Hartford Insurance Group 10-K 2018-12-31
Filed 2019-02-22. 12 sections, 1069K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
| þ | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018
or
| o | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission file number 001-13958

THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 13-3317783 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, Connecticut 06155
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(860) 547-5000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 (b) OF THE ACT
(ALL OF WHICH ARE LISTED ON THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE INC.):
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
Warrants (expiring June 26, 2019)
6.10% Notes due October 1, 2041
7.875% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2042
Depositary Shares, Each Representing a 1/1,000th Interest in a Share of 6.000% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G, par value $0.01 per share
SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 (g) OF THE ACT:
None
| Indicate by check mark: | Yes | No | |
| • | if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. | þ | |
| • | if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. | þ | |
| • | whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. | þ | |
| • | whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). | þ | |
| • | if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. | þ | |
| • | whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. | ||
| Large accelerated filer þ Accelerated filer o Non-accelerated filer o Smaller reporting company o Emerging growth company o | |||
| • | whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.) | þ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
The aggregate market value of the shares of Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 29, 2018 was approximately $18 billion, based on the closing price of $51.13 per share of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on June 29, 2018.
As of February 20, 2019, there were outstanding 359,470,401 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the registrant.
Documents Incorporated by Reference
Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its 2019 annual meeting of stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K.
THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC.
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS
[a] The information required by this item is set forth in the Enterprise Risk Management section of Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and is incorporated herein by reference.
[b] See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedules elsewhere herein.
[c] The information called for by Item 11 will be set forth in the Proxy Statement under the subcaptions "Compensation Discussion and Analysis", "Executive Compensation", "Director Compensation", "Report of the Compensation and Management Development Committee", and "Compensation and Management Development Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation" and is incorporated herein by reference.
[d] Any information called for by Item 13 will be set forth in the Proxy Statement under the caption and subcaption "Board and Governance Matters" and "Director Independence" and is incorporated herein by reference.
[e] The information called for by Item 14 will be set forth in the Proxy Statement under the caption "Audit Matters" and is incorporated herein by reference.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain of the statements contained herein are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” and similar references to future periods.
Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions regarding future economic, competitive, legislative and other developments and their potential effect upon The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company” or “The Hartford”). Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially from expectations, depending on the evolution of various factors, including the risks and uncertainties identified below, as well as factors described in such forward-looking statements or in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors, in Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and those identified from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
| • | Risks Relating to Economic, Political and Global Market Conditions: |
| ◦ | challenges related to the Company’s current operating environment, including global political, economic and market conditions, and the effect of financial market disruptions, economic downturns, changes in trade regulation including tariffs and other barriers or other potentially adverse macroeconomic developments on the demand for our products and returns in our investment portfolios; |
| ◦ | market risks associated with our business, including changes in credit spreads, equity prices, interest rates, inflation rate, and market volatility; |
| ◦ | the impact on our investment portfolio if our investment portfolio is concentrated in any particular segment of the economy; |
| ◦ | the impacts of changing climate and weather patterns on our businesses, operations and investment portfolio including on claims, demand and pricing of our products, the availability and cost of reinsurance, our modeling data used to evaluate and manage risks of catastrophes and severe weather events, the value of our investment portfolios and credit risk with reinsurers and other counterparties; |
| ◦ | the risks associated with the change in or replacement of the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") on the securities we hold or may have issued, other financial instruments and any other assets and liabilities whose value is tied to LIBOR; |
| • | Insurance Industry and Product-Related Risks: |
| ◦ | the possibility of unfavorable loss development, including with respect to long-tailed exposures; |
| ◦ | the significant uncertainties that limit our ability to estimate the ultimate reserves necessary for asbestos and environmental claims |
| ◦ | the possibility of a pandemic, earthquake, or other natural or man-made disaster that may adversely affect our businesses; |
| ◦ | weather and other natural physical events, including the intensity and frequency of storms, hail, wildfires, flooding, winter storms, hurricanes and tropical storms, as well as climate change and its potential impact on weather patterns; |
| ◦ | the possible occurrence of terrorist attacks and the Company’s inability to contain its exposure as a result of, among other factors, the inability to exclude coverage for terrorist attacks from workers' compensation policies and limitations on reinsurance coverage from the federal government under applicable laws; |
| ◦ | the Company’s ability to effectively price its property and casualty policies, including its ability to obtain regulatory consents to pricing actions or to non-renewal or withdrawal of certain product lines; |
| ◦ | actions by competitors that may be larger or have greater financial resources than we do; |
| ◦ | technological changes, such as usage-based methods of determining premiums, advancements in automotive safety features, the development of autonomous vehicles, and platforms that facilitate ride sharing, which may alter demand for the Company's products, impact the frequency or severity of losses, and/or impact the way the Company markets, distributes and underwrites its products; |
| ◦ | the Company's ability to market, distribute and provide insurance products and investment advisory services through current and future distribution channels and advisory firms; |
| ◦ | the uncertain effects of emerging claim and coverage issues; |
| • | Financial Strength, Credit and Counterparty Risks: |
| ◦ | risks to our business, financial position, prospects and results associated with negative rating actions or downgrades in the Company’s financial strength and credit ratings or negative rating actions or downgrades relating to our investments; |
| ◦ | the impact on our statutory capital of various factors, including many that are outside the Company’s control, which can in turn affect our credit and financial strength ratings, cost of capital, regulatory compliance and other aspects of our business and results; |
| ◦ | losses due to nonperformance or defaults by others, including credit risk with counterparties associated with investments, derivatives, premiums receivable, reinsurance recoverables and indemnifications provided by third parties in connection with previous dispositions; |
| ◦ | the potential for losses due to our reinsurers' unwillingness or inability to meet their obligations under reinsurance contracts and the availability, pricing and adequacy of reinsurance to protect the Company against losses; |
| ◦ | regulatory limitations on the ability of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries to declare and pay dividends; |
| • | Risks Relating to Estimates, Assumptions and Valuations: |
| ◦ | risk associated with the use of analytical models in making decisions in key areas such as underwriting, pricing, capital management, reserving, investments, reinsurance and catastrophe risk management; |
| ◦ | the potential for differing interpretations of the methodologies, estimations and assumptions that underlie the Company’s fair value estimates for its investments and the evaluation of other-than-temporary impairments on available-for-sale securities; |
| ◦ | the potential for further impairments of our goodwill or the potential for changes in valuation allowances against deferred tax assets; |
| • | Strategic and Operational Risks: |
| ◦ | the Company’s ability to maintain the availability of its systems and safeguard the security of its data in the event of a disaster, cyber or other information security incident or other unanticipated event; |
| ◦ | the potential for difficulties arising from outsourcing and similar third-party relationships; |
| ◦ | the risks, challenges and uncertainties associated with capital management plans, expense reduction initiatives and other actions, which may include acquisitions, divestitures or restructurings; |
| ◦ | failure to complete our proposed acquisition of The Navigators Group, Inc. may cause volatility in our securities; |
| ◦ | risks associated with acquisitions and divestitures including the challenges of integrating acquired companies or businesses or separating from our divested businesses that may result in our not being able to achieve the anticipated benefits and synergies and may result in unintended consequences; |
| ◦ | difficulty in attracting and retaining talented and qualified personnel including key employees, such as executives, managers and employees with strong technological, analytical and other specialized skills; |
| ◦ | the Company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and defend against claims of infringement; |
| • | Regulatory and Legal Risks: |
| ◦ | the cost and other potential effects of increased regulatory and legislative developments, including those that could adversely impact the demand for the Company’s products, operating costs and required capital levels; |
| ◦ | unfavorable judicial or legislative developments; |
| ◦ | the impact of changes in federal or state tax laws; |
| ◦ | regulatory requirements that could delay, deter or prevent a takeover attempt that stockholders might consider in their best interests; and |
| ◦ | the impact of potential changes in accounting principles and related financial reporting requirements. |
Any forward-looking statement made by the Company in this document speaks only as of the date of the filing of this Form 10-K. Factors or events that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Part I - Item 1. Business
Item 1. BUSINESS
(Dollar amounts in millions, except for per share data, unless otherwise stated)
GENERAL
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “The Hartford”, the “Company”, “we”, or “our”) is a holding company for a group of subsidiaries that provide property and casualty insurance, group benefits, and mutual funds and exchange-traded products to individual and business customers in the United States. The Hartford is headquartered in Connecticut and its oldest subsidiary, Hartford Fire Insurance Company, dates back to 1810. At December 31, 2018, total assets and total stockholders’ equity of The Hartford were $62.3 billion and $13.1 billion, respectively.
