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Investments and Derivative Instruments Level 2 (Policies) | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2015
Investments and Derivative Instruments [Abstract] |
Variable Interest Entity, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Variable Interest Entities The Company is involved with various special purpose entities and other entities that are deemed to be VIEs primarily as a collateral or investment manager and as an investor through normal investment activities, as well as a means of accessing capital through a contingent capital facility. A VIE is an entity that either has investors that lack certain essential characteristics of a controlling financial interest or lacks sufficient funds to finance its own activities without financial support provided by other entities. The Company performs ongoing qualitative assessments of its VIEs to determine whether the Company has a controlling financial interest in the VIE and therefore is the primary beneficiary. The Company is deemed to have a controlling financial interest when it has both the ability to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE and the obligation to absorb losses or right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Based on the Company’s assessment, if it determines it is the primary beneficiary, the Company consolidates the VIE in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
Repurchase Agreements, Valuation, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Repurchase Agreements, Dollar Roll Transactions and Other Collateral Transactions From time to time, the Company enters into repurchase agreements and dollar roll transactions to manage liquidity or to earn incremental spread income. A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which one party (transferor) agrees to sell securities to another party (transferee) in return for cash (or securities), with a simultaneous agreement to repurchase the same securities at a specified price at a later date. A dollar roll is a type of repurchase agreement where a mortgage backed security is sold with an agreement to repurchase substantially the same security at a specified time in the future. These transactions generally have a contractual maturity of ninety days or less and the carrying amounts of these instruments approximates fair value.
Repurchase Agreements, Collateral, Policy [Policy Text Block] | As part of repurchase agreements and dollar roll transactions, the Company transfers collateral of U.S. government and government agency securities and receives cash. For the repurchase agreements, the Company obtains cash in an amount equal to at least 95% of the fair value of the securities transferred. The agreements contain contractual provisions that require additional collateral to be transferred when necessary and provide the counterparty the right to sell or re-pledge the securities transferred. The cash received from the repurchase program is typically invested in short-term investments or fixed maturities. Repurchase agreements include master netting provisions that provide the counterparties the right to offset claims and apply securities held by them with respect to their obligations in the event of a default. Although the Company has the contractual right to offset claims, fixed maturities do not meet the specific conditions for net presentation under U.S. GAAP. The Company accounts for the repurchase agreements and dollar roll transactions as collateralized borrowings. The securities transferred under repurchase agreements and dollar roll transactions are included in fixed maturities, AFS with the obligation to repurchase those securities recorded in other liabilities on the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Derivative Instruments The Company utilizes a variety of OTC, OTC-cleared and exchange traded derivative instruments as a part of its overall risk management strategy as well as to enter into replication transactions. Derivative instruments are used to manage risk associated with interest rate, equity market, commodity market, credit spread, issuer default, price, and currency exchange rate risk or volatility. Replication transactions are used as an economical means to synthetically replicate the characteristics and performance of assets that would be permissible investments under the Company’s investment policies. The Company also may enter into and has previously issued financial instruments and products that either are accounted for as free-standing derivatives, such as certain reinsurance contracts, or may contain features that are deemed to be embedded derivative instruments, such as the GMWB rider included with certain variable annuity products.
Derivatives, Methods of Accounting, Hedge Documentation [Policy Text Block] | Strategies That Qualify for Hedge Accounting Certain derivatives that the Company enters into satisfy the hedge accounting requirements as outlined in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in The Hartford’s 2014 Form 10-K Annual Report. Typically, these hedge relationships include interest rate swaps and, to a lesser extent, foreign currency swaps where the terms or expected cash flows of the hedged item closely match the terms of the swap. The swaps are typically used to manage interest rate duration of certain fixed maturity securities or liability contracts. The hedge strategies by hedge accounting designation include: Cash Flow Hedges Interest rate swaps are predominantly used to manage portfolio duration and better match cash receipts from assets with cash disbursements required to fund liabilities. These derivatives primarily convert interest receipts on floating-rate fixed maturity securities to fixed rates. The Company also enters into forward starting swap agreements to hedge the interest rate exposure related to the purchase of fixed-rate securities, primarily to hedge interest rate risk inherent in the assumptions used to price certain liabilities. Foreign currency swaps are used to convert foreign currency-denominated cash flows related to certain investment receipts and liability payments to U.S. dollars in order to reduce cash flow fluctuations due to changes in currency rates. Fair Value Hedges Interest rate swaps are used to hedge the changes in fair value of fixed maturity securities due to fluctuations in interest rates.
