Item 1A.
Risk Factors
In deciding whether to invest in The Hartford, you should carefully consider the following risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity and could also impact the trading price of our securities. These risks are not exclusive, and additional risks to which we are subject include, but are not limited to, the factors mentioned under “Forward-Looking Statements” above and the risks of our businesses described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The following risk factors have been organized by category for ease of use, however many of the risks may have impacts in more than one category. The occurrence of certain of them may, in turn, cause the emergence or exacerbate the effect of others. Such a combination could materially increase the severity of the impact of these risks on our business, results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.
Risks Relating to Economic, Political and Global Market Conditions
Unfavorable economic, political and global market conditions may adversely impact our business and results of operations.
The Company’s investment portfolio, Hartford Funds business, and insurance businesses are sensitive to changes in economic, political and global capital market conditions, such as the effect of a weak economy, including:
•labor supply shortages
•low labor force participation
•lower family income
•high unemployment
•changes in interest rate levels
•changes in credit spreads
•equity market disruptions
•rising inflation
•changes in foreign currency exchange rates
•a weak real estate market
•lower business investment
•lower consumer spending
In an economic downturn, these factors may adversely affect the demand for insurance and financial products, insurance loss costs, valuation and returns on the investment portfolio, and lower the Company's profitability in some cases, including adverse impacts to our net investment income and operating results.
The Company could experience credit losses on various asset balances, including receivables and the principal amount of various invested assets, including fixed maturities and mortgage loans. In addition to credit losses on invested assets, the Company could experience declines in the value of available for sale debt securities if credit spreads were to widen significantly, which would reduce stockholders’ equity. In addition, disruption in equity markets could result in net realized or unrealized losses on our equity securities carried at fair value or reduce net investment income in future periods from our non-fixed income investment portfolio, including from limited partnerships and other alternative investments. The Company could also experience higher reinsurance costs and/or more limited availability of reinsurance coverage.
Furthermore, political instability, politically motivated violence or civil unrest, may increase the frequency and severity of insured losses. In addition, a deterioration in global economic conditions and/or geopolitical conditions, including due to military action, trade wars, tariffs or other actions with respect to international trade agreements or policies, has the potential to, among other things, reduce demand for our products, reduce exposures we insure, drive higher inflation that could increase the Company’s loss costs and result in increased incidence of claims, particularly for workers’ compensation and disability claims. If current regional and/or global conflicts were to expand, there could be insurance losses or adverse economic impacts.
Below are several key factors impacted by changes in economic, political, and global market conditions and their potential effect on the Company’s business and results of operations:
•Credit Spread Risk - Credit spread exposure is reflected in the market prices of fixed income instruments where lower rated securities generally trade at a higher credit spread. If issuer credit spreads increase or widen, the market value of our investment portfolio may decline. If the credit spread widening is significant and occurs over an extended period of time, the Company may recognize credit losses, resulting in decreased earnings. If credit spreads tighten significantly, the Company’s net investment income associated with new purchases of fixed maturities may be reduced. In addition, the value of credit derivatives under which the Company assumes exposure or purchases protection are impacted by changes in credit spreads, with losses occurring when credit spreads widen for assumed exposure or when credit spreads tighten if credit protection has been purchased.
•Equity Markets Risk - A decline in equity markets may result in net realized losses on sales of equity securities, unrealized losses on equity securities held at fair value, reduce net investment income in future periods from our non-fixed income investment portfolio, including from limited partnerships and other alternative investments, or lower earnings from Hartford Funds where fee income is earned based upon the fair value of the assets under management. For additional information on equity market sensitivity, see
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Part II, Item 7, MD&A - Enterprise Risk Management, Financial Risk - Equity Risk.
•Interest Rate Risk -Increases in interest rates or persistently high interest rates could lead to recession or economic stagnation, which could lower the demand for many of the Company's products and may result in realized or unrealized losses on existing fixed income assets in the investment portfolio. This could also impact property valuations and financing costs for mortgage loans and real estate joint ventures within limited partnerships and other alternative investments. Alternatively, a deterioration in global economic conditions could result in a lower interest rate environment, which would pressure our net investment income and could result in lower margins on certain products.
New and renewal business for our property and casualty and employee benefits products is priced considering prevailing interest rates. As interest rates decline, in order to achieve the same economic return, we would have to increase product prices to offset the lower anticipated investment income earned on invested premiums. Conversely, as interest rates rise, pricing targets will tend to decrease to reflect higher anticipated investment income. Our ability to effectively react to such changes in interest rates may affect our competitiveness in the marketplace, and in turn, could reduce written premium and earnings.
In addition, due to the long-term nature of the liabilities within our Employee Benefits operations, particularly with respect to long-term disability, and our workers' compensation operations, declines in interest rates over an extended period of time would result in our having to reinvest at lower yields. On the other hand, a rise in interest rates, in the absence of other countervailing changes, would reduce the market value of our investment portfolio. A decline in market value of invested assets due to an increase in interest rates could also limit our ability to realize tax benefits from recognized capital losses.
Our reserves for future policy benefits are sensitive to changing interest rate conditions. U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("U.S. GAAP") guidance requires that we update reserves for future policy benefits for changes in discount rates quarterly which could cause volatility in our stockholders' equity.
For additional information on interest rate sensitivity, see Part II, Item 7, MD&A - Enterprise Risk Management, Financial Risk - Interest Rate Risk.
•Inflation Risk - Inflation is a risk to our property and casualty business because, in many cases, claims are paid out many years after a policy is written and premium is collected for the risk. A greater than expected increase in inflation may impact medical services, repair costs or other claim settlement expenses, which can result in higher claim costs than what was estimated at the time the policy was written. Inflation can also affect consumer spending and business investment which can reduce the demand for our products and services. In addition, sustained inflation may result in an increase in interest rates, which would result in a reduction in the fair value of our investment portfolio.
•Changes in the Labor Market - Evolving labor market conditions, including increased competition for talent, could make it difficult to hire and retain employees and could increase compensation and benefits expense. New technologies may lead to changes in skill sets needed from the workforce, resulting in difficulty in attracting, developing and retaining employees. If insured businesses cannot hire enough qualified people to sell products and services to customers, economic activity may be depressed and lower insured exposure, hindering the Company's growth.
