOCI to retained earnings of the life and annuity run-off business held for sale, which increased the estimated loss on sale in 2018 by the same amount. Beginning in 2018, the Company reports equity securities at fair value with changes in fair value reported in net realized capital gains and losses.

Revenue Recognition

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the FASB’s updated guidance for recognizing revenue from contracts with customers, which excludes insurance contracts and financial instruments. Revenue subject to the guidance is recognized when, or as, goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that an entity is expected to receive in exchange for those goods or services. For all but certain revenues associated with our Mutual Funds business, the updated guidance is consistent with previous guidance for the Company’s transactions and did not have an effect on the Company’s financial position, cash flows or net income. The updated guidance also updated criteria for determining when the Company acts as a principal or an agent. The Company determined that it is the principal for some of its mutual fund distribution service contracts and, upon adoption, reclassified distribution costs of $46 and $92 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, that were previously netted against fee income to insurance operating costs and other expenses.

Information about the nature, amount, timing of recognition and cash flows for the Company’s revenues subject to the updated guidance follows.

Revenue from Non-Insurance Contracts with Customers



		Three months ended June 30,				Six months ended June 30,
	Revenue Line Item	2018		2017		2018		2017
Commercial Lines
Installment billing fees	Fee income	$	8	$	9	$	17	$	19
Personal Lines
Installment billing fees	Fee income	10		11		20		22
Insurance servicing revenues	Other revenues	23		23		42		42
Group Benefits
Administrative services	Fee income	44		19		88		38
Mutual Funds
Advisor, distribution and other management fees	Fee income	239		220		477		431
Other fees	Fee income	22		27		42		53
Corporate
Investment management and other fees	Fee income	4		—		6		1
Transition service revenues	Other revenues	2		—		2		—
Total revenues subject to updated guidance		$	352	$	309	$	694	$	606

Installment fees are charged on property and casualty insurance contracts for billing the insurance customer in installments over the policy term. These fees are recognized in fee income as earned on collection.

Insurance servicing revenues within Personal Lines consist of up-front commissions earned for collecting premiums and processing claims on insurance policies for which The Hartford does not assume underwriting risk, predominantly related to the National Flood Insurance Plan program. These insurance servicing revenues are recognized over the period of the flood program's policy terms.

Group Benefits products earn fee income from employers for the administration of underwriting, implementation and claims processing for employer self-funded plans and for leave management services. Fees are recognized as services are provided and collected monthly.

The Company provides investment management, administrative and distribution services to mutual funds and exchange-traded products. The Company assesses investment advisory, distribution and other asset management fees primarily based on the average daily net asset values from mutual funds and exchange-traded products, which are recorded in the period in which the services are provided and collected monthly. Fluctuations in domestic and international markets and related investment performance, volume and mix of sales and redemptions of mutual funds or exchange-traded products, and other changes to the composition of assets under management are all factors that ultimately have a direct effect on fee income earned.

Mutual Funds other fees primarily include transfer agent fees, generally assessed as a charge per account, and are recognized as fee income in the period in which the services are provided with payments collected monthly.

Corporate investment management and other fees are primarily for managing third party invested assets, including management of the invested assets of the Talcott Resolution life and annuity run-off business sold in the second quarter of 2018 ("Talcott Resolution"). These fees, calculated based on the average quarterly net asset values, are recorded in the period in which the services are provided and are collected quarterly. Fluctuations in markets and interest rates and other changes to the composition of assets under management are all factors that ultimately have a direct effect on fee income earned.

Corporate transition service revenues consist of operational services provided to The Hartford’s former life and annuity run-off business that will be provided for a period up to 24 months from the May 31, 2018 sale date. The transition service revenues are recognized as other revenues in the period in which the services are provided with payments collected monthly.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Reclassification of Effect of Tax Rate Change from AOCI to Retained Earnings

Financial Instruments- Recognition and Measurement

Revenue Recognition

Information about the nature, amount, timing of recognition and cash flows for the Company’s revenues subject to the updated guidance follows.

Revenue from Non-Insurance Contracts with Customers



		Three months ended June 30,				Six months ended June 30,
	Revenue Line Item	2018		2017		2018		2017
Commercial Lines
Installment billing fees	Fee income	$	8	$	9	$	17	$	19
Personal Lines
Installment billing fees	Fee income	10		11		20		22
Insurance servicing revenues	Other revenues	23		23		42		42
Group Benefits
Administrative services	Fee income	44		19		88		38
Mutual Funds
Advisor, distribution and other management fees	Fee income	239		220		477		431
Other fees	Fee income	22		27		42		53
Corporate
Investment management and other fees	Fee income	4		—		6		1
Transition service revenues	Other revenues	2		—		2		—
Total revenues subject to updated guidance		$	352	$	309	$	694	$	606

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy

Valuation Techniques

The Company generally determines fair values using valuation techniques that use prices, rates, and other relevant information evident from market transactions involving identical or similar instruments. Valuation techniques also include, where appropriate, estimates of future cash flows that are converted into a single discounted amount using current market expectations. The Company uses a "waterfall" approach comprised of the following pricing sources and techniques, which are listed in priority order:


•	Quoted prices, unadjusted, for identical assets or liabilities in active markets, which are classified as Level 1.

