-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, LG6DPbsDU4C4yMmxkyhsdDho4OYemVErUZwv6VFGvvFIGc2Iex3FyGYOD0ShxAiY 1cXSMvtnnlTBZQU6PiC2ag== 0000950123-09-002049.txt : 20090205 0000950123-09-002049.hdr.sgml : 20090205 20090205172213 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000950123-09-002049 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 3 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20090205 ITEM INFORMATION: Results of Operations and Financial Condition ITEM INFORMATION: Regulation FD Disclosure ITEM INFORMATION: Financial Statements and Exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 20090205 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20090205 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP INC/DE CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000874766 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: FIRE, MARINE & CASUALTY INSURANCE [6331] IRS NUMBER: 133317783 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-13958 FILM NUMBER: 09573986 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE HARTFORD PLAZA CITY: HARTFORD STATE: CT ZIP: 06155 BUSINESS PHONE: 8605475000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE HARTFORD PLAZA CITY: HARTFORD STATE: CT ZIP: 06155 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: ITT HARTFORD GROUP INC /DE DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19930328 8-K 1 y74494e8vk.htm FORM 8-K 8-K
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 5, 2009 
THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC.
  (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
         
           
Delaware   001-13958   13-3317783
         
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)
  (Commission
File Number)
  (IRS Employer
Identification No.)
     
     
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.
One Hartford Plaza
Hartford, Connecticut
  06155
     
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (860) 547-5000
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
o     Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o     Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o     Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o     Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
 
 

 


 


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Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition
On February 5, 2009, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing its financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2008. A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Property and Casualty Reserves
The Company is also announcing property and casualty reserve development for the fourth quarter of 2008 as set forth below.
Prior accident year development recorded in the three months ended December 31, 2008
(Dollar amounts in millions, unless otherwise stated)
Included within prior accident year development for the three months ended December 31, 2008 were the following reserve strengthenings (releases).
                                                         
    Personal   Small   Middle   Specialty   Ongoing   Other   Total
    Lines   Commercial   Market   Commercial   Operations   Operations   P&C
 
Released reserves for general liability claims, primarily related to accident years 2001 to 2007
  $     $ (10 )   $ (48 )   $     $ (58 )   $     $ (58 )
Released workers’ compensation reserves, primarily related to accident years 2000 to 2007
          (20 )     (30 )           (50 )           (50 )
Released reserves for directors and officers claims for accident years 2005 and 2006
                      (30 )     (30 )           (30 )
Released reserves for personal auto liability claims related to accident years 2005 to 2007
    (23 )                       (23 )           (23 )
Released reserves for extra-contractual liability claims under non-standard personal auto policies
    (15 )                       (15 )           (15 )
Released commercial auto liability reserves, primarily related to accident years 2002 to 2007
                (10 )           (10 )           (10 )
Other reserve re-estimates, net [1]
    3       (9 )     9       (12 )     (9 )     3       (6 )
 
Total prior accident year development for the three months ended December 31, 2008
  $ (35 )   $ (39 )   $ (79 )   $ (42 )   $ (195 )   $ 3     $ (192 )
 
 
[1]   Includes reserve discount accretion of $6, including $1 in Small Commercial, $2 in Middle Market and $3 in Specialty Commercial.
During the fourth quarter of 2008, the Company’s re-estimates of prior accident year reserves included the following significant reserve changes:
Ongoing Operations
    Released reserves for general liability claims primarily related to the 2001 to 2007 accident years by $58. Beginning in the third quarter of 2007, the Company observed that reported losses for high hazard and umbrella general liability claims, primarily related to the 2001 to 2006 accident years, were emerging favorably and this caused management to reduce its estimate of the cost of future reported claims for these accident years, resulting in a reserve release in each quarter since the third quarter of 2007. During 2008, the Company observed that this favorable trend continued with the 2007 accident year. The number of reported claims for this line of business has been lower than expected, a trend first observed in 2005. Over time, management has come to believe that the lower than expected number of claims reported to date will not be offset by a higher than expected number of late reported claims.
 
    Released workers’ compensation reserves primarily related to accident years 2000 to 2007 by $50. These reserve releases are a continuation of favorable developments first recognized in 2005 and recognized in 2006, 2007 and the first nine months of 2008. The reserve releases in the fourth quarter of 2008 resulted from a determination that workers’ compensation losses continue to develop even more favorably than prior expectations due, in part, to state legal reforms, including in California

 


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      and Florida, and underwriting actions as well as cost reduction initiatives first instituted in 2003. In particular, the state legal reforms and underwriting actions have resulted in lower than expected medical claim severity.
 
    Released reserves for professional liability claims for accident years 2005 and 2006 by $30. During 2008, the Company updated its analysis of certain professional liability claims and the new analysis showed that claim severity for directors and officers losses in the 2005 and 2006 accident years were favorable to previous expectations, resulting in a reduction of reserves.
 
    Released reserves for Personal Lines auto liability claims by $23, principally related to AARP business for the 2005 through 2007 accident years. Beginning in the first quarter of 2008, management observed an improvement in emerged claim severity for the 2005 through 2007 accident years attributed, in part, to changes made in claim handling procedures in 2007. In the fourth quarter of 2008, the Company recognized that favorable development in reported severity was a sustained trend and accordingly, management reduced its reserve estimate.
 
    Released reserves for extra-contractual liability claims under non-standard personal auto policies by $15. As part of the agreement to sell its non-standard auto insurance business in November, 2006, the Company continues to be obligated for certain extra-contractual liability claims arising prior to the date of sale. Reserve estimates for extra-contractual liability claims are subject to significant variability depending on the expected settlement of individually large claims and, during the fourth quarter of 2008, the Company determined that the settlement value of a number of these claims was expected to be less than previously anticipated, resulting in a $15 release of reserves.
 