ORGANIZATION
The Hartford strives to maintain and enhance its position as a market leader within the financial services industry. The Company sells diverse and innovative products through multiple distribution channels to individuals and businesses and is considered a leading property and casualty and employee group benefits insurer. The Company endeavors to expand its insurance product offerings and distribution and capitalize on the strength of the Company's brand. The Hartford Stag logo is one of the most recognized symbols in the financial services industry. The Company is also working to increase efficiencies through investments in technology.
As a holding company, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. is separate and distinct from its subsidiaries and has no significant business operations of its own. The holding company relies on the dividends from its insurance companies and other subsidiaries as the principal source of cash flow to meet its obligations, pay dividends and repurchase common stock. Information regarding the cash flow and liquidity needs of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. may be found in Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) — Capital Resources and Liquidity.
REPORTING SEGMENTS
The Hartford conducts business principally in five reporting segments including Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Property & Casualty ("P&C") Other Operations, Group Benefits and Hartford Funds (previously referred to as "Mutual Funds"), as well as a Corporate category. The Company includes in the Corporate category discontinued operations related to the life and annuity business sold in May 2018, reserves for run-off structured settlement and terminal funding agreement liabilities, capital raising activities (including debt financing and related interest expense), purchase accounting adjustments related to goodwill and other expenses not allocated to the reporting segments. Corporate also includes investment management fees and expenses related to managing third party business, including management of the invested assets of Talcott Resolution Life, Inc. and its subsidiaries ("Talcott Resolution"). Talcott Resolution is the new holding company of the life and annuity business that we
sold in May 2018. In addition, Corporate includes a 9.7% ownership interest in the legal entity that acquired the life and annuity business sold.
2018 Revenues of $18,955 [1] by Segment

[1]Includes Revenue of $86 for P&C Other Operations and $105 for Corporate.
The following discussion describes the principal products and services, marketing and distribution, and competition of The Hartford's reporting segments. For further discussion of the reporting segments, including financial disclosures of revenues by product line, net income (loss), and assets for each reporting segment, see Note 4 - Segment Information of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Part I - Item 1. Business
| COMMERCIAL LINES |
2018 Earned Premiums of $7,047 by Line of Business

2018 Earned Premiums of $7,047 by Product

Principal Products and Services
| Automobile | Covers damage to a business's fleet of vehicles due to collision or other perils (automobile physical damage). In addition to first party automobile physical damage, commercial automobile covers liability for bodily injuries and property damage suffered by third parties and losses caused by uninsured or under-insured motorists. |
| Property | Covers the building a business owns or leases as well as its personal property, including tools and equipment, inventory, and furniture. A commercial property insurance policy covers losses resulting from fire, wind, hail, earthquake, theft and other covered perils, including coverage for assets such as accounts receivable and valuable papers and records. Commercial property may include specialized equipment insurance, which provides coverage for loss or damage resulting from the mechanical breakdown of boilers and machinery, and ocean and inland marine insurance, which provides coverage for goods in transit and unique, one-of-a-kind exposures. |
| General Liability | Covers a business in the event it is sued for causing harm to a person and/or damage to property. General liability insurance covers third-party claims arising from accidents occurring on the insured’s premises or arising out of their operations. General liability insurance may also cover losses arising from product liability and provide replacement of lost income due to an event that interrupts business operations. |
| Package Business | Covers both property and general liability damages. |
| Workers' Compensation | Covers employers for losses incurred due to employees sustaining an injury, illness or disability in connection with their work. Benefits paid under workers’ compensation policies may include reimbursement of medical care costs, replacement income, compensation for permanent injuries and benefits to survivors. Workers’ compensation is provided under both guaranteed cost policies (coverage for a fixed premium) and loss sensitive policies where premiums are adjustable based on the loss experience of the employer. |
| Professional Liability | Covers liability arising from directors and officers acting in their official capacity and liability for errors and omissions committed by professionals and others. Coverage may also provide employment practices insurance relating to allegations of wrongful termination and discrimination. |
| Bond | Encompasses fidelity and surety insurance, including commercial surety, contract surety and fidelity bonds. Commercial surety includes bonds that insure non-performance by contractors, license and permit bonds to help meet government-mandated requirements and probate and judicial bonds for fiduciaries and civil court proceedings. Contract surety bonds may include payment and performance bonds for contractors. Fidelity bonds may include ERISA bonds related to the handling of retirement plan assets and bonds protecting against employee theft or fraud. The Company also provides credit and political risk insurance offered to clients with global operations. |
Through its three lines of business of small commercial, middle market and specialty, Commercial Lines principally provides workers’ compensation, property, automobile and general liability insurance products to businesses, primarily throughout the
United States. In addition, the specialty line of business provides professional liability, bond, credit and political risk, loss-sensitive workers compensation, general liability, automobile liability and automobile physical damage coverages. The majority of
Item 1. Business
Commercial Lines written premium is generated by small commercial and middle market, which provide coverage options and customized pricing based on the policyholder’s individual risk characteristics. Within small commercial, both property and general liability coverages are offered under a single package policy, marketed under the Spectrum name. Specialty provides a variety of customized insurance products and services.
Small commercial provides coverages for small businesses, which the Company considers to be businesses with an annual payroll under $12, revenues under $25 and property values less than $20 per location. Through Maxum Specialty Insurance Group ("Maxum"), small commercial also provides excess and surplus lines coverage to small businesses including umbrella, general liability, property and other coverages. Middle market provides insurance coverages to medium-sized businesses, which are companies whose payroll, revenue and property values exceed the small business definition. The Company has a small amount of property and casualty business written internationally. For U.S. exporters and other U.S. companies with international exposures, the Company covers property, marine and liability risks outside the U.S. as the assuming reinsurer under reinsurance agreements with third parties.