•Foreign Currency Exchange Rates - Changes in foreign currency exchange rates may impact our non-U.S. dollar denominated investments and foreign subsidiaries. We hold cash and fixed maturity securities denominated in foreign currencies, including British Pounds and Canadian dollars, among others, and also have other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies such as premiums receivable and loss reserves. While the Company predominately uses asset-liability matching, including the use of derivatives, to hedge certain of these exposures to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, these actions do not eliminate the risk that changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies to the U.S. dollar could result in financial loss to the Company, including realized or unrealized losses resulting from currency revaluation and increases to regulatory capital requirements for foreign subsidiaries that have net assets that are not denominated in their local currency. For additional information on foreign exchange risk, see Part II, Item 7, MD&A - Enterprise Risk Management, Financial Risk.
Concentration of our investment portfolio increases the potential for significant losses.
The concentration of our investment portfolios in any particular industry, collateral type, group of related industries or geographic region could have an adverse effect on our investment portfolios and consequently on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or liquidity. Events or developments that have a negative impact on any particular industry, collateral type, group of related industries or geographic region may have a greater adverse effect on our investment portfolio to the extent that the portfolio is concentrated rather than diversified.
Further, if issuers of securities or loans we hold are acquired, merge or otherwise consolidate with other issuers of securities or loans held by the Company, our investment portfolio’s credit concentration risk to issuers could increase for a period of time, until the Company is able to sell securities to get back in compliance with the established investment credit policies.
Changing climate and weather patterns may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operation.
Climate change presents risks to us as an insurer, investor and employer. Climate models indicate that rising temperatures will likely result in rising sea levels over the decades to come and may increase the frequency and intensity of natural catastrophes and severe weather events. Extreme weather events such as abnormally high temperatures may result in increased losses associated with our property, automobile,
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workers’ compensation and employee benefits businesses. Changing climate patterns may also increase the duration, frequency and intensity of heat/cold waves, which may result in increased claims for property damage, business interruption and losses under workers’ compensation, group disability and group life coverages. Precipitation patterns across the U.S. are projected to change, which if realized, may increase risks of flash floods, wildfires, and other severe weather events. If third parties assert that climate change-related risks and damages are caused by insured businesses, or arise from alleged mismanagement at insured businesses, we may experience increased claims under general liability and management liability policies. Additionally, there may be an impact on the demand, price and availability of automobile and homeowners insurance, and there is a risk of higher reinsurance costs or more limited availability of reinsurance coverage. Changes in climate conditions may also cause our underlying modeling data to not adequately reflect frequency and severity, limiting our ability to effectively evaluate and manage risks of catastrophes and severe weather events. Among other impacts, this could result in not charging enough premiums or not obtaining timely state approvals for rate increases to cover the risks we insure. We may also experience significant interruptions to the Company’s systems and operations that hinder our ability to sell and service business, manage claims and operate our business.
Climate change-related risks, including risks associated with global energy transition, may also adversely impact the value of the investments that we hold, resulting in potential realized or unrealized losses on our invested assets. Our decision to invest in certain securities, loans, or other investments may also be impacted by changes in climate patterns due to:
•changes in supply/demand for traditional sources of energy (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas);
•advances in low-carbon technology and renewable energy development;
•effects of extreme weather events on the physical and operational exposure of industries and issuers; and
•internal investment guidelines and policies related to the global energy transition.
The effects of climate change could also lead to increased credit risk of other counterparties we transact business with, including reinsurers. Climate change effects may also lead to decreases in real estate values in various locations and for a variety of reasons, reducing premium and demand for commercial property and homeowners insurance and adversely impacting the value of our real estate-related investments. Additionally, government policies or regulations to slow climate change, such as emission controls or technology mandates, may have an adverse impact on sectors such as utilities, transportation and manufacturing, affecting demand for our products and our investments in these sectors. Moreover, regulators may undertake actions to minimize the effects of climate change on consumers, which could affect coverage provided under insurance contracts and administrative process.
These emerging regulatory initiatives, or other climate-related policies we adopt, may result in non-renewal of business or reduced appetite for underwriting or investing in certain industry sectors.
Because there is significant variability associated with the impacts of climate change, we cannot predict how physical, legal, regulatory and social responses may impact our business.
For additional discussion about climate change related risks, see the Risk Factor, “We are vulnerable to losses from catastrophes, both natural and man-made.”
Insurance Industry and Product Related Risks
Unfavorable loss development may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
We establish property and casualty and employee benefits loss reserves to cover our estimated liability for the payment of all unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses incurred with respect to premiums earned on our policies. Loss reserves are estimates of what we expect the ultimate settlement and administration of claims will cost, less what has been paid to date. These estimates are based upon actuarial projections and on our assessment of currently available data, as well as estimates of claims severity and frequency, legal theories of liability, available benefit offsets, and other factors. For risks due to evolving changes in social, economic and environmental conditions, see the Risk Factor, “Unexpected and unintended claim and coverage issues under our insurance contracts may adversely impact our financial performance.”
Loss reserve estimates are refined periodically as experience develops and claims are reported and settled, potentially resulting in increases to our reserves. Increases in reserves would be recognized as an expense during the periods in which these determinations are made, thereby adversely affecting our results of operations for those periods. In addition, since reserve estimates of aggregate loss costs for prior years are used in pricing our insurance products, inaccurate reserves can lead to our products not being priced adequately to cover actual losses and related loss expenses in order to generate a profit.
In property and casualty, we continue to receive A&E claims, the vast majority of which relate to policies written before 1986. Estimating the ultimate gross reserves needed for unpaid losses and related expenses for A&E claims is particularly difficult for insurers and reinsurers. The actuarial tools and other techniques used to estimate the ultimate cost of more traditional insurance exposures tend to be less precise when used to estimate reserves for some A&E exposures.
Moreover, the assumptions used to estimate gross reserves for A&E claims, such as claim frequency over time, average severity, and how various policy provisions will be interpreted, are subject to significant uncertainty. It is also not possible to predict changes in the legal and legislative environment and their effect on the future development of A&E claims. These factors, among others, make the variability of gross reserves estimates for these longer-tailed exposures significantly greater than for other more traditional exposures.