    Released commercial auto liability reserves by $10, primarily related to accident years 2002 to 2007. Management has observed fewer than previously expected large losses in accident years 2006 and 2007 and lower than previously expected severity on large claims in accident years 2002 to 2005. In 2008, management recognized that favorable development in reported claim severity was a sustained trend and, accordingly, management reduced its estimate of the reserves.
Company reserving actuaries regularly review non-asbestos and non-environmental reserves for the current and prior accident years using the most current claim data. The output from these reserve reviews are reserve estimates that are referred to as “actuarial indications”. The actuarial indication is one of the factors considered when determining recorded net reserves. Refer to the Critical Accounting Estimates section of The Hartford’s 2007 Form 10-K Annual Report for more information on how non-asbestos and environmental reserves are set. Total recorded net reserves, excluding asbestos and environmental reserves, were higher than the actuarial indication of the reserves by 3.8% as of December 31, 2008 compared to 2.9% as of December 31, 2007.

 


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Goodwill
(Dollar amounts in millions, unless otherwise stated)
Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” (“SFAS 142”), requires that goodwill balances be reviewed for impairment at least annually or more frequently if events occur or circumstances change that would indicate that a triggering event, as defined in SFAS 142, has occurred. A reporting unit is defined as an operating segment or one level below an operating segment.
As of December 31, 2008, the Company had goodwill allocated to the following reporting units:
                         
    Segment Goodwill   Goodwill in Corporate   Total
 
Other Retail
  $ 159     $ 92     $ 251  
Retirement Plans
    79       69       148  
Institutional Solutions Group
          32       32  
Individual Life
    224       118       342  
Group Benefits
          138       138  
Personal Lines
    119             119  
Hartford Financial Products within Specialty Commercial
    30             30  
 
Total
  $ 611     $ 449     $ 1,060  
 
As of December 31, 2007, the Company had goodwill allocated to the following reporting units:
                         
    Segment Goodwill   Goodwill in Corporate   Total
 
Individual Annuity
  $ 422     $ 308     $ 730  
Other Retail
    159       92       251  
Retirement Plans
          69       69  
Institutional Solutions Group
          32       32  
Individual Life
    224       118       342  
Group Benefits
          138       138  
International
          15       15  
Personal Lines
    119             119  
Hartford Financial Products within Specialty Commercial
    30             30  
 
Total
  $ 954     $ 772     $ 1,726  
 
Included in the Company’s fourth quarter operating results is a pre-tax impairment charge of goodwill in the amount of $745.
    $422 of this charge was recorded in Individual Annuity.
 
    $323 of this charge was recorded in Corporate. For purposes of impairment testing, this goodwill had been allocated to reporting units in the Company’s life insurance operations, with $308 allocated to Individual Annuity and $15 to International.
As a result of the sharp decline in the equity markets during the fourth quarter of 2008 and a sharp decline in The Hartford’s share price below book value per share, the Company, in connection with the preparation of its year end 2008 financial statements, concluded that the conditions had been met to warrant an interim goodwill impairment test.
Management’s determination of the fair value of each reporting unit incorporates multiple inputs including discounted cash flow calculations, peer company price to earnings multiples, the level of the Company’s own share price and assumptions that market participants would make in valuing the reporting unit. Other assumptions include levels of economic capital, future business growth, earnings projections, assets under management for Life reporting units and the weighted average cost of capital used for purposes of discounting.
As a result of the testing performed during the fourth quarter of 2008, which included the effects of decreasing sales outlooks and declining equity markets on future earnings, the fair value for each reporting unit continued to be in excess of the respective reporting unit’s carrying value except for the Individual Annuity and International reporting units. For both of these reporting units, the Company concluded that the fair value of the reporting unit had declined significantly.
If current market conditions persist during 2009, in particular, if the Company’s share price remains below book value per share, or if the Company’s actions to limit risk associated with its products or investments causes a significant change in any one reporting unit’s fair value, the Company may need to reassess goodwill impairment at the end of each quarter as part of an annual or interim impairment test. Subsequent reviews of goodwill could result in additional impairment of goodwill during 2009.

 


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Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure
Capital and Risk Based Capital
(Dollar amounts in millions, unless otherwise stated)
In connection with its release of financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2008, the Company is providing additional detail regarding its year-end 2008 capital position, as set forth below.
The Company’s preliminary year-end 2008 risk-based-capital (“RBC”) ratio at Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company (“HLA”) is 385%. In addition, at the end of 2008 the Company maintained $1.9 billion of capital resources in the form of $1.5 billion of available cash and short term investments at the holding company and $400 of capital in excess of levels historically associated with AA-level ratings at its property and casualty subsidiaries. The foregoing does not include any benefit from the Company’s $500 Glen Meadow trust contingent capital facility, nor does it include any drawdown of the Company’s $1.9 billion revolving credit facility. The $400 of capital residing in the property and casualty subsidiaries is subject to extraordinary dividend preapproval by insurance regulatory authorities.
On December 5, 2008, in the course of a public investor event, the Company estimated HLA’s year-end 2008 RBC ratio to be 535%, assuming the S&P 500 Index finished the year at 900. The S&P 500 Index was 903 at the end of 2008. The estimated 535% RBC ratio was calculated on the assumption that the Company would contribute the net proceeds from the $2.5 billion Allianz SE October 2008 investment to its life insurance subsidiaries. In fact, the Company retained $1 billion of the net proceeds at the holding company level and contributed the balance to its life insurance subsidiaries. Excluding the $1 billion that was not contributed to the life insurance subsidiaries, the estimated RBC ratio of 535% would have been 465%. HLA’s preliminary 2008 RBC ratio of 385% differs from the estimate of 465% for the following reasons:
· The cash-flow testing required under NAIC Actuarial Guideline 39 (“AG39”) reduced statutory capital by $600 in comparison with the December 5th estimate, which used a number of assumptions about year-end book of business, projected market conditions and other valuation inputs in the place of year end cash-flow testing.
· Credit-related impacts on the Company’s life insurance subsidiaries were $450 higher than assumed for the December 5th estimate, primarily due to continued spread widening on certain asset classes, particularly commercial real estate investments, that are marked to market under statutory accounting rules. This impact was largely related to the surplus required for the Company’s market value adjusted fixed annuity products.
· Additional Yen strengthening in December resulted in a $150 reduction in surplus. The December 5th estimate assumed a year-end Yen/$ level of 93. The actual year-end level was just under 91.
· The net effect of other items was an increase of $50 in statutory capital.
The RBC formula for life companies establishes capital requirements relating to insurance, business, asset and interest rate risks, including equity, interest rate and expense recovery risks associated with variable annuities and group annuities that contain death benefits or certain living benefits. The year-end 2008 HLA RBC ratio referenced herein is a preliminary figure, and is subject to change until such time that the Company files its statutory financial report for HLA for the year ended December 31, 2008.
On December 5, 2008, the Company also estimated its aggregate additional capital resources at the holding company and property and casualty subsidiaries to be $1.1 billion at the end of 2008. In fact, the holding company and the property and casualty subsidiaries held an aggregate of $1.9 billion of additional capital resources at the end of 2008, for the following reasons:
· As mentioned above, the Company retained $1 billion of the net proceeds of the Allianz SE investment at the holding company.
· Interest rates declined significantly in December, resulting in a smaller benefit than anticipated under certain rating agency capital models from the impact of discounting of the Company’s long-tail property and casualty reserves. This decline reduced the Company’s excess capital position by roughly $400.
· The net effect of other items was an increase of $200 in statutory capital.