In addition to offering standard commercial lines products, middle market includes program business which provides tailored programs, primarily to customers with common risk characteristics. Within specialty, a significant portion of the business is written through large deductible programs for national accounts. Other programs written within specialty are retrospectively-rated where the premiums are adjustable based on loss experience. Also within specialty, the Company writes captive programs business, which provides tailored programs to those seeking a loss sensitive solution where premiums are adjustable based on loss experience. On August 22, 2018, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to acquire The Navigators Group, Inc., a global specialty underwriter. This acquisition could change the way we go to market as a commercial lines carrier.
Marketing and Distribution
Commercial Lines provides insurance products and services through the Company’s regional offices, branches and sales and policyholder service centers throughout the United States. The products are marketed and distributed nationally using independent agents, brokers and wholesalers. The independent agent and broker distribution channel is consolidating and this trend is expected to continue. This will likely result in a larger proportion of written premium being concentrated among fewer agents and brokers. In addition, the Company offers insurance products to customers of payroll service providers through its relationships with major national payroll companies and to members of affinity organizations.
Competition
Small Commercial
In small commercial, The Hartford competes against large national carriers, regional carriers and direct writers. Competitors include stock companies, mutual companies and other underwriting organizations. The small commercial market remains highly competitive and fragmented as carriers seek to differentiate themselves through product expansion, price
reduction, enhanced service and leading technology. Larger carriers such as The Hartford continually advance their pricing sophistication and ease of doing business with agents and customers through the use of technology, analytics and other capabilities that improve the process of evaluating a risk, quoting new business and servicing customers. The Company also continuously enhances digital capabilities as customers and distributors demand more access and convenience, and expands product and underwriting capabilities to accommodate both larger accounts and a broader risk appetite. Existing competitors and new entrants, including start-up and non-traditional carriers, are actively looking to expand sales of business insurance products to small businesses through increasing their underwriting appetite, deepening their relationships with distribution partners, and through on-line and direct-to-consumer marketing.
Middle Market
Middle market business is considered “high touch” and involves individual underwriting and pricing decisions. The pricing of middle market accounts is prone to significant volatility over time due to changes in individual account characteristics and exposure, as well as legislative and macro-economic forces. National and regional carriers participate in the middle market insurance sector, resulting in a competitive environment where pricing and policy terms are critical to securing new business and retaining existing accounts. Within this competitive environment, The Hartford is working to deepen its product and underwriting capabilities, leverage its sales and underwriting talent and expand its use of data analytics to make risk selection and pricing decisions. In product development and related areas such as claims and risk engineering, the Company is extending its capabilities in industry verticals, such as energy, construction, automobile parts manufacturing, food processing and hospitality. Through a business partner, the Company offers business insurance coverages to exporters and other U.S. companies with a physical presence overseas. The Hartford’s middle market business will leverage the investments in product, underwriting, and technology to better match price to individual risk as the firm pursues responsible growth strategies to deliver target returns.
Specialty Commercial
Specialty commercial competes on an account-by-account basis due to the complex nature of each transaction. Competition in this market includes stock companies, mutual companies, alternative risk sharing groups and other underwriting organizations.
For specialty casualty businesses, pricing competition continues to be significant, particularly for the larger individual accounts. As a means to mitigate the cost of insurance on larger accounts, more insureds may opt for the loss-sensitive products offered in our national accounts segment, including retrospectively rated contracts, in lieu of guaranteed cost policies. Under a retrospectively-rated contract, the ultimate premium collected from the insured is adjusted based on how incurred losses for the policy year develop over time, subject to a minimum and maximum premium. Within national accounts, the Company implemented a new risk management platform, allowing customers better access to claims data and other information needed by corporate risk managers. This system allows the Company to work more closely with customers to improve long-term account performance.
Part I - Item 1. Business
In the bond business, favorable underwriting results in recent years has led to increased competition for market share.
In professional liability, large and medium-sized businesses are in differing competitive environments. Large public director &
officers coverage, specifically excess layers, is under significant competitive price pressure. The middle market private management liability segment is in a more stable competitive and pricing environment.
| PERSONAL LINES |
2018 Earned Premiums of $3,399 by Line of Business

2018 Earned Premiums of $3,399 by Product

Principal Products and Services
| Automobile | Covers damage to an individual insured’s own vehicle due to collision or other perils and is referred to as automobile physical damage. In addition to first party automobile physical dama |
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Item 1A. Risk Factors
confidential or proprietary information could result in legal liability, regulatory action and reputational harm.
Third parties, including third party administrators, are also subject to cyber-breaches of confidential information, along with the other risks outlined above, any one of which may result in our incurring substantial costs and other negative consequences, including a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. While we maintain cyber liability insurance that provides both third party liability and first party insurance coverages, our insurance may not be sufficient to protect against all loss.
Performance problems due to outsourcing and other third-party relationships may compromise our ability to conduct business.
We outsource certain business and administrative functions and rely on third-party vendors to perform certain functions or provide certain services on our behalf and have a significant number of information technology and business processes outsourced with a single vendor. If we are unable to reach agreement in the negotiation of contracts or renewals with certain third-party providers, or if such third-party providers experience disruptions or do not perform as anticipated, we may be unable to meet our obligations to customers and claimants, incur higher costs and lose business which may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. For other risks associated with our outsourcing of certain functions, see the immediately preceding risk factor.
Our ability to execute on capital management plans, expense reduction initiatives and other actions is subject to material challenges, uncertainties and risks.
The ability to execute on capital management plans is subject to material challenges, uncertainties and risks. From time to time, our capital management plans may include the repurchase of common stock, the paydown of outstanding debt or both. We may not achieve all of the benefits we expect to derive from these plans. In the case an equity repurchase plan is approved by the Board, such capital management plan would be subject to execution risks, including, among others, risks related to market fluctuations, investor interest and potential legal constraints that could delay execution at an otherwise optimal time. There can be no assurance that we will fully execute any such plan. In addition, we may not be successful in keeping our businesses cost efficient. The Company may not be able to achieve all the revenue increases, expense reductions and other synergies that it expects to realize as a result of acquisitions, divestitures or restructurings. We may take future actions, including acquisitions, divestitures or restructurings that may involve additional uncertainties and risks that negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
Failure to complete our proposed acquisition of The Navigators Group, Inc. could impact our securities.
The completion of the acquisition of The Navigators Group, Inc. (Navigators Group) is subject to a number of conditions, including required regulatory approvals. The failure to satisfy all the required conditions could prevent the acquisition from occurring.
In addition, regulators could impose additional requirements or obligations as conditions for their approval. We can provide no assurance that we will obtain the necessary approvals within the estimated timeframe or at all, or that any such requirements that are imposed by regulators would not result in the termination of the transaction. Investors’ reactions to a failure to complete the acquisition of Navigators Group, including possible speculation about alternative uses of capital, may cause volatility in our securities. A failure to complete a proposed transaction of this nature can also result in litigation by stockholders and other disaffected parties. Furthermore, we will have incurred costs, and devoted management time and resources, in connection with the transaction for which we will receive little or no benefit. In addition, even if we complete the proposed Navigators Group acquisition, we may not be able to successfully integrate Navigators Group into our business and therefore may not be able to achieve the synergies we would expect to receive as a result of the acquisition.
