Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies

1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

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 (collectively, “The Hartford”, the “Company”, “we” or “our”).

On May 23, 2019, the Company completed the previously announced acquisition of The Navigators Group, Inc. ("Navigators Group"), a global specialty underwriter, for $70 a share, or $2.137 billion in cash, including transaction expenses. For further discussion of this transaction, see Note 2 - Business Acquisition of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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 17 - Business Disposition and Discontinued Operations of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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 2018 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 2018 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

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.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year financial information to conform to the current year presentation. In particular, restricted cash has been reclassified out of cash to a separate line on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Restrictions on cash primarily relate to funds that are held to support regulatory and contractual obligations.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Hedging Activities

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board's ("FASB") updated guidance for hedge accounting through a cumulative effect adjustment of less than $1 to reclassify cumulative ineffectiveness on cash flow hedges from retained earnings to accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI"). The updates allow hedge accounting for new types of interest rate hedges of financial instruments and simplify documentation requirements to qualify for hedge accounting. In addition, any gain or loss from hedge

ineffectiveness is reported in the same income statement line with the effective hedge results and the hedged transaction. For cash flow hedges, the ineffectiveness is recognized in earnings only when the hedged transaction affects earnings; otherwise, the ineffectiveness gains or losses remain in AOCI. Under previous accounting, total hedge ineffectiveness was reported separately in realized capital gains and losses apart from the hedged transaction. The adoption did not affect the Company’s financial position or cash flows or have a material effect on net income.

Leases

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted the FASB’s updated lease guidance. Under the updated guidance, lessees with operating leases are required to recognize a liability for the present value of future minimum lease payments with a corresponding asset for the right of use of the property. Prior to the new guidance, future minimum lease payments on operating leases were commitments that were not recognized as liabilities on the balance sheet. Leases are classified as financing or operating leases. Where the lease is economically similar to a purchase because The Hartford obtains control of the underlying asset, the lease is classified as a financing lease and the Company recognizes amortization of the right of use asset and interest expense on the liability. Where the lease provides The Hartford with only the right to control the use of the underlying asset over the lease term and the lease term is greater than one year, the lease is an operating lease and the lease cost is recognized as rental expense over the lease term on a straight-line basis. Leases with a term of one year or less are also expensed over the lease term but not recognized on the balance sheet. On adoption, The Hartford recorded a lease payment obligation of $160 for outstanding leases and a right of use asset of $150, which is net of $10 in lease incentives received, with no change to comparative periods. As permitted by the new guidance, as of the

implementation date, the Company did not reassess whether expired or existing contracts are leases or contain leases, did not change the classification of expired or existing operating leases, and did not reassess initial direct costs for existing leases to determine if deferred costs should be written-off or recorded on adoption. The adoption did not impact net income or cash flows.

Future Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Financial Instruments - Credit Losses

The FASB issued updated guidance for recognition and measurement of credit losses on financial instruments. See Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company's 2018 Form 10-K Annual Report for more information on the future adoption of the new financial instruments credit losses accounting standard. The Company will adopt the updated guidance January 1, 2020, as required, although earlier adoption is permitted.  While the ultimate impact of the adoption will depend on the size and composition of the financial instruments and market conditions at the adoption date, the adoption is not expected to have a material effect on the Company’s financial position, cash flows or net income.  The Company’s implementation activities are ongoing and include review and validation of methodologies, data and assumptions used to estimate expected credit losses on financial instruments carried at other than fair value as well as testing updates to our investment accounting system to establish and adjust valuation allowances for fixed maturities, available for sale (“AFS”), subject to a fair value floor.