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Some of the statements in this Form 8-K should be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include statements about The Hartford’s future results of operations. The Hartford cautions investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, uncertainties related to the depth and duration of the current recession and related financial crisis, and the impact of these volatile market conditions on, among other things, our investment portfolio, liabilities from variable annuity products and capital position; the success of our efforts to preserve capital and reduce risk, and the costs and charges associated therewith; our ability to participate in programs under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and similar initiatives and the terms of such participation; changes in financial and capital markets, including changes in interest rates, credit spreads, equity prices and foreign exchange rates; the inability to effectively mitigate the impact of equity market volatility on the company’s financial position and results of operations arising from obligations under annuity product guarantees; the amount of statutory capital that the company has, changes to the statutory reserves and/or risk based capital requirements, and the company’s ability to hold sufficient statutory capital to maintain financial strength and credit ratings; a downgrade in the company’s financial strength or credit ratings; the possibility of general economic and business conditions that are less favorable than anticipated; the potential for differing interpretations of the methodologies, estimations and assumptions that underlie the valuation of the company’s financial instruments that could result in changes to investment valuations; the subjective determinations that underlie the company’s evaluation of other-than-temporary impairments on available-for-sale securities; losses due to defaults by others; the availability of our commercial paper program; the potential for acceleration of DAC amortization; the potential for an impairment of our goodwill; the difficulty in predicting the company’s potential exposure for asbestos and environmental claims; the possible occurrence of terrorist attacks; the response of reinsurance companies under reinsurance contracts and the availability, pricing and adequacy of reinsurance to protect the company against losses; the possibility of unfavorable loss development; the incidence and severity of catastrophes, both natural and man-made; stronger than anticipated competitive activity; unfavorable judicial or legislative developments; the potential effect of domestic and foreign regulatory developments, including those which could increase the company’s business costs and required capital levels; the company’s ability to distribute its products through distribution channels, both current and future; the uncertain effects of emerging claim and coverage issues; the ability of the company’s subsidiaries to pay dividends to the company; the company’s ability to adequately price its property and casualty policies; the ability to recover the company’s systems and information in the event of a disaster or other unanticipated event; potential for difficulties arising from outsourcing relationships; potential changes in federal or state tax laws, including changes impacting the availability of the separate account dividend received deduction; the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and defend against claims of infringement; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in The Hartford’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, the 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings The Hartford makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Hartford assumes no obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks as of the date issued.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
     
Exhibit No.    
99.1
  Press Release of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. dated February 5, 2009

 


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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
           
    THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC.  
 
         
Date: February 5, 2009
  By:   /s/ Beth A. Bombara   
 
     
 
  Name:   Beth A. Bombara  
 
  Title:   Senior Vice President and Controller  

 

EX-99.1 2 y74494exv99w1.htm EX-99.1: PRESS RELEASE EX-99.1
Exhibit 99.1
NEWS RELEASE
(THE HARTFORD LOGO)
     
Media Contact(s):
  Investor Contact(s):
Shannon Lapierre
  Rick Costello
860-547-5624
  860-547-8480
shannon.lapierre@thehartford.com
  richard.costello@thehartford.com
 
   
Jason Stewart
  JR Reilly
860-547-7361
  860-547-9140
jason.stewart@thehartford.com
  jr.reilly@thehartford.com
The Hartford Announces Fourth Quarter And Full Year 2008 Results
    Core insurance-based businesses perform well
 
    Finishes 2008 well capitalized
 
    Capital preservation and risk mitigation key focuses for 2009
 
    Intends to reduce quarterly dividend to $0.05
HARTFORD, Conn., February 5, 2009 — The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG) today reported a fourth quarter 2008 net loss of $806 million, or $2.71 per diluted share. The Hartford’s net income in the fourth quarter of 2007 was $595 million, or $1.88 per diluted share. For full year 2008, The Hartford reported a net loss of $2.7 billion, or $8.99 per diluted share, compared with net income of $2.9 billion, or $9.24 per diluted share, in 2007.
A summary of consolidated financial performance is provided in the following table.
                                                 
Summary   Quarterly Results   Full Year Results
(in millions except per share data)   4Q ‘08   4Q ‘07   Change   2008   2007   Change
Net income (loss)
  $ (806 )   $ 595     NM   $ (2,749 )   $ 2,949     NM
Net income (loss) per diluted share
  $ (2.71 )   $ 1.88     NM   $ (8.99 )   $ 9.24     NM
Core earnings (loss)*
  $ (208 )   $ 840     NM   $ 858     $ 3,507       (76 %)
Core earnings (loss) per diluted share*
  $ (0.72 )   $ 2.66     NM   $ 2.74     $ 10.99       (75 %)
Assets under management*
  $ 346,916     $ 426,764       (19 %)                        
Book value per share
  $ 28.53     $ 61.20       (53 %)                        
Book value per share (ex. AOCI)*
  $ 51.69     $ 63.93       (19 %)                        
 
*   Denotes financial measures not calculated based on generally accepted accounting principles (“non-GAAP”). More information is provided in the Discussion of Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures section below.
 
    The Hartford defines increases or decreases greater than or equal to 200%, or changes from a net gain to a net loss position, or vice versa, as “NM” or not meaningful.