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We are vulnerable to losses from catastrophes, both natural and man-made.
Our insurance operations expose us to claims arising out of catastrophes. Catastrophes can be caused by various unpredictable natural events, including, among others, earthquakes, hurricanes, hailstorms, severe winter weather, wind storms, fires, tornadoes, and pandemics. Catastrophes can also be man-made, such as terrorist attacks, civil unrest, cyber-attacks, explosions or infrastructure failures. Catastrophes may also include some major international events designated by Lloyd's of London.
The geographic distribution of our business subjects us to various catastrophe exposures across different regions of the United States. We are also exposed to catastrophe losses in other parts of the world through our global specialty business. Any increases in the values and concentrations of insureds and property in these areas would increase the severity of catastrophic events in the future. In addition, changes in climate and/or weather patterns may increase the frequency and/or intensity of severe weather and natural catastrophe events potentially leading to increased insured losses. Potential examples include, but are not limited to:
•an increase in the frequency or intensity of wind and thunderstorm and tornado/hailstorm events due to increased convection in the atmosphere,
•more frequent and larger wildfires in certain geographies,
•higher incidence of deluge flooding, and
•the potential for an increase in frequency and severity of hurricane events.
Insufficient incorporation of climatic trends into widely used catastrophe models and internal tools to assess risk from natural catastrophe perils could lead to ineffective evaluation and management of catastrophe risk. For a further discussion of climate-related risks, see the above-referenced Risk Factor,“Changing climate and weather patterns may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operation.”
Our businesses also have exposure to global or nationally occurring pandemics caused by highly infectious and potentially fatal diseases spread through human, animal or plant populations.
In the event of one or more catastrophes, policyholders may be unable to meet their obligations to pay premiums on our insurance policies. Further, our liquidity could be constrained by a catastrophe, or multiple catastrophes. In addition, in part because accounting rules do not permit insurers to reserve for such catastrophic events until they occur, claims from catastrophic events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. The amount we charge for catastrophe exposure may be inadequate if the frequency or severity of catastrophe losses changes over time or if the models we use to estimate the exposure prove inadequate. In addition, regulators or legislators could limit our ability to charge adequate pricing for catastrophe exposures or shift more responsibility for covering risk.
Terrorism is an example of a significant man-made potential catastrophe. Private sector catastrophe reinsurance is limited and generally unavailable for terrorism losses caused by attacks
with nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological weapons. In addition, workers' compensation policies generally do not have exclusions or limitations for terrorism losses. Reinsurance coverage from the federal government under the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (the "Program") Reauthorization Act of 2019 (“TRIPRA 2019”) is also limited and only applies for certified acts of terrorism that exceed a certain threshold of industry losses. Accordingly, the effects of a terrorist attack in the geographic areas we serve may result in claims and related losses for which we do not have adequate reinsurance. TRIPRA 2019 also requires that the federal government create the following reports, which could lead to additional legislation or regulation: (1) Treasury Department to include in its biennial report on the effectiveness of the Program an evaluation of the availability and affordability of terrorism risk insurance for places of worship; and (2) Government Accountability Office report to analyze and address the vulnerabilities and potential costs of cyber terrorism, to assess adequacy of coverage under the Program, and to make recommendations for future legislative changes to address evolving cyber terrorism risks. Further, the continued threat of terrorism and the occurrence of terrorist attacks, as well as heightened security measures and military action in response to these threats and attacks or other geopolitical or military crises, may cause significant volatility in global financial markets, disruptions to commerce and reduced economic activity. These consequences could have an adverse effect on the value of the assets in our investment portfolio and/or cause a reduction in demand for our products. Terrorist attacks also could disrupt our operation centers. In addition, TRIPRA 2019 expires on December 31, 2027 and if the U.S. Congress does not reauthorize the program or significantly reduces the government’s share of covered terrorism losses, the Company’s exposure to terrorism losses could increase materially unless it can purchase alternative terrorism reinsurance protection in the private markets at affordable prices or takes actions to materially reduce its exposure in lines of business subject to terrorism risk. For a further discussion of TRIPRA, see Part II, Item 7, MD&A - Enterprise Risk Management - Insurance Risk Management, Reinsurance as a Risk Management Strategy.
Cyber risk exposure exists through stand-alone cyber policies as well as cyber coverage endorsements on some property, general liability, management liability and directors and officers policies. Increasing frequency of cyber attacks and the evolving nature of cyber risk taking place across the globe may potentially lead to increased insured losses across the industry and for the businesses we insure. Our insureds may be increasingly exposed to cyber-related attacks with insured losses to property (including data and systems), breach of data, ransom payments and business interruption. Geopolitical crises or hostile actions taken by nation states or terrorist organizations may heighten the risk of cyber-attacks on companies we insure and on our own operations.
As a result, it is possible that any, or a combination of all, of these factors related to a catastrophe, or multiple catastrophes, whether natural or man-made, can have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
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Pricing for our products is subject to our ability to adequately assess risks, estimate losses and comply with state and international insurance regulations.
We seek to price our property and casualty and employee benefits insurance policies such that insurance premiums and future net investment income earned on premiums received will provide for an acceptable profit in excess of underwriting expenses and the cost of paying claims. Pricing adequacy depends on a number of factors, including proper evaluation of underwriting risks, the ability to project future claim costs, our expense levels, net investment income realized, our response to rate actions taken by competitors, legal and regulatory developments, including in international markets, and the ability to obtain regulatory approval for rate changes.