Derivatives, Methods of Accounting, Derivatives Not Designated or Qualifying as Hedges [Policy Text Block] | Non-Qualifying Strategies Derivative relationships that do not qualify for hedge accounting (“non-qualifying strategies”) primarily include the hedge program for the Company's variable annuity products as well as the hedging and replication strategies that utilize credit default swaps. In addition, hedges of interest rate, foreign currency, and commodity risk of certain fixed maturities and liabilities do not qualify for hedge accounting. The non-qualifying strategies include: Interest Rate Swaps, Swaptions and Futures The Company uses interest rate swaps, swaptions and futures to manage duration between assets and liabilities in certain investment portfolios. In addition, the Company enters into interest rate swaps to terminate existing swaps, thereby offsetting the changes in value of the original swap. As of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 the notional amount of interest rate swaps in offsetting relationships was $13.1 billion. Foreign Currency Swaps and Forwards The Company enters into foreign currency swaps and forwards to convert the foreign currency exposures of certain foreign currency-denominated fixed maturity investments to U.S. dollars. Fixed Payout Annuity Hedge The Company formerly offered certain variable annuity products with a guaranteed minimum income benefit ("GMIB") and continues to reinsure certain yen denominated fixed payout annuities. The Company invests in U.S. dollar denominated assets to support the reinsurance liability. The Company entered into pay U.S. dollar, receive yen swap contracts to hedge the currency and yen interest rate exposure between the U.S. dollar denominated assets and the yen denominated fixed liability reinsurance payments. Credit Contracts Credit default swaps are used to purchase credit protection on an individual entity or referenced index to economically hedge against default risk and credit-related changes in value on fixed maturity securities. Credit default swaps are also used to assume credit risk related to an individual entity or referenced index as a part of replication transactions. These contracts require the Company to pay or receive a periodic fee in exchange for compensation from the counterparty should the referenced security issuers experience a credit event, as defined in the contract. The Company is also exposed to credit risk related to certain structured fixed maturity securities that have embedded credit derivatives, which reference a standard index of corporate securities. In addition, the Company enters into credit default swaps to terminate existing credit default swaps, thereby offsetting the changes in value of the original swap going forward. Equity Index Swaps and Options During 2015, the Company entered into total return swaps to hedge equity risk of specific common stock investments which are accounted for using fair value option in order to align the accounting treatment within net realized capital gains (losses). The Company also enters into equity index options with the purpose of hedging the impact of an adverse equity market environment on the investment portfolio. In addition, the Company formerly offered certain equity indexed products, a portion of which contain embedded derivatives that require bifurcation. The Company uses equity index swaps to economically hedge the equity volatility risk associated with the equity indexed products. Commodity Contracts During 2015, the Company purchased for $11 put option contracts on West Texas Intermediate oil futures with a strike of $35 dollars per barrel in order to partially offset potential losses related to certain fixed maturity securities that could arise if oil prices decline substantially. These options expire in early 2016. GMWB Derivatives, Net The Company formerly offered certain variable annuity products with GMWB riders. The GMWB product is a bifurcated embedded derivative (“GMWB product derivatives”) that has a notional value equal to the GRB. The Company uses reinsurance contracts to transfer a portion of its risk of loss due to GMWB. The reinsurance contracts covering GMWB (“GMWB reinsurance contracts”) are accounted for as free-standing derivatives with a notional amount equal to the GRB amount. The Company utilizes derivatives (“GMWB hedging instruments”) as part of an actively managed program designed to hedge a portion of the capital market risk exposures of the non-reinsured GMWB riders due to changes in interest rates, equity market levels, and equity volatility. These derivatives include customized swaps, interest rate swaps and futures, and equity swaps, options and futures, on certain indices including the S&P 500 index, EAFE index and NASDAQ index. The following table presents notional and fair value for GMWB hedging instruments.