 


 

“This was clearly the most challenging year in our company’s nearly 200-year history,” said Ramani Ayer, chairman and chief executive officer of The Hartford. “The capital markets proved to be especially challenging during the latter half of 2008, particularly affecting our equity-based businesses and investment performance. Even still, we took several actions to finish 2008 well capitalized and well prepared to deliver on our commitments to customers.”
At year-end 2008, The Hartford’s life company had a preliminary risk-based capital (RBC) ratio of 385% and the property and casualty subsidiaries were capitalized at levels consistent with those historically associated with AA level property and casualty insurers. Additional information regarding the company’s capital position is available on a Form 8-K furnished this evening to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“We are optimistic about the resolve shown by the federal government in its efforts to stimulate the economy, but the risks still appear severe,” continued Ayer. “As a result, it is prudent for us to put capital preservation and risk mitigation at the forefront of our priorities in 2009. We intend to take actions on a number of fronts. The effort to de-risk our variable annuity product portfolio is ongoing, and we will look across the enterprise for additional opportunities to reduce risk. In addition, at our next Board of Directors meeting, we plan to recommend that the Board reduce our quarterly dividend to $0.05 per share, which will save the company about $350 million annually.
“From an operational perspective, our core insurance-based businesses had a strong 2008. We had outstanding underwriting results in property and casualty, and loss estimates for the current and prior accident years developed better than expected. In addition, our group insurance and individual life businesses executed well in competitive markets,” added Ayer.
In the fourth quarter of 2008, the company’s net realized capital loss was $610 million, after-tax, compared with a net realized capital loss of $230 million, after-tax, in the fourth quarter of 2007. The net realized capital loss in 2008 was $3.6 billion, after-tax, largely driven by other-than-temporary impairments, compared with a net realized capital loss in 2007 of $560 million, after-tax, primarily reflecting other-than-temporary impairments.
The fourth quarter of 2008 also included a $597 million after-tax write off of goodwill, of which $323 million was recorded in corporate, with the remaining charge of $274 million recorded in the individual annuity reporting unit.
In addition, the company’s full year 2008 net loss reflected a $932 million after-tax charge, taken in the third quarter, related to the company’s revision of its estimates of future gross profits, commonly referred to as deferred acquisition cost (DAC) unlock. The company reported an after-tax gain of $213 million in 2007 related to the DAC unlock. Estimates of future gross profits are used in the determination of certain asset and liability balances, including DAC.

2


 

REVIEW OF BUSINESS UNIT RESULTS
Property and Casualty Operations
Written premiums for The Hartford’s property and casualty operations in the fourth quarter were $2.5 billion, down 2% from the comparable 2007 period. For full year 2008, written premiums were $10.2 billion compared with $10.4 billion in the prior year.
Net income from ongoing operations was $297 million for the fourth quarter of 2008, including the effect of a $138 million net realized capital loss. Net income from ongoing operations in the fourth quarter of 2007 was $323 million. For full year 2008, net income from ongoing operations was $189 million, compared with $1.5 billion a year ago. The decrease was largely due to a decline in investment performance, including a $1.1 billion net realized capital loss in 2008, compared with a $104 million net realized capital loss in 2007.
The combined ratio for ongoing operations in the fourth quarter of 2008, excluding catastrophes, was 78.0%, compared with 88.4% in the prior-year period. The fourth quarter of 2008 benefitted from prior accident year net reserve releases of $195 million, or 7.6 points, primarily related to workers’ compensation, auto liability and general liability, compared to net reserve releases of $126 million, or 4.8 points, in the prior-year period. The fourth quarter of 2008 also reflected current accident year net reserve releases of $95 million, or 3.7 points, primarily related to auto liability and workers’ compensation, compared to net reserve strengthening of $13 million, or 0.5 points, in the prior-year period.
For the full year of 2008, the combined ratio from ongoing operations was 90.7%, in line with full year 2007 results. Excluding catastrophes, the combined ratio from ongoing operations for full year 2008 was 85.7%, compared to 89.0% for 2007.
Personal Lines Insurance
Personal lines written premiums for the fourth quarter of 2008 were $936 million, in line with the prior-year period. Written premiums in the company’s AARP business increased 3% in the fourth quarter, as this business continued to deliver profitable growth in a competitive market.
Personal lines reported a current accident year combined ratio of 86.8%, excluding catastrophes, for the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with 93.7% for the fourth quarter of 2007. The fourth quarter of 2008 included a benefit of $33 million, or 3.4 points, of reserve releases relating to the first three quarters of 2008, primarily on auto liability claims. The company’s estimate of Hurricane Ike losses associated with personal lines was reduced in the fourth quarter of 2008 by $42 million.
Small Commercial
Written premiums for small commercial were $622 million for the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with $649 million in the year-ago period. Policies in-force at the end of the quarter grew 2%, compared to the end of 2007, driven by a continued focus on technology and service improvements for agents.

3


 

The current accident year combined ratio for small commercial was 76.8%, excluding catastrophes, for the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with 88.8% for the fourth quarter of 2007. The fourth quarter of 2008 included $30 million, or 4.4 points, of reserve releases relating to the first three quarters of 2008, primarily on workers’ compensation claims. The company’s estimate of Hurricane Ike losses associated with small commercial was increased in the fourth quarter of 2008 by $31 million.
Middle Market
Written premiums for middle market were $577 million for the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with $609 million in the year-ago period. Middle market policies in-force rose 3% since the end of 2007, the result of successful retention initiatives and increased new business in 2008.
The middle market current accident year combined ratio was 86.0%, excluding catastrophes, for the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with 96.1% for the fourth quarter of 2007. The fourth quarter of 2008 included $28 million, or 5.1 points, of reserve releases relating to the first three quarters of 2008, primarily on workers’ compensation claims.
Specialty Commercial Insurance
In specialty commercial, written premiums for the fourth quarter of 2008 were $330 million, an increase of 3% over the prior-year period. Specialty commercial reported a current accident year combined ratio of 96.7%, excluding catastrophes, for the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with 97.3% for the fourth quarter of 2007. The fourth quarter of 2008 included $3 million, or 0.9 points, of favorable reserve releases relating to the first three quarters of 2008.
Life Operations
Life operations assets under management as of December 31, 2008 were $298 billion, compared with $372 billion as of December 31, 2007. This decrease was largely driven by equity market declines. Life reported a net loss of $807 million in the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with net income of $277 million in the year-ago period. The fourth quarter of 2008 included a $557 million after-tax net realized capital loss and a $274 million after-tax goodwill write-off related to the company’s U.S. variable annuity business. The fourth quarter of 2007 included a $168 million after-tax net realized capital loss.
INDIVIDUAL MARKETS
Retail Products Group
Total retail products group assets under management were $119 billion at December 31, 2008, compared with $180.5 billion at the end of 2007. The change was driven primarily by equity market declines. The net loss for the fourth quarter of 2008 was $670 million and included a net realized capital loss of $475 million, compared with net income of $196 million in the year-ago period, which included a net realized capital loss of $12 million. The fourth quarter of 2008 also included a goodwill impairment charge of $274 million, after tax.