State insurance departments regulate many of the premium rates we charge and also propose rate changes for the benefit of the insurance consumer at the expense of the insurer, which may not allow us to reach targeted levels of profitability. Moreover, regulators may seek to prohibit or constrain the use of certain underwriting and rating factors, which may affect our ability to price risks. In addition to regulating rates, certain states have enacted laws that require a property and casualty insurer to participate in assigned risk plans, reinsurance facilities, joint underwriting associations and other residual market plans. State regulators also require that an insurer offer property and casualty coverage to all consumers and often restrict an insurer's ability to charge the price it might otherwise charge or restrict an insurer's ability to offer or enforce specific policy deductibles. In these markets, we may be compelled to underwrite significant amounts of business at lower than desired rates or accept additional risk not contemplated in our existing rates, participate in the operating losses of residual market plans or pay assessments to fund operating deficits of state-sponsored funds, which could lead to lower than anticipated profitability. The laws and regulations of many states also limit an insurer's ability to withdraw from one or more lines of insurance in the state, except pursuant to a plan that is approved by the state's insurance department. Additionally, certain states require insurers to participate in guaranty funds for impaired or insolvent insurance companies. These funds periodically assess losses against all insurance companies doing business in the state. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. For more on international regulatory risks, see the Risk Factor, “Regulatory and legislative developments could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.”
Additionally, the property and casualty and employee benefits insurance markets have been historically cyclical, experiencing periods characterized by relatively high levels of price competition, less restrictive underwriting standards, more expansive coverage offerings, multi-year rate guarantees and declining premium rates, followed by periods of relatively low levels of competition, more selective underwriting standards, more coverage restrictions and increasing premium rates. In all of our property and casualty and employee benefits insurance product lines, there is a risk that the premium we charge may ultimately prove to be inadequate as reported losses emerge. In addition, there is a risk that regulatory constraints, price competition or incorrect pricing assumptions could prevent us
from achieving targeted returns. Inadequate pricing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
Competitive activity, use of emerging technologies, or other technological changes may adversely affect our market share, demand for our products, or our financial results.
The industries in which we operate are highly competitive. Our principal competitors are other property and casualty insurers, employee benefits providers and providers of mutual funds and exchange traded funds. Competitors may expand their risk appetites in products and services where The Hartford currently enjoys a competitive advantage. Larger competitors with more capital and new entrants to the market could result in increased pricing pressures on a number of our products and services and may harm our ability to maintain or increase our profitability. For example, larger competitors, including those formed through consolidation or who may acquire new entrants to the market, such as insurtech firms, may have lower operating costs and an ability to absorb greater risk while maintaining their financial strength ratings, thereby allowing them to price their products more competitively.
In addition, technological advancements and innovation are occurring in distribution, underwriting, claims and operations at a rapid pace that may continue to accelerate. Insurers are using or may begin using certain emerging technologies, such as machine learning, predictive analytics, "big data" analysis or other artificial intelligence functions to, among other things, improve pricing accuracy, be more targeted in marketing, strengthen customer relationships and provide more customized loss prevention services. Nontraditional competitors could enter the insurance market and further accelerate these trends. If competitors are able to use these emerging technologies more effectively and/or efficiently, it may provide them a competitive advantage. Because of the highly competitive nature of the industries The Hartford competes in, there can be no assurance that the Company will continue to compete effectively with our industry rivals, or that competitive pressure will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
Our business could be affected by other technological changes, including further advancements in automotive safety features, the development of autonomous or “self-driving” vehicles, and platforms that facilitate ride sharing. These technologies could impact the frequency or severity of losses, disrupt the demand for certain of our products, or reduce the size of the automobile insurance market as a whole. The risks we insure are also affected by the increased use of technology in homes and businesses, including technology used in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and security systems and the introduction of more automated loss control measures. Increased use of advanced analytics (e.g., artificial intelligence) and automation in the workplace could potentially affect the demand for workers' compensation and employee benefits products over time. In addition, our business may be disrupted due to failures of accelerated technological changes, including our automation of minimally complex tasks, which may adversely impact our business and results of operations. While there is substantial uncertainty about the timing, penetration and reliability of such technologies, and the legal frameworks that may apply, such as
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to autonomous vehicles, any such impacts could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
We may experience difficulty in marketing and providing insurance products and investment advisory services through distribution channels and advisory firms.
We distribute our insurance products, mutual funds and ETFs through a variety of distribution channels and financial intermediaries, including brokers, independent agents, wholesale agents, reinsurance brokers, broker-dealers, banks, registered investment advisors, affinity partners, our own internal sales force and other third-party organizations. In some areas of our business, we generate a significant portion of our business through third-party arrangements. For example, we market Personal Insurance products in large part through an exclusive licensing arrangement with AARP that continues through December 31, 2032. Our ability to distribute products through the AARP program may be adversely impacted by membership levels and the pace of membership growth. In addition, the independent agent and broker distribution channel is consolidating, which could result in a larger proportion of written premium being concentrated among fewer agents and brokers, potentially increasing our cost of acquiring new business. While we periodically seek to renew or extend third party arrangements, there can be no assurance that our relationship with these third parties will continue or that the economics of these relationships won't change to make them less financially attractive to the Company. An interruption in our relationship with certain of these third parties could materially affect our ability to market our products and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
Unexpected and unintended claim and coverage issues under our insurance contracts may adversely impact our financial performance.
Changes in industry practices and in legal, judicial, social and other environmental conditions, technological advances or fraudulent activities, may require us to pay claims we did not intend to cover when we wrote the policies. Social, economic, political and environmental issues, including rising income inequality, reduction and further delays in government social programs such as Social Security Disability, attorney representation rates, legal system abuse, climate change, prescription drug use and addiction, exposures to new substances or those substances previously considered to be safe and found to have latent exposure, along with the use of social media to proliferate messaging around such issues, have expanded the theories for reporting claims, which may increase our claims administration and/or litigation costs. State and local governments' increased efforts aimed to respond to the costs and concerns associated with these types of issues may also lead to expansive, new theories for reporting claims or may lead to the passage of "reviver" statutes that extend the statute of limitations for the reporting of these claims, including statutes passed in certain states with respect to sexual molestation and sexual abuse claims. In addition, these and other social, economic, political and environmental issues may extend coverage beyond our underwriting intent, potentially increase jury awards, and/or increase the frequency or severity of claims.
Some of these changes, advances or activities may not become apparent until some time after we have issued insurance contracts that are affected by the changes, advances or activities and/or we may be unable to compensate for such losses through future pricing and underwriting. As a result, the full extent of liability under our insurance contracts may not be known for many years after a contract is issued, and this liability may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity at the time it becomes known.