•

Prices from third-party pricing services, which primarily utilize a combination of techniques. These services utilize recently reported trades of identical, similar, or benchmark securities making adjustments for market observable inputs available through the reporting date. If there are no recently reported trades, they may use a discounted cash flow technique to develop a price using expected cash flows based upon the anticipated future performance of the underlying collateral discounted at an estimated market rate. Both techniques develop prices that consider the time value of future cash flows and provide a margin for risk, including liquidity and credit risk. Most prices provided by third-party pricing services are classified as Level 2 because the inputs used in pricing the securities are observable. However, some securities that are less liquid or trade less actively are classified as Level 3. Additionally, certain long-dated securities, such as municipal securities and bank loans, include benchmark interest rate or credit spread assumptions that are not observable in the marketplace and are thus classified as Level 3.

•

Internal matrix pricing, which is a valuation process internally developed for private placement securities for which the Company is unable to obtain a price from a third-party pricing service. Internal pricing matrices determine credit spreads that, when combined with risk-free rates, are applied to contractual cash flows to develop a price. The Company develops credit spreads using market based data for public securities adjusted for credit spread differentials between public and private securities, which are obtained from a survey of multiple private placement brokers. The market-based reference credit spread considers the issuer’s financial strength and term to maturity, using an independent public security index and trade information, while the credit spread differential considers the non-public nature of the security. Securities priced using internal matrix pricing are classified as Level 2 because the inputs are observable or can be corroborated with observable data.

•

Independent broker quotes, which are typically non-binding, use inputs that can be difficult to corroborate with observable market based data. Brokers may use present value techniques using assumptions specific to the security types, or they may use recent transactions of similar securities. Due to the lack of transparency in the process that brokers use to develop prices, valuations that are based on independent broker quotes are classified as Level 3.

The fair value of derivative instruments is determined primarily using a discounted cash flow model or option model technique and incorporate counterparty credit risk. In some cases, quoted market prices for exchange-traded and OTC-cleared derivatives may be used and in other cases independent broker quotes may be used. The pricing valuation models primarily use inputs that are observable in the market or can be corroborated by observable market data. The valuation of certain derivatives may include significant inputs that are unobservable, such as volatility levels, and reflect the Company’s view of what other market participants would use when pricing such instruments.

Valuation Controls

The fair value process for investments is monitored by the Valuation Committee, which is a cross-functional group of senior management within the Company that meets at least quarterly. The purpose of the committee is to oversee the pricing policy and procedures, as well as to approve changes to valuation methodologies and pricing sources. Controls and procedures used to assess third-party pricing services are reviewed by the Valuation Committee, including the results of annual due-diligence reviews.

There are also two working groups under the Valuation Committee: a Securities Fair Value Working Group (“Securities Working Group”) and a Derivatives Fair Value Working Group ("Derivatives Working Group"). The working groups, which include various investment, operations, accounting and risk management professionals, meet monthly to review market data trends, pricing and trading statistics and results, and any proposed pricing methodology changes.

The Securities Working Group reviews prices received from third parties to ensure that the prices represent a reasonable estimate of the fair value. The group considers trading volume, new issuance activity, market trends, new regulatory rulings and other factors to determine whether the market activity is significantly different than normal activity in an active market. A dedicated pricing unit follows up with trading and investment sector professionals and challenges prices of third-party pricing services when the estimated assumptions used differ from what the unit believes a market participant would use. If the available evidence indicates that pricing from third-party pricing services or broker quotes is based upon transactions that are stale or not from trades made in an orderly market, the Company places little, if any, weight on the third party service’s transaction price and will estimate fair value using an internal process, such as a pricing matrix.

The Derivatives Working Group reviews the inputs, assumptions and methodologies used to ensure that the prices represent a reasonable estimate of the fair value. A dedicated pricing team works directly with investment sector professionals to investigate the impacts of changes in the market environment on prices or valuations of derivatives. New models and any changes to current models are required to have detailed documentation and are validated to a second source. The model validation documentation and results of validation are presented to the Valuation Committee for approval.

The Company conducts other monitoring controls around securities and derivatives pricing including, but not limited to, the following:


•	Review of daily price changes over specific thresholds and new trade comparison to third-party pricing services.


•	Daily comparison of OTC derivative market valuations to counterparty valuations.


•	Review of weekly price changes compared to published bond prices of a corporate bond index.


•	Monthly reviews of price changes over thresholds, stale prices, missing prices, and zero prices.


•	Monthly validation of prices to a second source for securities in most sectors and for certain derivatives.

In addition, the Company’s enterprise-wide Operational Risk Management function, led by the Chief Risk Officer, is responsible for model risk management and provides an independent review of the suitability and reliability of model inputs, as well as an analysis of significant changes to current models.