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Variable annuity deposits for the quarter were $1.2 billion, compared to $3.1 billion in the prior-year period. The decline was due in part to an increasingly competitive product environment and significantly volatile equity market conditions. Fixed annuity deposits increased to $848 million in the fourth quarter of 2008, up from $128 million in the fourth quarter of 2007, as demand for guaranteed rates increased. Fourth quarter 2008 variable annuity net outflows were $1.9 billion, compared with net outflows of $1.1 billion in the prior-year period. Variable annuity assets under management ended the quarter at $74.6 billion, compared with $119.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007.
Mutual fund deposits were $2.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with $3.5 billion in the prior-year period, due to the challenging equity markets. Total retail mutual fund assets under management were $31 billion as of December 31, 2008, compared to $48.4 billion at December 31, 2007. Also in the quarter, The Hartford reopened its Morningstar five-star rated Hartford MidCap Fund to new investors.
Individual Life
Fourth quarter 2008 sales for individual life were $70 million, compared with $89 million in the prior-year period. Life insurance in-force rose 9% to $195 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008, with term life growing 21% to $63 billion, as a result of a general customer shift to fixed products and improved new term product sales tools.
Individual life reported net income of $9 million for the fourth quarter of 2008, including a net realized capital loss of $18 million. This compares with net income of $31 million in the year-ago period, which included a net realized capital loss of $9 million.
EMPLOYER MARKETS
Retirement Plans
Retirement plans assets under management grew 30% to $37 billion at December 31, 2008, compared with $28.5 billion at the end of the fourth quarter of 2007. Total deposits were $2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008, up 40% from $1.4 billion in the prior-year period. The increases in assets under management and deposits reflect the effect of acquisitions, which closed in early 2008, as well as growth in ongoing contributions.
Retirement plans reported a net loss of $23 million for the quarter, including a net realized capital loss of $22 million. This compares to net income of $7 million in the prior-year period, which included a net realized capital loss of $15 million.
Group Benefits
Group benefits fully insured sales increased 4% for the fourth quarter to $146 million. According to Life Insurance Market Research Association, The Hartford retained its number one ranking in group disability sales and number two ranking in group life sales for the first nine months of 2008. Fully insured premiums of $1.1 billion for the fourth quarter of 2008 were up 4% over the prior year.

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Group benefits reported net income for the fourth quarter of 2008 of $72 million, which reflects a net realized capital loss of $18 million. For the fourth quarter of 2007, group benefits reported net income of $80 million, which included a net realized capital loss of $9 million.
INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
For the fourth quarter of 2008, variable annuity deposits in Japan were ¥28.2 billion, or $291 million, down 77% on a yen basis from the fourth quarter of 2007 as a result of weaker market conditions and increasing competition. Net outflows for variable annuities were ¥309 billion, or $3.1 billion, for the fourth quarter of 2008, largely due to automatic redemption triggers associated with the company’s 3WIN product.
Total assets under management in Japan were ¥3.1 trillion, or $34.5 billion, as of December 31, 2008, down 26% over the prior-year period on a yen basis due to equity market declines. International operations net loss for the fourth quarter of 2008 was $298 million, which included a net realized capital loss of $192 million, compared with net income of $38 million in the year-ago period, which included a net realized capital loss of $31 million.
INSTITUTIONAL MARKETS
Institutional deposits for the fourth quarter of 2008 were $928 million, compared with $1.5 billion in the prior-year period. Fourth quarter 2008 sales were affected by weaker market conditions. Institutional assets under management were $59.1 billion as of December 31, 2008, compared to $61.5 billion at December 31, 2007. Institutional reported fourth quarter 2008 net income of $41 million, driven by a net realized capital gain of $80 million, compared with a net loss of $43 million in the year-ago period, which included a net realized capital loss of $77 million.
INVESTMENTS
Net investment income, excluding trading securities, was $809 million, before-tax, in the fourth quarter of 2008, a decline of 38% from the prior-year period. The decline was largely due to $333 million of pre-tax losses on limited partnerships and other alternative investments, as well as lower yields on fixed maturities as The Hartford increased its holdings of short-term and government securities.
The net realized capital loss was $610 million, after-tax, for the fourth quarter of 2008, compared to an after-tax loss of $230 million in the fourth quarter of 2007. The loss for the fourth quarter of 2008 primarily consisted of losses from the company’s variable annuity GMWB hedging program, as well as other-than-temporary impairments. A vast majority of the impairments in the fourth quarter of 2008 related to further price declines on previously impaired commercial mortgage-backed securities and financial securities, as well as impairments on securities for which the company seeks to maintain trading flexibility. The company’s net unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2008 was $6.8 billion, after tax.
The Hartford’s total investments, excluding trading securities, were $89.3 billion as of December 31, 2008, compared to $94.9 billion as of December 31, 2007. Depressed valuations from widening credit spreads drove the majority of the decline in asset values.