Financial Strength, Credit and Counterparty Risks
Downgrades in our financial strength or credit ratings may make our products less attractive, increase our cost of capital and inhibit our ability to refinance our debt.
Financial strength and credit ratings are important in establishing the competitive position of insurance companies. Rating agencies assign ratings based upon several factors. While most of the factors relate to the rated company, others relate to the views of the rating agency (including its assessment of the strategic importance of the rated company to the insurance group), general economic conditions, and circumstances outside the rated company's control. In addition, rating agencies may employ different models and formulas to assess the financial strength of a rated company, and from time to time rating agencies have altered these models. Changes to the models or factors used by the rating agencies to assign ratings could adversely impact a rating agency's judgment of its internal rating and the publicly issued rating it assigns us.
Our financial strength ratings, which are intended to measure our ability to meet policyholder obligations, are an important factor affecting public confidence in most of our products and, as a result, our competitiveness. A downgrade or a potential downgrade in the rating of our financial strength or of one of our principal insurance subsidiaries could affect our competitive position and reduce future sales of our products.
Our credit ratings also affect our cost of capital. A downgrade or a potential downgrade of our credit ratings could make it more difficult or costly to refinance maturing debt obligations, to support business growth at our insurance subsidiaries and to maintain or improve the financial strength ratings of our principal insurance subsidiaries. These events could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. For a further discussion of potential impacts of ratings downgrades on derivative instruments, including potential collateral calls, see Part II, Item 7, MD&A - Capital Resources and Liquidity - Derivative Commitments.
The amount of capital that we must hold to maintain our financial strength and credit ratings and meet other requirements can vary significantly from time to time and is sensitive to a number of factors outside of our control.
We conduct the vast majority of our business through licensed insurance company subsidiaries. In the United States, statutory accounting standards and statutory capital and reserve
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requirements for these entities are prescribed by the applicable insurance regulators and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners ("NAIC"). The minimum capital we must hold is based on risk-based capital (“RBC”) formulas for both property and casualty and life companies. The RBC formula for property and casualty companies establishes capital requirements relating to underwriting, asset, credit, catastrophe, operational and off-balance sheet risks. The RBC formula for life companies is applicable to our employee benefits business and establishes capital requirements relating to insurance, business, asset, credit, interest rate and off-balance sheet risks.
Countries in which our international insurance subsidiaries are incorporated or deemed commercially domiciled are subject to minimum capital requirements as defined by the applicable regulatory regime, including a phased program of changes to the prudential and solvency regime in the U.K. following the U.K.'s departure from the European Union. In addition, our Lloyd’s member company must maintain required Funds at Lloyd's ("FAL") to meet the capital requirements of its syndicate. The FAL is determined based on the syndicate’s Solvency Capital Requirement (“SCR”) under the Solvency II capital adequacy model plus an economic capital assessment determined by the Lloyd’s Franchise Board (which is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Lloyd's market).
In any particular year, statutory surplus amounts, RBC ratios, FAL and SCR may increase or decrease depending on a variety of factors, some of which are outside the Company's control, including:
•the amount of statutory income or losses generated by our insurance subsidiaries;
•the amount of additional capital our insurance subsidiaries must hold to support business growth;
•the amount of dividends or distributions paid to the holding company;
•the value of certain fixed maturities, equity securities, and limited partnership and other alternative investments in our investment portfolio;
•changes in interest rates;
•admissibility of deferred tax assets;
•changes to the regulatory capital formulas; and
•regulatory changes to accounting guidance for determining capital adequacy.
Among other factors, rating agencies consider the level of statutory capital and surplus of our U.S. insurance subsidiaries as well as the level of U. S. GAAP capital held by the Company in determining the Company's financial strength and credit ratings. Rating agencies may implement changes to their capital formulas that have the effect of increasing the amount of capital we must hold in order to maintain our current ratings. If our capital resources are insufficient to maintain a particular rating by one or more rating agencies, we may need to raise capital through public or private equity or debt financing. If we were not to raise additional capital, either at our discretion or because we were unable to do so, our financial strength and credit ratings might be downgraded by one or more rating agencies.
Losses due to nonperformance or defaults by counterparties can have a material adverse effect on the value of our investments and reduce our profitability or sources of liquidity.
We have credit risk with counterparties associated with investments, derivatives, premiums receivable, reinsurance recoverables and indemnifications provided by third parties in connection with previous dispositions. Among others, our counterparties include issuers of fixed maturity and equity securities we hold, borrowers of mortgage loans we hold, customers, trading counterparties, counterparties under swaps and other derivative contracts, reinsurers, clearing agents, exchanges, clearing houses and other financial intermediaries and guarantors. These counterparties may default on their obligations to us due to bankruptcy, insolvency, lack of liquidity, adverse economic conditions, operational failure, fraud, government intervention and other reasons. In addition, for exchange-traded derivatives, such as futures, options and "cleared" over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives, the Company is generally exposed to the credit risk of the relevant central counterparty clearing house. Defaults by these counterparties on their obligations to us could have a material adverse effect on the value of our investments, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. Additionally, if the underlying assets supporting the structured securities we invest in default on their payment obligations, our securities may incur losses.
The availability of reinsurance and our ability to recover under reinsurance contracts may not be sufficient to protect us against losses.
As an insurer, we frequently use reinsurance to reduce the effect of losses that may arise from, among other things, catastrophes and other risks that can cause unfavorable results of operations. In addition, our assumed reinsurance business purchases retrocessional coverage for a portion of the risks it assumes. Under these reinsurance arrangements, other insurers assume a portion of our losses and related expenses; however, we remain liable as the direct insurer on all risks reinsured. Consequently, ceded reinsurance arrangements do not eliminate our obligation to pay claims, and we are subject to our reinsurers' credit risk with respect to our ability to recover amounts due from them. The inability or unwillingness of any reinsurer or retrocessionaire to meet its financial obligations to us, including the impact of any insolvency or rehabilitation proceedings involving a reinsurer or retrocessionaire that could affect the Company's access to collateral held in trust, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
In addition, should the availability and cost of reinsurance change materially, we may have to pay higher reinsurance costs, accept an increase in our net liability exposure, reduce the amount of business we write, or access to the extent possible other alternatives to reinsurance, such as use of the capital markets. Further, due to the inherent uncertainties as to collection and the length of time before reinsurance recoverables will be due, it is possible that future adjustments to the Company’s reinsurance recoverables, net of the allowance, could be required, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or liquidity in a particular quarterly or annual period.