Acquisitions and divestitures may not produce the anticipated benefits and may result in unintended consequences, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
We may not be able to successfully integrate acquired businesses or achieve the expected synergies as a result of such acquisitions or divestitures. The process of integrating an acquired company or business can be complex and costly and may create unforeseen operating difficulties including ineffective integration of underwriting, risk management, claims handling, finance, information technology and actuarial practices. Difficulties integrating an acquired business may also result in the acquired business performing differently than we expected including through the loss of customers or in our failure to realize anticipated increased premium growth or expense-related efficiencies. We could be adversely affected by the acquisition due to unanticipated performance issues and additional expense, unforeseen liabilities, transaction-related charges, downgrades of third-party rating agencies, diversion of management time and resources to integration challenges, loss of key employees, regulatory requirements, exposure to tax liabilities, amortization of expenses related to intangibles and charges for impairment of long-term assets or goodwill. In addition, we may be adversely impacted by uncertainties related to reserve estimates of the acquired company and its design and operation of internal controls over financial reporting. We may be unable to distribute as much capital to the holding company as planned due to regulatory restrictions or other reasons that may adversely affect our liquidity.
In addition in the case of business dispositions, we may have difficulties in separating from our divested businesses which may result in our incurring additional, unforeseen expenses, and diversion of management’s time and resources to the challenges of business separation. In the case of business or asset dispositions, we may have continued financial exposure to the divested businesses through reinsurance, indemnification or other financial arrangements following the transaction. We may also retain a position in securities of the acquirer that purchased the divested business, which subjects us to risks related to the price of the equity securities and our ability to monetize such securities. The expected benefits of acquired or divested
Part I - Item 1A. Risk Factors
businesses may not be realized and involve additional uncertainties and risks that may negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
Difficulty in attracting and retaining talented and qualified personnel may adversely affect the execution of our business strategies.
Our ability to attract, develop and retain talented employees, managers and executives is critical to our success. There is significant competition within and outside the insurance and financial services industry for qualified employees, particularly for individuals with highly specialized knowledge in areas such as underwriting, actuarial, data and analytics, technology and digital commerce. Our continued ability to compete effectively in our businesses and to expand into new business areas depends on our ability to attract new employees and to retain and motivate our existing employees. The loss of any one or more key employees, including executives, managers and employees with strong technological, analytical and other specialized skills, may adversely impact the execution of our business objectives or result in loss of important institutional knowledge. Our inability to attract and retain key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We may not be able to protect our intellectual property and may be subject to infringement claims.
We rely on a combination of contractual rights and copyright, trademark, patent and trade secret laws to establish and protect our intellectual property. Although we use a broad range of measures to protect our intellectual property rights, third parties may infringe or misappropriate our intellectual property. We may have to litigate to enforce and protect our intellectual property and to determine its scope, validity or enforceability, which could divert significant resources and may not prove successful. Litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights may not be successful and cost a significant amount of money. The inability to secure or enforce the protection of our intellectual property assets could harm our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our business and our ability to compete. We also may be subject to costly litigation in the event that another party alleges our operations or activities infringe upon their intellectual property rights, including patent rights, or violate license usage rights. Any such intellectual property claims and any resulting litigation could result in significant expense and liability for damages, and in some circumstances we could be enjoined from providing certain products or services to our customers, or utilizing and benefiting from certain patent, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets or licenses, or alternatively could be required to enter into costly licensing arrangements with third parties, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Regulatory and Legal Risks
Regulatory and legislative developments could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
In the U.S., regulatory initiatives and legislative developments may significantly affect our operations and prospects in ways that we cannot predict. For example, further reforms to the Affordable Care Act, and potential modification of the Dodd-Frank Act could have unanticipated consequences for the Company and its businesses. It is unclear whether and to what extent Congress will make changes to the Dodd-Frank Act, and how those changes might impact the Company, its business, financial conditions, results of operations and liquidity.
We are subject to extensive laws and regulations that are complex, subject to change and often conflicting in their approach or intended outcomes. Compliance with these laws and regulations can increase cost, affect our strategy, and constrain our ability to adequately price our products.
Our insurance subsidiaries are regulated by the insurance departments of the states in which they are domiciled, licensed or authorized to conduct business. State regulations generally seek to protect the interests of policyholders rather than an insurer or the insurer’s stockholders and other investors. U.S. state laws grant insurance regulatory authorities broad administrative powers with respect to, among other things, licensing and authorizing lines of business, approving policy forms and premium rates, setting statutory capital and reserve requirements, limiting the types and amounts of certain investments and restricting underwriting practices. State insurance departments also set constraints on domestic insurer transactions with affiliates and dividends and, in many cases, must approve affiliate transactions and extraordinary dividends as well as strategic transactions such as acquisitions and divestitures.
In addition, future regulatory initiatives could be adopted at the federal or state level that could impact the profitability of our businesses. For example, the NAIC and state insurance regulators are continually reexamining existing laws and regulations, specifically focusing on modifications to statutory accounting principles, interpretations of existing laws and the development of new laws and regulations. The NAIC continues to enhance the U.S. system of insurance solvency regulation, with a particular focus on group supervision, risk-based capital, accounting and financial reporting, enterprise risk management and reinsurance which could, among other things, affect statutory measures of capital sufficiency, including risk-based capital ratios.
Any proposed or future legislation or NAIC initiatives, if adopted, may be more restrictive on our ability to conduct business than current regulatory requirements or may result in higher costs or increased statutory capital and reserve requirements. In addition, the Federal Reserve Board and the International Association of Insurance Supervisors ("IAIS") each have initiatives underway to develop insurance group capital standards. While the Company would not currently be subject to either of these capital standard regimes, it is possible that in the future standards similar to what
Part I - Item 1A. Risk Factors
is being contemplated by the Federal Reserve Board or the IAIS could apply to the Company. The NAIC is in the process of developing a U.S. group capital calculation that will employ a methodology based on aggregated risk-based capital.
Further, a particular regulator or enforcement authority may interpret a legal, accounting, or reserving issue differently than we have, exposing us to different or additional regulatory risks. The application of these regulations and guidelines by insurers involves interpretations and judgments that may be challenged by state insurance departments. The result of those potential challenges could require us to increase levels of statutory capital and reserves or incur higher operating and/or tax costs.
In addition, our asset management businesses are also subject to extensive regulation in the various jurisdictions where they operate. These laws and regulations are primarily intended to protect investors in the securities markets or investment advisory clients and generally grant supervisory authorities broad administrative powers. Compliance with these laws and regulations is costly, time consuming and personnel intensive, and may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
Our insurance business is sensitive to significant changes in the legal environment that could adversely affect The Hartford’s results of operations or financial condition or harm its businesses.
Like any major P&C insurance company, litigation is a routine part of The Hartford’s business - both in defending and indemnifying our insureds and in litigating insurance coverage disputes. The Hartford accounts for such activity by establishing unpaid loss and loss adjustment expense reserves. Significant changes in the legal environment could cause our ultimate liabilities to change from our current expectations. Such changes could be judicial in nature, like trends in the size of jury awards, developments in the law relating to tort liability or the liability of insurers, and rulings concerning the scope of insurance coverage or the amount or types of damages covered by insurance. Legislative developments, like changes in federal or state laws relating to the liability of policyholders or insurers, could have a similar effect. It is impossible to forecast such changes reliably, much less to predict how they might affect our loss reserves or how those changes might adversely affect our ability to price our insurance products appropriately. Thus, significant judicial or legislative developments could adversely affect The Hartford’s business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
Changes in federal or state tax laws could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
Changes in federal or state tax laws and tax rates or regulations could have a material adverse effect on our profitability and financial condition. For example, the recent reduction in tax rates due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduced our deferred tax assets resulting in a charge against earnings.