| Notional Amount |  | Fair Value
| June 30, 2015 | December 31, 2014 |  | June 30, 2015 | December 31, 2014
Customized swaps | $ | 6,493 |  | $ | 7,041 |  |  | $ | 116 |  | $ | 124 |
Equity swaps, options, and futures | 1,719 |  | 3,761 |  |  | 10 |  | 39 |
Interest rate swaps and futures | 3,520 |  | 3,640 |  |  | 8 |  | 11 |
Total | $ | 11,732 |  | $ | 14,442 |  |  | $ | 134 |  | $ | 174 |
Macro Hedge Program The Company utilizes equity options, swaps, futures, and foreign currency options to partially hedge against a decline in the equity markets and the resulting statutory surplus and capital impact primarily arising from the guaranteed minimum death benefit ("GMDB") and GMWB obligations. The following table presents notional and fair value for the macro hedge program.
| Notional Amount |  | Fair Value
| June 30, 2015 | December 31, 2014 |  | June 30, 2015 | December 31, 2014
Equity swaps, options, and futures | $ | 4,591 |  | $ | 5,983 |  |  | $ | 165 |  | $ | 141 |
Foreign currency options | — |  | 400 |  |  | — |  | — |
Total | $ | 4,591 |  | $ | 6,383 |  |  | $ | 165 |  | $ | 141 |
Contingent Capital Facility Put Option The Company entered into a put option agreement that provides the Company the right to require a third-party trust to purchase, at any time, The Hartford’s junior subordinated notes in a maximum aggregate principal amount of $500. Under the put option agreement, The Hartford will pay premiums on a periodic basis and will reimburse the trust for certain fees and ordinary expenses. Modified Coinsurance Reinsurance Contracts As of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had approximately $921 and $1.0 billion, respectively, of invested assets supporting other policyholder funds and benefits payable reinsured under a modified coinsurance arrangement in connection with the sale of the Individual Life business, which was structured as a reinsurance transaction. The assets are primarily held in a trust established by the Company. The Company pays or receives cash quarterly to settle the results of the reinsured business, including the investment results. As a result of this modified coinsurance arrangement, the Company has an embedded derivative that transfers to the reinsurer certain unrealized changes in fair value due to interest rate and credit risks of these assets. The notional amount of the embedded derivative reinsurance contracts are the invested assets that are carried at fair value supporting the reinsured reserves.

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- Definition Investments and derivative instruments. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for consolidation to describe the significant judgments and assumptions made in determining whether a variable interest held by the entity requires the variable interest entity to be consolidated and (or) disclose information about its involvement with the variable interest entity; the methodology used by the entity for determining whether or not it is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity; and the significant factors considered and judgments made in determining that the power to direct the activities that significantly impact the economic performance of the variable interest entity are shared (as defined). + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5A -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=52262685&loc=SL6759159-111685 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=52262685&loc=d3e5728-111685 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2AA -Subparagraph a -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=52262685&loc=SL6759068-111685 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=52262685&loc=SL6225816-111685 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51655414&loc=d3e18780-107790 + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for documenting designated hedging relationships. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51655414&loc=d3e18780-107790 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph n -Article 4 + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for derivatives that either were not designated as hedging instruments or do not qualify for hedge accounting. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51655414&loc=d3e18780-107790 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=d3e41638-113959 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(n)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for its derivative instruments and hedging activities. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51655414&loc=d3e18780-107790 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=d3e41620-113959 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(n)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=SL5579240-113959 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=SL5579245-113959 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=d3e41675-113959 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=d3e41638-113959 + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy with regard to collateral required and collateral rights on securities sold under agreements to repurchase. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 860 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1A -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=55761124&loc=SL6224234-111729 + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of the accounting policy for determining which carrying amount is used for securities sold under repurchase agreements and the method used to determine that amount. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 25 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750457&loc=d3e12762-108607 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49121117&loc=d3e13433-108611 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 28 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957238&loc=d3e14064-108612 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 16 -Article 9 + Details
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