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Our ability to declare and pay dividends is subject to limitations.
The payment of future dividends on our capital stock is subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors, which considers, among other factors, our operating results, overall financial condition, credit-risk considerations and capital requirements, as well as general business and market conditions. Our Board of Directors may only declare such dividends out of funds legally available for such payments. Moreover, our common stockholders are subject to the prior dividend rights of any holders of depositary shares representing preferred stock then outstanding. The terms of our outstanding junior subordinated debt securities prohibit us from declaring or paying any dividends or distributions on our capital stock or purchasing, acquiring, or making a liquidation payment on such stock, if we have given notice of our election to defer interest payments and the related deferral period has not yet commenced or a deferral period is continuing.
Moreover, as a holding company that is separate and distinct from its insurance subsidiaries, HIG has no significant business operations of its own. Therefore, HIG relies on dividends from our insurance company subsidiaries and other subsidiaries as the principal source of cash flow to meet its obligations. Subsidiary dividends fund payments on its debt securities and the payment of dividends to stockholders on its capital stock. Connecticut state laws and certain other U.S. jurisdictions in which we operate limit the payment of dividends and require notice to and approval by the state insurance commissioner for the declaration or payment of dividends above certain levels. The laws and regulations of the countries in which its international insurance subsidiaries are incorporated or deemed commercially domiciled, as well as requirements of the Council of Lloyd’s, also impose limitations on the payment of dividends which, in some instances, are more restrictive. Dividends paid from its insurance subsidiaries are further dependent on their cash requirements. In addition, in the event of liquidation or reorganization of a subsidiary, prior claims of a subsidiary’s creditors may take precedence over the holding company’s right to a dividend or distribution from the subsidiary except to the extent that the holding company may be a creditor of that subsidiary. For further discussion on dividends from insurance subsidiaries, see Part II, Item 7, MD&A - Capital Resources and Liquidity.
Risks Relating to Estimates, Assumptions and Valuations
Actual results could materially differ from the analytical models we use to assist our decision making in key areas such as underwriting, pricing, capital management, reserving, investments, reinsurance and catastrophe risks.
We use models to support, among other things, underwriting, pricing, capital allocation, reserving, investments, reinsurance, and catastrophe risk management. Both proprietary and third party models used incorporate numerous assumptions and forecasts about the future level and variability of interest rates, inflation, credit spreads, equity markets, currency exchange
rates, loss frequency and severity, and capital requirements, among others. The models are subject to the inherent limitations of any statistical analysis as the historical internal and industry data and assumptions used in the models may not be indicative of what will happen in the future. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from our modeled results. The profitability and financial condition of the Company substantially depends on the extent to which our actual experience is consistent with assumptions we use in our models and ultimate model outputs. If, based upon these models or other factors, we misprice our products or our estimates of the risks we are exposed to prove to be materially inaccurate, our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity may be adversely affected.
The valuation of our securities and investments and the determination of allowances and credit losses are highly subjective and based on methodologies, estimations and assumptions that are subject to differing interpretations and market conditions.
Estimated fair values of the Company’s investments are based on available market information and judgments about financial instruments, including estimates of the timing and amounts of expected future cash flows and the credit standing of the issuer or counterparty. During periods of market disruption, it may be difficult to value certain of our securities if trading becomes less frequent and/or market data becomes less observable. There may be certain asset classes that were in active markets with significant observable data that become illiquid due to the financial environment. In addition, there may be certain securities whose fair value is based on one or more unobservable inputs, even during normal market conditions. As a result, the determination of the fair values of these securities may include inputs and assumptions that require more estimation and management judgment and the use of complex valuation methodologies. These fair values may differ materially from the value at which the investments may be ultimately sold. Further, rapidly changing or unprecedented credit and equity market conditions could materially impact the valuation of securities and the period-to-period changes in value could vary significantly. Decreases in value could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.
Similarly, management’s decision on whether to record an allowance for credit losses ("ACL") is subject to significant judgments and assumptions regarding changes in general economic conditions, the issuer's financial condition or future recovery prospects, estimated future cash flows, the expected recovery period and the accuracy of third party information used in internal assessments. As a result, management’s evaluations and assessments are highly judgmental and its projections of future cash flows over the life of certain investments may ultimately prove incorrect as facts and circumstances change.
If our businesses do not perform well, we may be required to recognize an impairment of our goodwill.
Goodwill represents the excess of the amounts we paid to acquire subsidiaries and other businesses over the fair value of their net assets at the date of acquisition. We test goodwill at least annually for impairment. Impairment testing is performed based upon estimates of the fair value of the “reporting unit” to
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which the goodwill relates. The reporting unit is the operating segment or a business one level below an operating segment if discrete financial information is prepared and regularly reviewed by management at that level. The fair value of the reporting unit could decrease if new business, customer retention, profitability or other drivers of performance differ from expectations. If it is determined that the goodwill has been impaired, the Company must write down the goodwill by the amount of the impairment, with a corresponding charge to net income (loss). These write downs could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.
Strategic and Operational Risks
Our businesses may suffer and we may incur substantial costs if we are unable to access our systems and safeguard the security of our data in the event of a disaster, cyber breach, other information security incident or technology failure.
We use technology to process, store, retrieve, evaluate and analyze customer and company data and information. Our information technology ("IT") and telecommunications systems, in turn, interface with and rely upon third-party systems. We, and our customers, service provides, and other third parties, as applicable, must be able to access these systems to provide insurance quotes, process premium payments, make changes to existing policies, file and pay claims, administer mutual funds, provide customer support, manage our investment portfolios, report on financial results and perform other necessary business functions.
