2.4.0.82201201 - Disclosure - Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies (Policies)truefalsefalse1falsefalsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000045947duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true1us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsAbstractus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse02false2hlic_ReclassificationPolicyTextBlockhlic_falsenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;"><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Reclassifications</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period financial information to conform to the current year presentation.</font></div></div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaReclassification Policy.No definition available.false03false2us-gaap_BasisOfAccountingus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;"><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-weight:bold;">Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Hartford Life Insurance Company (together with its subsidiaries, “HLIC”, “Company”, “we” or “our”) is a provider of insurance and</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">investment products in the United States (“U.S.”) and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">(“HLA”). Hartford Life, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("HLI") is the parent of HLA. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (“The</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Hartford”) is the ultimate parent of the Company.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">On January 1, 2013, HLI completed the sale of its Retirement Plans business to Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company ("MassMutual") and on January 2, 2013 HLI completed the sale of its Individual Life insurance business to The Prudential Insurance Company of America, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. ("Prudential"). For further discussion of these and other such transactions, see Note </font><font style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">2</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> - Business Dispositions of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;padding-top:4px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information, which differ materially from the accounting practices prescribed by various insurance regulatory authorities. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in the Company's </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">2012</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> Form 10-K Annual Report. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes as of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">June 30, 2013</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">, and for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">three and six months ended</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">June 30, 2013</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> and </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">2012</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> are unaudited. These financial statements reflect all adjustments (generally consisting only of normal accruals) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for the fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods. The Company's significant accounting policies are summarized in Note </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">1</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> - </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company's </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">2012</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> Form 10-K Annual Report. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Consolidation</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of HLIC, companies in which the Company directly or indirectly has a controlling financial interest and those variable interest entities (“VIEs”) in which the Company is required to consolidate. Entities in which HLIC has significant influence over the operating and financing decisions but are not required to consolidate are reported using the equity method. For further discussions on VIEs, see Note </font><font style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">4</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> - </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">Investments and Derivative Instruments</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Material intercompany transactions and balances between HLIC and its subsidiaries have been eliminated.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Discontinued Operations</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The results of operations of a component of the Company that either has been disposed of or is classified as held-for-sale are reported in</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">discontinued operations if the operations and cash flows of the component have been or will be eliminated from the ongoing operations</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">of the Company as a result of the disposal transaction and the Company will not have any significant continuing involvement in the</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">operations of the component after the disposal transaction.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The Company is presenting the operations of certain businesses that meet the criteria for reporting as discontinued operations. Amounts</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">for prior periods have been retrospectively reclassified. For information on the specific businesses and related impacts, see Note </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">13</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> -</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Discontinued Operations of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Use of Estimates</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The preparation of financial statements, in conformity with U.S. GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:8px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">estimates.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The most significant estimates include those used in determining estimated gross profits used in the valuation and amortization of assets</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">and liabilities associated with variable annuity and other universal life-type contracts; evaluation of other-than-temporary impairments</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">on available-for-sale securities and valuation allowances on investments; living benefits required to be fair valued; valuation of investments and derivative instruments; valuation allowance on deferred tax assets; and contingencies relating to corporate</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">litigation and regulatory matters. Certain of these estimates are particularly sensitive to market conditions, and deterioration and/or volatility in the worldwide debt or equity markets could have a material impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. </font></div></div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for the basis of accounting, or basis of presentation, used to prepare the financial statements (for example, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Other Comprehensive Basis of Accounting, IFRS).No definition available.false0falseBasis of Presentation and Accounting Policies (Policies)UnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.thehartford.com/role/BasisOfPresentationAndAccountingPoliciesPolicies13