In addition, the Company’s tax return reflects certain items such as tax-exempt bond interest, tax credits, and insurance reserve deductions. There is an increasing risk that, in the context of deficit reduction or overall tax reform, federal and/or state tax
legislation could modify or eliminate these items, impacting the Company, its investments, investment strategies, and/or its policyholders. In the context of deficit reduction or overall tax reform, federal and/or state tax legislation could modify or eliminate provisions of current tax law that are beneficial to the Company, including tax-exempt bond interest, tax credits, and insurance reserve deductions, or could impose new taxes such as on goods or services purchased overseas.
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" ("Tax Reform"). There is a risk that Congress may enact a technical corrections bill or other legislation that could affect how provisions of Tax Reform apply to The Hartford. In response to the recent changes in the federal tax law, we could see states enact changes to their tax laws which, in turn, could affect the Company negatively. Among other risks, there is risk that these additional clarifications could increase the taxes on the Company, further increase administrative costs, make the sale of our products more costly and/or make our products less competitive.
While the Company expects a benefit to earnings from lower corporate federal income tax rates, there is uncertainty about how insurance carriers will adjust their product pricing, if at all, going forward. If the Company reduces its pricing in response to competition or to state regulatory action, product price reductions could serve to reduce, or even eliminate, the benefit of lower Corporate federal tax rates in periods after 2018.
Regulatory requirements could delay, deter or prevent a takeover attempt that stockholders might consider in their best interests.
Before a person can acquire control of a U.S. insurance company, prior written approval must be obtained from the insurance commissioner of the state where the domestic insurer is domiciled. Prior to granting approval of an application to acquire control of a domestic insurer, the state insurance commissioner will consider such factors as the financial strength of the applicant, the acquirer's plans for the future operations of the domestic insurer, and any such additional information as the insurance commissioner may deem necessary or appropriate for the protection of policyholders or in the public interest. Generally, state statutes provide that control over a domestic insurer is presumed to exist if any person, directly or indirectly, owns, controls, holds with the power to vote, or holds proxies representing 10 percent or more of the voting securities of the domestic insurer or its parent company. Because a person acquiring 10 percent or more of our common stock would indirectly control the same percentage of the stock of our U.S. insurance subsidiaries, the insurance change of control laws of various U.S. jurisdictions would likely apply to such a transaction. Other laws or required approvals pertaining to one or more of our existing subsidiaries, or a future subsidiary, may contain similar or additional restrictions on the acquisition of control of the Company. These laws may discourage potential acquisition proposals and may delay, deter, or prevent a change of control, including transactions that our Board of Directors and some or all of our stockholders might consider to be desirable.
Part I - Item 1A. Risk Factors
Changes in accounting principles and financial reporting requirements could adversely affect our results of operations or financial condition.
As an SEC registrant, we are currently required to prepare our financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, as promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board
("FASB"). Accordingly, we are required to adopt new guidance or interpretations which may have a material effect on our results of operations and financial condition that is either unexpected or has a greater impact than expected. For a description of changes in accounting standards that are currently pending and, if known, our estimates of their expected impact, see Note 1 of the consolidated financial statements.
Item 2. PROPERTIES
As of December 31, 2018, The Hartford owned building space of approximately 1.8 million square feet which comprised its Hartford, Connecticut location and other properties within the greater Hartford, Connecticut area. In addition, as of December 31, 2018, The Hartford leased approximately 1.5 million square feet, throughout the United States of America, and
approximately two thousand square feet in Canada. All of the properties owned or leased are used by one or more of all five reporting segments, depending on the location. For more information on reporting segments, see Part I, Item 1, Business Reporting Segments. The Company believes its properties and facilities are suitable and adequate for current operations.
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
LITIGATION
The Hartford is involved in claims litigation arising in the ordinary course of business, both as a liability insurer defending or providing indemnity for third-party claims brought against insureds and as an insurer defending coverage claims brought against it. The Hartford accounts for such activity through the establishment of unpaid loss and loss adjustment expense reserves. Subject to the uncertainties related to The Hartford's asbestos and environmental claims discussed in Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, management expects that the ultimate liability, if any, with respect to such ordinary-course claims litigation, after consideration of provisions made for potential losses and costs of defense, will not be material to the consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows of The Hartford.
The Hartford is also involved in other kinds of legal actions, some of which assert claims for substantial amounts. In addition, these actions include, among others, putative state and federal class actions seeking certification of a state or national class. Such putative class actions have alleged, for example, underpayment of claims or improper underwriting practices in connection with various kinds of insurance policies, such as personal and commercial automobile, property, disability, and inland marine. The Hartford also is involved in individual actions in which punitive damages are sought, such as claims alleging bad faith in the handling of insurance claims or other allegedly unfair or improper business practices. Like many other insurers, The Hartford also has been joined in actions by asbestos plaintiffs asserting, among other things, that insurers had a duty to protect the public from the dangers of asbestos and that insurers committed unfair trade practices by asserting defenses on behalf of their policyholders in the underlying asbestos cases.
Management expects that the ultimate liability, if any, with respect to such lawsuits, after consideration of provisions made for estimated losses, will not be material to the consolidated financial condition of The Hartford. Nonetheless, given the large or indeterminate amounts sought in certain of these actions, and the inherent unpredictability of litigation, the outcome in certain
matters could, from time to time, have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations or cash flows in particular quarterly or annual periods.
Part II - Item 5. Market for the Hartford's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Item 5. MARKET FOR THE HARTFORD’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
The Hartford’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the trading symbol “HIG”. As of February 21, 2019, the Company had approximately 11,146 registered holders of record of the Company's common stock. A substantially greater number of holders of our common stock are “street name” holders or beneficial holders, whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers and other financial institutions.
On June 1, 2018, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer certified to the NYSE that he is not aware of any violation by the Company of NYSE corporate governance listing standards, as required by Section 303A.12(a) of the NYSE’s Listed Company Manual.
There are various legal and regulatory limitations governing the extent to which The Hartford’s insurance subsidiaries may extend credit, pay dividends or otherwise provide funds to The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. as discussed in the Liquidity Requirements and Sources of Capital section of Part II, Item 7, MD&A — Capital Resources and Liquidity.
For information related to securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans, see Part III, Item 12, Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company did not repurchase any common shares. In February, 2019, the Company announced a $1.0 billion share repurchase authorization by the Board of Directors which is effective through December 31, 2020. Based on projected holding company resources, the Company expects to use a portion of the authorization in 2019 but anticipates using the majority of the program in 2020. Any repurchase of shares under the equity repurchase program is dependent on market conditions and other factors.