Systems failures or outages could compromise our ability to perform these business functions in a timely manner, which could harm our ability to conduct business and hurt our relationships with our business partners and customers. Our business may be disrupted by failures to effectively maintain or update existing technologies, implement new technology, automate business processes or use emerging technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence). In the event of a disaster such as a natural catastrophe, a pandemic, civil unrest, an industrial accident, a cyber-attack, a blackout, a terrorist attack (including conventional, nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological) or war, systems upon which we rely may be inaccessible to our employees, customers or business partners for an extended period of time. Even if our employees and business partners are able to report to work, they may be unable to perform their duties for an extended period of time if our data or systems used to conduct our business are disabled or destroyed.
Our systems have been, and will likely continue to be, subject to viruses or other malicious code, unauthorized access, cyber-attacks (such as ransomware and denial of service), cyber frauds or other computer related penetrations. The frequency and sophistication of such threats continue to increase as well. While, to date, The Hartford is not aware of having experienced a material breach of our cyber security systems, administrative, accounting and technical controls as well as other preventive actions may be insufficient to prevent physical and electronic break-ins, denial of service, cyber-attacks, business email
compromises, ransomware or other security breaches to our systems or those of third parties with whom we do business. Such an event could compromise our confidential information as well as that of our clients and third parties, impede or interrupt our business operations and result in other negative consequences, including remediation costs, loss of revenue, additional regulatory scrutiny and litigation and reputational damage. In addition, we routinely transmit to third parties personal, confidential and proprietary information, which may be related to employees and customers, by email and other electronic means, along with receiving and storing such information on our systems. Although we attempt to protect proprietary and confidential information, we may be unable to secure the information in all events, especially with clients, vendors, service providers, counterparties and other third parties who may not have appropriate controls to protect confidential information. Use of artificial intelligence by us or by such third parties could also result in inadvertent disclosure of our confidential information.
Our businesses must comply with regulations to control the privacy of customer, employee and third party data, and state, federal and international regulations regarding data privacy are becoming increasingly more onerous. A misuse or mishandling of confidential or proprietary information, including through artificial intelligence technology, could result in legal liability, regulatory action and reputational harm.
Third parties, including third party administrators and cloud-based systems, are also subject to cyber-attacks and 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 or liquidity. These risks could increase and become more complex as third parties incorporate new technologies, including artificial intelligence. Our increased use of open source software, cloud technology and software as a service can make it more difficult to identify and remedy such situations due to the disparate location of code utilized in our operations. 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 in their processes or with relied upon vendors, or if they 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 Risk Factor, “Our businesses may suffer and we may incur substantial costs if we are unable to access our systems
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and safeguard the security of our data in the event of a disaster, cyber breach, other information security incident or technology failure.”
Our ability to execute on capital management plans 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. An equity repurchase plan approved by the Board of Directors can 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. 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 or liquidity and could impact our ability to execute our capital management plans.
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 by 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, or we may be required to contribute capital to a subsidiary, either of which could adversely affect our liquidity.
In addition, 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. The expected benefits of acquired or divested businesses may not be realized
and involve additional uncertainties and risks that may negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations or 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 and investment management. 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 develop, retain and motivate our existing employees. The loss of 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 or 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 be costly, divert significant resources and may not prove successful. 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 or financial condition.
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Regulatory and Legal Risks
Regulatory and legislative developments could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
We are subject to extensive laws, regulations and executive orders that are complex, subject to change and often conflict in their approach or intended outcomes. Compliance with these laws, regulations and executive orders can increase cost, affect our strategy, and constrain our ability to adequately price our products.
In the U.S., regulatory initiatives and legislative developments may significantly affect our operations and prospects in ways that we cannot predict. For example, federal and state legislative efforts on Paid Family and Medical Leave, artificial intelligence, data privacy and cyber security, risk-based pricing, and sustainability practices could have unanticipated consequences for the Company and its businesses. It is unclear whether and to what extent Congress, the current Administration or individual states will continue to pursue these types of proposals, and how those changes might impact the Company, its business, financial conditions, results of operations or liquidity.
Our U.S. 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.
Our international insurance subsidiaries are subject to the laws and regulations of the relevant jurisdictions in which they operate, including the requirements of the PRA and the FCA in the U.K, the Bermuda Monetary Authority in Bermuda and the Insurance Authority in Hong Kong. Our Lloyd’s Syndicate is also subject to management and supervision by the Council of Lloyd’s, which has wide discretionary powers to regulate members’ underwriting at Lloyd’s, as well as regulations imposed by overseas regulators where the Lloyd’s Syndicate conducts business.
In addition, future regulatory initiatives could be adopted at the federal, state and international level that could affect the profitability of our businesses. For example, the NAIC and state insurance regulators periodically reexamine existing laws and regulations, specifically focusing on modifications to U.S. 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 adequacy, including risk-based capital ratios.
Lawmakers and regulators at the federal, state and international levels are enacting laws and promulgating regulations and guidance related to climate change, with conflicting policies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction possible, which may impose additional costs on the Company, or expose us to new or additional risks. The Company could be subject to these enactments both as a public company generally and specifically as an insurer.
As a public company, we continue to monitor the development of various climate disclosure regimes. Such developments have stalled at the federal level, with the SEC having withdrawn its defense of its 2024 comprehensive climate rules, but have continued to expand in certain state and international jurisdictions. We may be subject to these reporting regimes based on the particulars of our corporate footprint. Other regulators may impose additional reporting requirements affecting our operations, such as disclosure related to greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) and other climate-related information, thereby increasing our operating expenses and litigation risk.
As an insurer, insurance affordability and availability trends are under scrutiny by federal and state lawmakers and state insurance regulators with new laws and regulations potentially impacting exposure mix, growth, and reinsurance strategies. For example, regulators could impose new disclosure requirements regarding underwriting or investment in certain industry sectors or take other actions such as implementing a temporary moratorium on cancellation of policies within catastrophe prone areas. The Federal Insurance Office continues to analyze the potential for climate change to affect insurance and reinsurance coverage, which could result in increased data collection and reporting.