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2009 GUIDANCE
Based on the assumptions below, The Hartford currently expects 2009 core earnings per diluted share to be between $5.80 and $6.20. The guidance contained within this news release is subject to unusual or unpredictable benefits or charges that might occur in 2009, as well as factors noted below. Historically, the company has frequently experienced unusual or unpredictable benefits and charges that were not anticipated in previously provided guidance.
The 2009 guidance assumes the following items:
— U.S. equity markets produce an annualized return of 9.0% (including 7.2% stock appreciation and 1.8% dividends) from the S&P 500 level of 903 on December 31, 2008;
— This guidance incorporates no estimate of the effect of the planned third quarter 2009 review of all assumptions underlying the company’s estimate of future gross profits used in the determination of certain asset and liability balances, principally life deferred acquisition costs (DAC). It is almost certain that there will be a significant effect from this review, but the company is unable to estimate it at this time;
— A pre-tax underwriting loss of $160 million from other operations in property and casualty. In the last several years, underwriting losses in other operations have differed materially from the assumptions incorporated in guidance;
— A catastrophe ratio of 3% to 3.5%;
— An annualized yield on limited partnerships and other alternative investments of (9%); and
— Diluted weighted average shares outstanding of 326.1 million for full year 2009.
Markets in the United States and elsewhere have experienced extreme volatility and disruption for more than 12 months, due largely to the stresses affecting the global financial system, which accelerated significantly in the second half of 2008. The United States, Europe and Japan have entered severe recessions that are likely to persist well into and perhaps through 2009, despite past and expected governmental intervention in the world’s major economies. The ongoing global financial crisis increases the likelihood that the company’s 2009 earnings guidance will turn out to be incorrect. The company’s actual experience in 2009 will almost certainly differ from many of the assumptions described above, due to the current global macroeconomic situation as well as other factors including, but not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company’s Form 10-Q Quarterly Reports and Form 10-K Annual Reports, significant changes in estimated future earnings caused by changes in the credit and equity markets, DAC amortization and our effective tax rate, up and down, that are difficult to anticipate or forecast, changes in loss-cost trends in the property and casualty businesses, catastrophe losses at levels different from assumptions and developments emerging as a result of changes in estimates arising from the company’s regular review of its prior-period loss reserves for all lines of insurance, including annual ground-up reviews of long-term latent casualty exposures, including environmental claims, and the recoverability of reinsurance for these claims.

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CONFERENCE CALL
The Hartford will discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2008 results in a conference call on Friday, February 6, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. EST. The call, along with a slide presentation, can be simultaneously accessed through The Hartford’s Web site at ir.thehartford.com.
More detailed financial information can be found in The Hartford’s Investor Financial Supplement for the fourth quarter and full year 2008, which is available on The Hartford’s Web site, ir.thehartford.com.
About The Hartford
The Hartford is one of the nation’s largest financial services companies and a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Ireland. The Hartford’s Internet address is www.thehartford.com.
HIG-F
DISCUSSION OF NON-GAAP AND OTHER FINANCIAL MEASURES
The Hartford uses non-GAAP and other financial measures in this press release to assist investors in analyzing the company’s operating performance for the periods presented herein. Because The Hartford’s calculation of these measures may differ from similar measures used by other companies, investors should be careful when comparing The Hartford’s non-GAAP and other financial measures to those of other companies.
The Hartford uses the non-GAAP financial measure core earnings (loss) as an important measure of the company’s operating performance. The Hartford believes that the measure core earnings provides investors with a valuable measure of the performance of the company’s ongoing businesses because it reveals trends in the company’s insurance and financial services businesses that may be obscured by the net effect of certain realized capital gains and losses. Some realized capital gains and losses are primarily driven by investment decisions and external economic developments, the nature and timing of which are unrelated to the insurance and underwriting aspects of the company’s business.

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Accordingly, core earnings (loss) excludes the effect of all realized gains and losses (net of tax and the effects of deferred policy acquisition costs) that tend to be highly variable from period to period based on capital market conditions. The Hartford believes, however, that some realized capital gains and losses are integrally related to the company’s insurance operations, so core earnings (loss) includes net realized gains and losses such as net periodic settlements on credit derivatives and net periodic settlements on the Japan fixed annuity cross-currency swap. These net realized gains and losses are directly related to an offsetting item included in the statement of operations such as net investment income (loss). Core earnings (loss) is also used by management to assess the company’s operating performance and is one of the measures considered in determining incentive compensation for the company’s managers. Net income (loss) is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Core earnings (loss) should not be considered as a substitute for net income (loss) and does not reflect the overall profitability of the company’s business. Therefore, The Hartford believes that it is useful for investors to evaluate both net income (loss) and core earnings (loss) when reviewing the company’s performance. A reconciliation of net income (loss) to core earnings for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2007 and 2008 is set forth in the results by segment table. The 2009 earnings guidance presented in this release is based in part on core earnings (loss). A quantitative reconciliation of The Hartford’s net income (loss) to core earnings (loss) is not calculable on a forward-looking basis because it is not possible to provide a reliable forecast of realized capital gains and losses, which typically vary substantially from period to period.
Core earnings (loss) per share is calculated based on the non-GAAP financial measure core earnings (loss). The Hartford believes that the measure core earnings (loss) per share provides investors with a valuable measure of the company’s operating performance for many of the same reasons applicable to its underlying measure, core earnings (loss). Net income (loss) per share is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Core earnings (loss) per share should not be considered as a substitute for net income (loss) per share and does not reflect the overall profitability of the company’s business. Therefore, The Hartford believes that it is useful for investors to evaluate both net income (loss) per share and core earnings (loss) per share when reviewing the company’s performance. A reconciliation of net income (loss) per share to core earnings (loss) per share for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2007 and 2008 is set forth on page C-8 of The Hartford’s Investor Financial Supplement for the fourth quarter of 2008.
Written premium is a statutory accounting financial measure used by The Hartford as an important indicator of the operating performance of the company’s property and casualty operations. Because written premium represents the amount of premium charged for policies issued, net of reinsurance, during a fiscal period, The Hartford believes it is useful to investors because it reflects current trends in The Hartford’s sale of property and casualty insurance products. Earned premium, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, represents all premiums that are recognized as revenues during a fiscal period. The difference between written premium and earned premium is attributable to the change in unearned premium reserves. A reconciliation of written premium to earned premium for the three months ended December 31, 2007 and 2008 is set forth on page PC-2 of The Hartford’s Investor Financial Supplement for the fourth quarter of 2008.