Valuation Inputs

Quoted prices for identical assets in active markets are considered Level 1 and consist of on-the-run U.S. Treasuries, money market funds, exchange-traded equity securities, open-ended mutual funds, short-term investments, and exchange traded futures and option contracts.



Valuation Inputs Used in Levels 2 and 3 Measurements for Securities and Derivatives
Level 2 Primary Observable Inputs		Level 3 Primary Unobservable Inputs
Fixed Maturity Investments
Structured securities (includes ABS, CDOs, CMBS and RMBS)
	• Benchmark yields and spreads • Monthly payment information • Collateral performance, which varies by vintage year and includes delinquency rates, loss severity rates and refinancing assumptions • Credit default swap indices Other inputs for ABS and RMBS: • Estimate of future principal prepayments, derived from the characteristics of the underlying structure • Prepayment speeds previously experienced at the interest rate levels projected for the collateral		• Independent broker quotes • Credit spreads beyond observable curve • Interest rates beyond observable curve Other inputs for less liquid securities or those that trade less actively, including subprime RMBS: • Estimated cash flows • Credit spreads, which include illiquidity premium • Constant prepayment rates • Constant default rates • Loss severity
Corporates
	• Benchmark yields and spreads • Reported trades, bids, offers of the same or similar securities • Issuer spreads and credit default swap curves Other inputs for investment grade privately placed securities that utilize internal matrix pricing: • Credit spreads for public securities of similar quality, maturity, and sector, adjusted for non-public nature		• Independent broker quotes • Credit spreads beyond observable curve • Interest rates beyond observable curve Other inputs for below investment grade privately placed securities: • Independent broker quotes • Credit spreads for public securities of similar quality, maturity, and sector, adjusted for non-public nature
U.S Treasuries, Municipals, and Foreign government/government agencies
	• Benchmark yields and spreads • Issuer credit default swap curves • Political events in emerging market economies • Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board reported trades and material event notices • Issuer financial statements		• Credit spreads beyond observable curve • Interest rates beyond observable curve
Equity Securities
	• Quoted prices in markets that are not active		• For privately traded equity securities, internal discounted cash flow models utilizing earnings multiples or other cash flow assumptions that are not observable
Short Term Investments
	• Benchmark yields and spreads • Reported trades, bids, offers • Issuer spreads and credit default swap curves • Material event notices and new issue money market rates		Not applicable
Derivatives
Credit derivatives
	• Swap yield curve • Credit default swap curves		Not applicable
Equity derivatives
	• Equity index levels • Swap yield curve		• Independent broker quotes • Equity volatility
Foreign exchange derivatives
	• Swap yield curve • Currency spot and forward rates • Cross currency basis curves		Not applicable
Interest rate derivatives
	• Swap yield curve		• Independent broker quotes • Interest rate volatility

The Company carries certain financial assets and liabilities at estimated fair value. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market in an orderly transaction between market participants. Our fair value framework includes a hierarchy that gives the highest priority to the use of quoted prices in active markets, followed by the use of market observable inputs, followed by the use of unobservable inputs. The fair value hierarchy levels are as follows:


Level 1	Fair values based primarily on unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities, in active markets that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.


Level 2	Fair values primarily based on observable inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, or based on prices for similar assets and liabilities.

Level 3

Fair values derived when one or more of the significant inputs are unobservable (including assumptions about risk). With little or no observable market, the determination of fair values uses considerable judgment and represents the Company’s best estimate of an amount that could be realized in a market exchange for the asset or liability. Also included are securities that are traded within illiquid markets and/or priced by independent brokers.

The Company will classify the financial asset or liability by level based upon the lowest level input that is significant to the determination of the fair value. In most cases, both observable inputs (e.g., changes in interest rates) and unobservable inputs (e.g., changes in risk assumptions) are used to determine fair values that the Company has classified within Level 3.

Derivatives

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, 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.

Derivative-Strategies that Qualify for Hedge Accounting

Strategies that Qualify for Hedge Accounting

Some of the Company's derivatives satisfy hedge accounting requirements as outlined in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in The Hartford’s 2017 Form 10-K Annual Report. 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. 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 has also entered into interest rate swaps to convert the variable interest payments on the 3 month Libor + 2.125% junior subordinated debt to fixed interest payments. For further information, see the Junior Subordinated Debentures section within Note 13 - Debt of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, included in The Hartford's 2017 Form 10-K Annual Report.

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

The Company also previously entered 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 group benefits liabilities.

Non-qualifying Strategies

Derivative relationships that do not qualify for hedge accounting (“non-qualifying strategies”) primarily include hedging and replication strategies that utilize credit default swaps. In addition, hedges of interest rate, foreign currency and equity risk of certain fixed maturities and equities do not qualify for hedge accounting.

Commitments and Contingencies, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Management evaluates each contingent matter separately. A loss is recorded if probable and reasonably estimable. Management establishes liabilities for these contingencies at its “best estimate,” or, if no one number within the range of possible losses is more probable than any other, the Company records an estimated liability at the low end of the range of losses.