Total Return to Stockholders
The following tables present The Hartford’s annual return percentage and five-year total return on its common stock including reinvestment of dividends in comparison to the S&P 500 and the S&P Insurance Composite Index.
| Annual Return Percentage | ||||||||||
| For the years ended | ||||||||||
| Company/Index | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |||||
| The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. | 17.13 | % | 6.12 | % | 11.76 | % | 20.26 | % | (19.24 | %) |
| S&P 500 Index | 13.69 | % | 1.38 | % | 11.96 | % | 21.83 | % | (4.38 | %) |
| S&P Insurance Composite Index | 8.29 | % | 2.33 | % | 17.58 | % | 16.19 | % | (11.21 | %) |
| Cumulative Five-Year Total Return | |||||||||||||
| Base | |||||||||||||
| Period | For the years ended | ||||||||||||
| Company/Index | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |||||||
| The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. | $ | 100 | 117.13 | 124.30 | 138.92 | 167.06 | 134.92 | ||||||
| S&P 500 Index | $ | 100 | 113.69 | 115.26 | 129.05 | 157.22 | 150.33 | ||||||
| S&P Insurance Composite Index | $ | 100 | 108.29 | 110.81 | 130.29 | 151.38 | 134.42 |
Part II - Item 5. Market for the Hartford's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Part II - Item 6. Selected Financial Data
Item 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
The following table sets forth the Company's selected consolidated financial data at the dates and for the periods indicated below. The selected financial data should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") presented in Item 7 and the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and the related Notes beginning on page F-1.
| (In millions, except per share data) | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | ||||||||||
| Income Statement Data | |||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 18,955 | $ | 17,162 | $ | 16,291 | $ | 16,187 | $ | 15,905 | |||||
| Income from continuing operations before income taxes | $ | 1,753 | $ | 723 | $ | 447 | $ | 1,478 | $ | 1,232 | |||||
| Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax | $ | 1,485 | $ | (262 | ) | $ | 613 | $ | 1,189 | $ | 925 | ||||
| Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax, available to common stockholders | $ | 1,479 | $ | (262 | ) | $ | 613 | $ | 1,189 | $ | 925 | ||||
| Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax | $ | 322 | $ | (2,869 | ) | $ | 283 | $ | 493 | $ | (127 | ) | |||
| Net income (loss) | $ | 1,807 | $ | (3,131 | ) | $ | 896 | $ | 1,682 | $ | 798 | ||||
| Balance Sheet Data | |||||||||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 62,307 | $ | 225,260 | $ | 224,576 | $ | 229,616 | $ | 245,566 | |||||
| Short-term debt | $ | 413 | $ | 320 | $ | 416 | $ | 275 | $ | 456 | |||||
| Total debt (including capital lease obligations) | $ | 4,678 | $ | 4,998 | $ | 4,910 | $ | 5,216 | $ | 5,966 | |||||
| Preferred stock | $ | 334 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | |||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | $ | 13,101 | $ | 13,494 | $ | 16,903 | $ | 18,024 | $ | 19,130 | |||||
| Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax, available to common stockholders per common share | |||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 4.13 | $ | (0.72 | ) | $ | 1.58 | $ | 2.86 | $ | 2.09 | ||||
| Diluted | $ | 4.06 | $ | (0.72 | ) | $ | 1.55 | $ | 2.80 | $ | 2.01 | ||||
| Cash dividends declared per common share | $ | 1.10 | $ | 0.94 | $ | 0.86 | $ | 0.78 | $ | 0.66 |
Part II - Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
(Dollar amounts in millions, except for per share data, unless otherwise stated)
The Hartford provides projections and other forward-looking information in the following discussions, which contain many forward-looking statements, particularly relating to the Company’s future financial performance. These forward-looking statements are estimates based on information currently available to the Company, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are subject to the cautionary statements set forth on pages 4 and 5 of this Form 10-K. Actual results are likely to differ, and in the past have differed, materially from those forecast by the Company, depending on the outcome of various factors, including, but not limited to, those set forth in the following discussion and in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, and those identified from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Hartford undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
On August 22, 2018, the Company announced it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding common shares of The Navigators Group, Inc. ("Navigators Group"), a global specialty underwriter, for $70 a share, or $2.1 billion in cash. The transaction is expected to close in late March or April 2019, subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals.
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, and its life and annuity operating subsidiaries. For discussion of this transaction, see Note 20 - Business Dispositions and Discontinued Operations of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
On February 16, 2018, The Hartford entered into a renewal rights agreement with the Farmers Exchanges, of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, to acquire its Foremost-branded small commercial business sold through independent agents. Written premium from this agreement began in the third quarter of 2018.
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. Aetna's U.S. group life and disability revenue and earnings since the acquisition date are included in the operating results of the Company's Group Benefits reporting segment. For discussion of this transaction, see Note 2 - Business Acquisitions of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
On May 10, 2017, the Company completed the sale of its U.K.
property and casualty run-off subsidiaries. The operating results of the Company's U.K. property and casualty run-off subsidiaries are included in the P&C Other Operations reporting segment. For discussion of this transaction, see Note 20 - Business Dispositions and Discontinued Operations of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
On July 29, 2016, the Company completed the acquisition of Maxum Specialty Insurance Group and Lattice Strategies LLC. Maxum's revenue and earnings since the acquisition date are included in the operating results of the Company's Commercial Lines reporting segment. Lattice's revenue and earnings since the acquisition date are included in the operating results of the Company's Hartford Funds reporting segment. For discussion of these transactions, see Note 2 - Business Acquisitions of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Certain reclassifications have been made to historical financial information presented in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") to conform to the current period presentation.
Distribution costs within the Hartford Funds segment that were previously netted against fee income are presented gross in insurance operating costs and other expenses.
The Hartford defines increases or decreases greater than or equal to 200% as “NM” or not meaningful.
Index
| Description | Page |
| Key Performance Measures and Ratios | 33 |
| The Hartford's Operations | 36 |
| Consolidated Results of Operations | 39 |
| Investment Results | 43 |
| Critical Accounting Estimates | 45 |
| Commercial Lines | 65 |
| Personal Lines | 69 |
| Property & Casualty Other Operations | 73 |
| Group Benefits | 75 |
| Hartford Funds | 78 |
| Corporate | 80 |
| Enterprise Risk Management | [81](#sDD19CCC9CF815B3293352346A |
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Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
facilities as needed. The Company maintains multiple sources of contingent liquidity including a revolving credit facility, a commercial paper program, an intercompany liquidity agreement that allows for short-term advances of funds among the HFSG Holding Company and certain affiliates, and access to collateralized advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston ("FHLBB") for certain affiliates. The Company's CFO has primary responsibility for liquidity risk.
For further discussion on liquidity see the section on Capital Resources and Liquidity.
Credit Risk and Counterparty Risk
Credit risk is the risk to earnings or capital due to uncertainty of an obligor’s or counterparty’s ability or willingness to meet its obligations in accordance with contractually agreed upon terms. Credit risk is comprised of three major factors: the risk of change in credit quality, or credit migration risk; the risk of default; and the risk of a change in value due to changes in credit spreads.
Sources of Credit Risk The majority of the Company’s credit risk is concentrated in its investment holdings, but it is also present in the Company’s reinsurance and insurance portfolios.
Impact A decline in creditworthiness is typically associated with an increase in an investment’s credit spread, potentially resulting in an increase in other-than-temporary impairment, and an increased probability of a realized loss upon sale. Premiums receivable and reinsurance recoverables are also subject to credit risk based on the counterparty’s unwillingness or inability to pay.