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Book value per share excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) is calculated based upon a non-GAAP financial measure. It is calculated by dividing (a) stockholders’ equity excluding AOCI, net of tax, by (b) common shares outstanding plus assumed conversion of preferred shares to common.
The Hartford provides book value per share excluding AOCI to enable investors to analyze the amount of the company’s net worth that is primarily attributable to the company’s business operations. The Hartford believes book value per share excluding AOCI is useful to investors because it eliminates the effect of items that can fluctuate significantly from period to period, primarily based on changes in interest rates. Book value per share is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. A reconciliation of book value per share to book value per share excluding AOCI as of December 31, 2007 and 2008 is set forth in the results by segment table.
Assets under management is an internal performance measure used by The Hartford because a significant portion of the company’s revenues are based upon asset values. These revenues increase or decrease with a rise or fall, correspondingly, in the level of assets under management. Assets under management is the sum of The Hartford’s total assets, mutual fund assets, and third-party assets managed by Hartford Investment Management Company.
The Hartford’s management evaluates profitability of the Personal Lines, Small Commercial, Middle Market and Specialty Commercial underwriting segments primarily on the basis of underwriting results. Underwriting results is a before-tax measure that represents earned premiums less incurred losses, loss adjustment expenses and underwriting expenses. Net income (loss) is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Underwriting results are influenced significantly by earned premium growth and the adequacy of The Hartford’s pricing. Underwriting profitability over time is also greatly influenced by The Hartford’s underwriting discipline, which seeks to manage exposure to loss through favorable risk selection and diversification, its management of claims, its use of reinsurance and its ability to manage its expense ratio, which it accomplishes through economies of scale and its management of acquisition costs and other underwriting expenses. The Hartford believes that underwriting results provides investors with a valuable measure of before-tax profitability derived from underwriting activities, which are managed separately from the company’s investing activities. Underwriting results are presented for Ongoing Operations, Other Operations and total Property and Casualty in The Hartford’s Investor Financial Supplement. A reconciliation of underwriting results to net income (loss) for total Property and Casualty, Ongoing Operations and Other Operations is set forth on pages PC-2, PC-3 and PC-13 of The Hartford’s Investor Financial Supplement for the fourth quarter of 2008.
A catastrophe is a severe loss, resulting from natural or man-made events, including fire, earthquake, windstorm, explosion, terrorist attack and similar events. Each catastrophe has unique characteristics. Catastrophes are not predictable as to timing or loss amount in advance, and therefore their effects are not included in earnings or losses and loss adjustment expense reserves prior to occurrence. The Hartford believes that a discussion of the effect of catastrophes is meaningful for investors to understand the variability of periodic earnings.

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Some of the statements in this release should be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include statements about The Hartford’s future results of operations. The Hartford cautions investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, uncertainties related to the depth and duration of the current recession and related financial crisis, and the impact of these volatile market conditions on, among other things, our investment portfolio, liabilities from variable annuity products and capital position; the success of our efforts to preserve capital and reduce risk, and the costs and charges associated therewith; our ability to participate in programs under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and similar initiatives and the terms of such participation; changes in financial and capital markets, including changes in interest rates, credit spreads, equity prices and foreign exchange rates; the inability to effectively mitigate the impact of equity market volatility on the company’s financial position and results of operations arising from obligations under annuity product guarantees; the amount of statutory capital that the company has, changes to the statutory reserves and/or risk based capital requirements, and the company’s ability to hold sufficient statutory capital to maintain financial strength and credit ratings; a downgrade in the company’s financial strength or credit ratings; the possibility of general economic and business conditions that are less favorable than anticipated; the potential for differing interpretations of the methodologies, estimations and assumptions that underlie the valuation of the company’s financial instruments that could result in changes to investment valuations; the subjective determinations that underlie the company’s evaluation of other-than-temporary impairments on available-for-sale securities; losses due to defaults by others; the availability of our commercial paper program; the potential for acceleration of DAC amortization; the potential for an impairment of our goodwill; the difficulty in predicting the company’s potential exposure for asbestos and environmental claims; the possible occurrence of terrorist attacks; the response of reinsurance companies under reinsurance contracts and the availability, pricing and adequacy of reinsurance to protect the company against losses; the possibility of unfavorable loss development; the incidence and severity of catastrophes, both natural and man-made; stronger than anticipated competitive activity; unfavorable judicial or legislative developments; the potential effect of domestic and foreign regulatory developments, including those which could increase the company’s business costs and required capital levels; the company’s ability to distribute its products through distribution channels, both current and future; the uncertain effects of emerging claim and coverage issues; the ability of the company’s subsidiaries to pay dividends to the company; the company’s ability to adequately price its property and casualty policies; the ability to recover the company’s systems and information in the event of a disaster or other unanticipated event; potential for difficulties arising from outsourcing relationships; potential changes in federal or state tax laws, including changes impacting the availability of the separate account dividend received deduction; the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and defend against claims of infringement; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in The Hartford’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, the 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings The Hartford makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Hartford assumes no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.
- financial tables to follow -

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THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC.
RESULTS BY SEGMENT

(in millions except per share data)
                                                 
    Three Months Ended   Year Ended
    December 31,   December 31,
    2007   2008   Change   2007   2008   Change
LIFE
                                               
Retail Products Group
  $ 196     $ (670 )   NM   $ 812     $ (1,399 )   NM
Individual Life
    31       9       (71 %)     182       (43 )   NM
 
Total Individual Markets Group
    227       (661 )   NM     994       (1,442 )   NM
Retirement Plans
    7       (23 )   NM     61       (157 )   NM
Group Benefits
    80       72       (10 %)     315       (6 )   NM
 
Total Employer Markets Group
    87       49       (44 %)     376       (163 )   NM
International
    38       (298 )   NM     223       (325 )   NM
Institutional Solutions Group
    (43 )     41     NM     17       (502 )   NM
Other
    (32 )     62     NM     (52 )     (11 )     79 %
 
Total Life net income (loss)
    277       (807 )   NM     1,558       (2,443 )   NM
Less: Net realized capital losses, after-tax and DAC [1]
    (180 )     (546 )   NM     (434 )     (2,484 )   NM
 
Total Life core earnings (loss)
    457       (261 )   NM     1,992       41       (98 %)
 