Management The objective of the Company’s enterprise credit risk management strategy is to identify, quantify, and manage credit risk on an aggregate portfolio basis and to limit potential losses in accordance with an established credit risk management policy. The Company primarily manages its credit risk by holding a diversified mix of investment grade issuers and counterparties across its investment, reinsurance, and insurance portfolios. Potential losses are also limited within portfolios by diversifying across geographic regions, asset types, and sectors.
The Company manages credit risk on an on-going basis through the use of various processes and analyses. Both the investment and reinsurance areas have formulated procedures for counterparty approvals and authorizations, which establish minimum levels of creditworthiness and financial stability. Credits considered for investment are subjected to underwriting reviews. Within the investment portfolio, private securities are subject to management approval. Mitigation strategies vary across the three sources of credit risk, but may include:
| • | Investing in a portfolio of high-quality and diverse securities; |
| • | Selling investments subject to credit risk; |
| • | Hedging through use of credit default swaps; |
| • | Clearing transactions through central clearing houses that require daily variation margin; |
| • | Entering into contracts only with strong creditworthy institutions |
| • | Requiring collateral; and |
| • | Non-renewing policies/contracts or reinsurance treaties. |
The Company has developed credit exposure thresholds which are based upon counterparty ratings. Aggregate counterparty credit quality and exposure are monitored on a daily basis utilizing an enterprise-wide credit exposure information system that contains data on issuers, ratings, exposures, and credit limits. Exposures are tracked on a current and potential basis and aggregated by ultimate parent of the counterparty across investments, reinsurance receivables, insurance products with credit risk, and derivatives.
As of December 31, 2018, the Company had no investment exposure to any credit concentration risk of a single issuer or counterparty greater than 10% of the Company's stockholders' equity, other than the U.S. government and certain U.S. government agencies. For further discussion of concentration of credit risk in the investment portfolio, see the Concentration of Credit Risk section in Note 6 - Investments of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Assets and Liabilities Subject to Credit Risk
Investments Essentially all of the Company's invested assets are subject to credit risk. Credit related impairments on investments were $1 and $2, in 2018 and 2017, respectively. (See the Enterprise Risk Management section of the MD&A under “Other-Than-Temporary Impairments.”)
Reinsurance recoverables Reinsurance recoverables, net of an allowance for uncollectible reinsurance, were $4,357 and $4,061, as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. (See the Enterprise Risk Management section of the MD&A under “Reinsurance as a Risk Management Strategy.”)
Premiums receivable and agents' balances Premiums receivable and agents’ balances, net of an allowance for doubtful accounts, were $3,995 and $3,910, as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. (For a discussion regarding collectibility of these balances, see Note 1, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under the section labeled “Revenue Recognition.”)
Credit Risk of Derivatives
The Company uses various derivative counterparties in executing its derivative transactions. The use of counterparties creates credit risk that the counterparty may not perform in accordance with the terms of the derivative transaction.
Downgrades to the credit ratings of the Company’s insurance operating companies may have adverse implications for its use of derivatives. In some cases, downgrades may give derivative counterparties for OTC derivatives and clearing brokers for OTC-cleared derivatives the right to cancel and settle outstanding derivative trades or require additional collateral to be posted. In addition, downgrades may result in counterparties and clearing brokers becoming unwilling to engage in or clear additional derivatives or may require collateralization before entering into any new trades.
Managing the Credit Risk of Counterparties to Derivative Instruments
The Company also has derivative counterparty exposure policies which limit the Company’s exposure to credit risk. The Company monitors counterparty exposure on a monthly basis to ensure compliance with Company policies and statutory limitations. The Company’s policies with respect to derivative counterparty exposure establishes market-based credit limits, favors long-term financial stability and creditworthiness of the counterparty and typically requires credit enhancement/credit risk reducing agreements, which are monitored and evaluated by the Company’s risk management team and reviewed by senior management.
The Company minimizes the credit risk of derivative instruments by entering into transactions with high quality counterparties primarily rated A or better. The Company also generally requires that OTC derivative contracts be governed by an International Swaps and Derivatives Association ("ISDA") Master Agreement, which is structured by legal entity and by counterparty and permits right of offset. The Company enters into credit support annexes in conjunction with the ISDA agreements, which require daily collateral settlement based upon agreed upon thresholds.
The Company has developed credit exposure thresholds which are based upon counterparty ratings. Credit exposures are generally quantified based on the prior business day's net fair value, including income accruals, resulting in amounts owed to the Company by its counterparties or potential payment obligations from the Company to its counterparties. The notional amounts of derivative contracts represent the basis upon which pay or receive amounts are calculated and are not reflective of credit risk. For purposes of daily derivative collatera
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Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.
Hartford, Connecticut
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2018, of the Company and our report dated February 22, 2019, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Hartford, Connecticut
February 22, 2019
Part III - Item 10. Directors, and Executive Officers and Corporate Governance of the Hartford
Item 10. DIRECTORS, AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE OF THE HARTFORD
Certain of the information called for by Item 10 will be set forth in the definitive proxy statement for the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders (the “Proxy Statement”) to be filed by The Hartford with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Form 10-K under the captions and subcaptions “Board and Governance Matters”, “Director Nominees" and "Section (16)(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance" and is incorporated herein by reference.
The Company has adopted a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, which is applicable to all employees of the Company, including the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer and the principal accounting officer. The Code of Ethics and Business Conduct is available on the investor relations section of the Company’s website at: http://ir.thehartford.com.
Any waiver of, or material amendment to, the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct will be posted promptly to our web site in accordance with applicable NYSE and SEC rules.