 
                                               
PROPERTY & CASUALTY
                                               
Ongoing Operations
                                               
Ongoing Operations Underwriting Results
                                               
Personal Lines
    30       202     NM     322       280       (13 %)
Small Commercial
    204       167       (18 %)     508       437       (14 %)
Middle Market
    58       148       155 %     157       169       8 %
Specialty Commercial
    (58 )     58     NM     (18 )     71     NM
 
Total Ongoing Operations underwriting results
    234       575       146 %     969       957       (1 %)
Net servicing income
    11       10       (9 %)     52       31       (40 %)
Net investment income
    357       127       (64 %)     1,439       1,056       (27 %)
Other expenses
    (69 )     (39 )     43 %     (248 )     (219 )     12 %
Net realized capital losses
    (87 )     (214 )     (146 %)     (160 )     (1,669 )   NM
Income tax (expense) benefit
    (123 )     (162 )     32 %     (575 )     33     NM
 
Ongoing Operations net income
    323       297       (8 %)     1,477       189       (87 %)
 
                                               
Other Operations
                                               
Other Operations net income (loss)
    26       (6 )   NM     30       (97 )   NM
 
Total Property & Casualty net income
    349       291       (17 %)     1,507       92       (94 %)
Less: Net realized capital losses, after-tax and DAC [1]
    (65 )     (161 )     (148 %)     (122 )     (1,225 )   NM
 
Total Property & Casualty core earnings
    414       452       9 %     1,629       1,317       (19 %)
 
 
                                               
CORPORATE
                                               
Total Corporate net loss
    (31 )     (290 )   NM     (116 )     (398 )   NM
 
 
                                               
CONSOLIDATED
                                               
 
Net income (loss)
    595       (806 )   NM     2,949       (2,749 )   NM
Less: Net realized capital losses, after-tax and DAC [1]
    (245 )     (598 )     (144 %)     (558 )     (3,607 )   NM
 
Core earnings (loss)
  $ 840     $ (208 )   NM   $ 3,507     $ 858       (76 %)
 
 
                                               
PER SHARE DATA
                                               
Diluted earnings (loss) per share
                                               
Net income (loss)
  $ 1.88     $ (2.71 )   NM   $ 9.24     $ (8.99 )   NM
Core earnings (loss)
  $ 2.66     $ (0.72 )   NM   $ 10.99     $ 2.74       (75 %)
Book value per share
                                               
Book value per share (including AOCI)
  $ 61.20     $ 28.53       (53 %)                        
Per share impact of AOCI
  $ (2.73 )   $ (23.16 )   NM                        
Book value per share (excluding AOCI)
  $ 63.93     $ 51.69       (19 %)                        
 
 
[1]   Includes those net realized capital gains and losses not included in core earnings (loss). See discussion of non-GAAP and other financial measures section of this release.
 
    The Hartford defines increases or decreases greater than or equal to 200%, or changes from a net gain to a net loss position, or vice versa, as “NM” or not meaningful

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The Hartford
First Quarter and Full Year 2009 Guidance
Full Year 2009 Core Earnings Per Diluted Share of $5.80 — $6.20
         
    2009 Written Premium   2009
Property and Casualty   Growth Compared to 2008   Combined Ratio*
Ongoing Operations
  (2%) - 1%   90.0% - 93.0%
 
       
Personal Lines
  Flat - 3%   89.5% - 92.5%
Auto
  Flat - 3%    
Homeowners
  (2%) - 1%    
 
       
Small Commercial
  (2%) - 1%   85.0% - 88.0%
 
       
Middle Market
  (6%) - (3%)   93.5% - 96.5%
 
       
Specialty Commercial
  (2%) – 1%   96.5% - 99.5%
 
*   Excludes catastrophes and prior-year development
             
            Core Earnings ROA1
Life   Deposits   Net Flows   Individual Annuity
U.S. Individual Annuity
           
Full Year 2009 – Variable Annuity
  $3.0 - $5.0 Billion   ($8.2) - ($6.2) Billion   63-66 bps
1Q09 – Variable Annuity
  $0.5 - $1.0 Billion   ($2.25) - ($1.75) Billion    
Full Year 2009 – Fixed Annuity
  $1.75 - $2.25 Billion   $0.75 - $1.25 Billion    
Japan Annuity
          Japan Operations
Full Year 2009 – Variable Annuity
  $0.75 - $1.5 Billion   ($1.2) - ($0.5) Billion   46-56 bps
at ¥90.7/$1 exchange
  ¥68 - ¥136 Billion   (¥104) - (¥45) Billion    
1Q09 – Variable Annuity
  $0.2 - $0.4 Billion   ($0.2) - $0.0 Billion    
at ¥90.7/$1 exchange
  ¥18 - ¥36 Billion   (¥18) - (¥5) Billion    
Retail Mutual Funds
          Other Retail
Full Year 2009
  $9.0 - $11.0 Billion   $0.6 - $2.6 Billion   4-7 bps
1Q09
  $2.0 - $2.6 Billion   ($50) - $550 Million    
Retirement Plans
           
Full Year 2009
  $8.0 - $9.0 Billion   $0.5 - $1.5 Billion   7-10 bps
1Q09
  $2.2 - $2.6 Billion   $0.5 - $1.0 Billion    
Institutional Solutions Group
           
Full Year 2009
  $3.5 - $5.5 Billion   ($2.0) - $0.0 Billion   7-11 bps
Group Benefits (Full Year 2009)
           
Fully Insured Premiums*
  $4.6 - $4.7 Billion        
Loss Ratio
  71% - 74%        
Expense Ratio
  26% - 28%        
After-tax Margin**
  6.0% - 6.4%        
 
*   Guidance for fully insured premiums excludes buyout premiums and premium equivalents.
 
**   Guidance on after-tax margin is core earnings divided by total core revenue, excluding buyout premiums.
     
Individual Life (Full Year 2009)
   
Inforce Growth
  7% - 9%
After-tax Margin*
  12% -14%
 
*   Guidance on after-tax margin is core earnings divided by total core revenue.
 
1   ROA guidance incorporates no estimates of the effect of the planned third quarter 2009 DAC unlock.

13

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