Executive Officers of The Hartford
Information about the executive officers of The Hartford who are also nominees for election as directors will be set forth in The Hartford’s Proxy Statement. Set forth below is information about the other executive officers of the Company as of February 15, 2019:
| Name | Age | Position with The Hartford and Business Experience For the Past Five Years |
| William A. Bloom | 55 | Executive Vice President of Operations and Technology (August 2014 - present); President of Global Client Services, EXL (July 2010-July 2014) |
| Kathleen M. Bromage | 61 | Chief Marketing and Communications Officer (June 2015-present); Senior Vice President of Strategy and Marketing, Small Commercial and Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing (July 2012-June 2015) |
| Beth A. Costello | 51 | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (July 2014-present); President of the life and annuity business sold in May 2018 and formerly referred to as Talcott Resolution (July 2012-July 2014) |
| Douglas G. Elliot | 58 | President (July 2014-present); Executive Vice President and President of Commercial Lines (April 2011-July 2014) |
| Martha Gervasi | 57 | Executive Vice President, Human Resources (May 2012-present) |
| Brion S. Johnson | 59 | Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer (May 2012-Present); President of the life and annuity business sold in May 2018 and formerly referred to as Talcott Resolution (July 2014-May 2018) |
| Scott R. Lewis | 56 | Senior Vice President and Controller (May 2013-present); Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Personal Lines (2009-May 2013) |
| Robert W. Paiano | 57 | Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer (June 2017-Present); Senior Vice President & Treasurer (July 2010-May 2017) |
| David C. Robinson | 53 | Executive Vice President and General Counsel (June 2015-present); Senior Vice President and Director of Commercial Markets Law (August 2014-May 2015); Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Transformation, Strategy and Corporate Development (April 2012-August 2014) |
Part III - Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Certain of the information called for by Item 12 will be set forth in the Proxy Statement under the caption “Information on Stock Ownership” and is incorporated herein by reference.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table provides information as of December 31, 2018 about the securities authorized for issuance under the Company’s equity compensation plans. The Company maintains The Hartford 2005 Incentive Stock Plan (the “2005 Stock Plan”), The Hartford 2010 Incentive Stock Plan (the “2010 Stock Plan”), The Hartford 2014 Incentive Stock Plan (the "2014 Stock Plan") (collectively the "Stock Plans") and The Hartford Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”). On May 21, 2014, the stockholders of
the Company approved the 2014 Stock Plan, which superseded the earlier plans. Pursuant to the provisions of the 2014 Stock Plan, no additional shares may be issued from the 2010 Stock Plan. To the extent that any awards under the 2005 Stock Plan and the 2010 Stock Plan are forfeited, terminated, surrendered, exchanged, expire unexercised or are settled in cash in lieu of stock (including to effect tax withholding) or for the issuance of a lesser number of shares than the number of shares subject to the award, the shares subject to such awards (or the relevant portion thereof) shall be available for award under the 2014 Stock Plan and such shares shall be added to the total number of shares available under the 2014 Stock Plan. For a description of the 2014 Stock Plan and the ESPP, see Note 19 - Stock Compensation Plans of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
| (a) | (b) | (c) | |||||
| Number of Securities to be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, **Warrants and Rights [**1] | Weighted-average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights [2] | Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding Securities Reflected in Column (a)) [3] | |||||
| Equity compensation plans approved by stockholders | 9,671,076 | $ | 40.84 | 11,592,452 | |||
| Equity compensation plans not approved by stockholders | — | — | — | ||||
| Total | 9,671,076 | $ | 40.84 | 11,592,452 |
| [1] | The amount shown in this column includes 5,489,908 outstanding options awarded under the 2005 Stock Plan and the 2010 Stock Plan. The amount shown in this column includes 3,446,535 outstanding restricted stock units and 734,633 outstanding performance shares at 100% of target (which excludes 187,798 shares that vested on December 31, 2018, related to the 2016-2018 performance period) as of December 31, 2018 under the 2010 Stock Plan and the 2014 Stock Plan. The maximum number of performance shares that could be awarded is 1,469,266 (200% of target) if the Company achieved the highest performance level. Under the 2010 and 2014 Stock Plans, no more than 500,000 shares in the aggregate can be earned by an individual employee with respect to restricted stock unit and performance share awards made in a single calendar year. As a result, the number of shares ultimately distributed to an employee with respect to awards made in the same year will be reduced, if necessary, so that the number does not exceed this limit. |
| [2] | The weighted-average exercise price reflects outstanding options and does not reflect outstanding restricted stock units or performance shares because they do not have exercise prices. |
| [3] | Of these shares, 4,297,972 remain available for purchase under the ESPP as of December 31, 2018*.* 7,294,481 shares remain available for issuance as options, restricted stock units, restricted stock awards or performance shares under the 2014 Stock Plan as of December 31, 2018*.* |
Part IV. Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
Item 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
| (a) | Documents filed as a part of this report: |
| (1) | Consolidated Financial Statements. See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedules elsewhere herein. |
| (2) | Consolidated Financial Statement Schedules. See Index to Consolidated Financial Statement and Schedules elsewhere herein. |
| (3) | Exhibits. See Exhibit Index elsewhere herein. |
THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC.
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SCHEDULES
F-1
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.
Hartford, Connecticut
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018, and the related notes and the schedules listed in the Index at Item 15 (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 22, 2019, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Hartford, Connecticut
February 22, 2019
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2002.
F-2
THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
| For the years ended December 31, | |||||||||
| (In millions, except for per share data) | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | ||||||
| Revenues | |||||||||
| Earned premiums | $ | 15,869 | $ | 14,141 | $ | 13,697 | |||
| Fee income | 1,313 | 1,168 | 1,041 | ||||||
| Net investment income | 1,780 | 1,603 | 1,577 | ||||||
| Net realized capital gains (losses): | |||||||||
| Total other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) losses | (7 | ) | (15 | ) | (35 | ) | |||
| OTTI losses recognized in other comprehensive income | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||||
| Net OTTI losses recognized in earnings | (1 | ) | (8 | ) | (27 | ) | |||
| Other net realized capital gains (losses) | (111 | ) | 173 | (83 | ) | ||||
| Total net realized capital gains (losses) | (112 | ) | 165 | (110 | ) | ||||
| Other revenues | 105 | 85 | 86 | ||||||
| Total revenues | 18,955 | 17,162 | 16,291 | ||||||
| Benefits, losses and expenses | |||||||||
| Benefits, losses and loss adjustment expenses | 11,165 | 10,174 | 9,961 | ||||||
| Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs ("DAC") | 1,384 | 1,372 | 1,377 | ||||||
| Insurance operating costs and other expenses | 4,281 | 4,563 | 3,525 | ||||||
| Loss on extinguishment of debt | 6 | — | — | ||||||
| Loss on reinsurance transaction | — | — | 650 | ||||||
| Interest expense | 298 | 316 | 327 | ||||||
| Amortization of other intangible assets | 68 | 14 | 4 | ||||||
| Total benefits, losses and expenses | 17,202 | 16,439 | 15,844 | ||||||
| Income from continuing operations before income taxes | 1,753 | 723 | 447 | ||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 268 | 985 | (166 | ) | |||||
| Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax | 1,485 | (262 | ) | 613 | |||||
| Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax | 322 | (2,869 | ) | 283 | |||||
| Net income (loss) | 1,807 | $ | (3,131 | ) | $ | 896 | |||
| Preferred stock dividends | 6 | — | — | ||||||
| Net income (loss) available to common stockholders | $ | 1,801 | $ | (3,131 | ) | $ | 896 | ||
| Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax, available to common stockholders per common share | |||||||||
| Basic | $ | 4.13 | $ | (0.72 | ) | $ | 1.58 | ||
| Diluted | $ | 4.06 | $ | (0.72 | ) | $ | 1.55 | ||
| Net income (loss) available to common stockholders per common share | |||||||||
| Basic | $ | 5.03 | $ | (8.61 | ) | $ | 2.31 | ||
| Diluted | $ | 4.95 | $ | (8.61 | ) | $ | 2.27 |
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
F-3
THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)
| For the years ended December 31, | |||||||||
| (In millions) | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | ||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | 1,807 | $ | (3,131 | ) | $ | 896 | ||
| Other comprehensive income (loss): | |||||||||
| Changes in net unrealized gain on securities | (2,180 | ) | 655 | (3 | ) | ||||
| Changes in OTTI losses recognized in other comprehensive income | (1 | ) | — | 4 | |||||
| Changes in net gain on cash flow hedging instruments | (25 | ) | (58 | ) | (54 | ) | |||
| Changes in foreign currency translation adjustments | (8 | ) | 28 | 61 | |||||
| Changes in pension and other postretirement plan adjustments | (23 | ) | 375 | (16 | ) | ||||
| OCI, net of tax | (2,237 | ) | 1,000 | (8 | ) | ||||
| Comprehensive income (loss) | $ | (430 | ) | $ | (2,131 | ) | $ | 888 |
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
F-4
THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
| As of December 31, | ||||||
| (In millions, except for share and per share data) | 2018 | 2017 | ||||
| Assets |
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