There has also been increased regulatory scrutiny of the use of emerging technologies related to artificial intelligence, including machine learning, predictive analytics and other “big data" techniques, and the potential for unfair discrimination or unintended bias arising from such use. We may be subject to new regulations that could materially adversely affect our operations or ability to write business profitably in one or more jurisdictions. The NAIC adopted a Model Bulletin on the Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems by Insurers. About 25 states have adopted some form of the Model Bulletin. State insurance regulators may adopt their own guidelines for insurers independent of the NAIC guidance. We cannot predict what, if any, legislative or regulatory actions may be taken regarding these or other emerging technologies, but any inquiries and/or limitations could have a material impact on our business, business processes, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, changes in laws, regulations or executive orders, particularly relating to privacy and data security, may materially impede our ability to execute on business strategies and/or our ability to be competitive.
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
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increased statutory capital and reserve requirements. Moreover, should the Company be classified as an Internationally Active Insurance Group, it would be subject to additional requirements including the requirement to report its group capital ratio to state regulators under the NAIC Aggregation Method. 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 and other regulators. The result of those potential challenges could require us to increase levels of regulatory 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, regulations and executive orders 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, regulations and executive orders is costly, time consuming and personnel intensive, and may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or 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 insurance company, litigation is a routine part of The Hartford’s business - both in defending and indemnifying our insureds and in litigating insurance coverage and benefits 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. Such changes also can be legislative or regulatory, including changes in federal or state laws and regulations relating to the liability of insurers or policyholders, such as state laws expanding “bad faith” liability and state “reviver” statutes, extending statutes of limitations for certain sexual molestation and sexual abuse claims. Such changes could also come in the form of executive orders. Changes in the legal environment could result in changes in business practices, additional litigation, or unexpected losses, including increased frequency and severity of claims. Also, the emergence of new targets and new and expanding theories of liability for claims involving issues like global climate change, risks from products and substances alleged to cause damage, physical and mental health crises, new technologies, evolving legal system trends such as legal system abuse, attorney representation rates, and increased third-party litigation funding, and other socioeconomic and political dynamics could result in additional litigation exposure and unexpected losses. 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 or liquidity.
Changes in federal, state or foreign tax laws could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
Changes in federal, state or foreign tax laws and tax rates, regulations, or related executive orders could have a material adverse effect on our profitability or financial condition by increasing the Company's overall tax and compliance burdens. The Company’s federal and state tax returns reflect certain items such as tax-exempt bond interest, tax credits, and insurance reserve deductions. There is a risk that, in the context of tax reform in the U.S., federal and/or state tax legislation could modify or eliminate these items, impacting the Company, its investments, investment strategies, and/or its policyholders.
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 and similar rules applying to subsidiaries domiciled outside of the United States 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.
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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 or 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 - Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Item 1C.
Cybersecurity
The Hartford has implemented an information protection program with established governance routines for assessing and managing risks. The Hartford employs a ‘defense-in-depth’ strategy that uses multiple security measures to protect the integrity of the Company's information assets. This ‘defense-in-depth’ strategy aligns to the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework, where controls are implemented throughout our environments to achieve the six categorical objectives of governance, identification, protection, detection, response and recovery.
Our 'defense in depth' program uses several methods to protect against intrusion by a bad actor, including such techniques as reputational filtering, anti-virus scans, intrusion prevention, multi-factor authentication, and account isolation among others. We also use numerous approaches to detect ransomware and other cyber attacks, including, among others, dark web searches, email sandboxing, endpoint detection, and intrusion detection. The Hartford continues to monitor and enhance its framework to respond to evolving cyber threats and regulations for data privacy, including the European Union General Data Protection Regulation, the California Consumer Privacy Act and the New York Department of Financial Services Cybersecurity Regulation.
We regularly assess our programs and control environment, leveraging externally conducted cyber tests and evaluations along with internally managed cyber risk assessments and testing. Additionally, the Company collaborates with industry associations, government authorities and external advisors to monitor the threat environment and to inform our security practices.
In connection with regular assessments of third-party service providers, vendor’s information security practices and protocols are assessed by the information protection team, including its readiness to protect against and respond to cybersecurity breaches. Third-party service providers are categorized in tiers depending on the significance of their operations to the Company’s business processes and risk assessments for vendors in the highest tier are completed periodically. With respect to cyber, we have procedures to verify service provider’s information security controls, and a vendor cyber questionnaire is completed that also addresses their resiliency in the event of an intrusion to their systems. We proactively communicate with suppliers to understand mitigation steps taken when major cyber exposures are identified.
We are executing on a multi-year roadmap to, among other things, further improve our ability to defend against, respond to,
and recover from ransomware and other cyber events; enhance application cybersecurity capabilities, including defenses against fraud attacks; and to ensure security capabilities are built into new cloud-based platforms that we adopt. A number of states where our insurance companies are domiciled, including Connecticut, have adopted the NAIC Insurance Data Security Model Law. Our legal team monitors the status of new cybersecurity regulations, including notification requirements.
To the best knowledge of Management, no risks from cybersecurity threats have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company, including its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.For further discussion of the Company's risks related to cybersecurity, see Part I, Item 1A, — Risk Factors for the risk factor "Our businesses may suffer and we may incur substantial costs if we are unable to access our systems and safeguard the security of our data in the event of a disaster, cyber breach, other information security incident or technology failure."
From a governance perspective, senior members of our Enterprise Risk Management, Information Protection and Internal Audit functions provide detailed, regular reports on cybersecurity matters to the Board of Directors, primarily through the Audit Committee, which oversees controls for the Company's major risk exposures and has principal responsibility for oversight of cybersecurity risk, and the Finance, Investment and Risk Management Committee ("FIRMCo"), which oversees business risk related to cyber insurance products. The topics covered by these updates include the Company's activities, policies and procedures to prevent, detect and respond to cybersecurity incidents, as well as lessons learned from cybersecurity incidents and internal and external testing of our cyber defenses.
The Audit Committee is provided with updates on technology and cybersecurity risks at least four times annually, including annual reviews of the Company's cybersecurity program and technology risks and controls, and bi-annual updates on operational risks (in spring and fall). Given its importance, the full Board of Directors is invited to attend the annual cybersecurity program update and time is reserved at each Audit Committee meeting for cybersecurity technology matters that warrant discussion between the standing sessions. In addition, Enterprise Risk Management provides FIRMCo an assessment of cyber insurance risk once per year. The Audit Committee, FIRMCo and the full Board of Directors are apprised of developments in the external environment and business strategies that present additional potential cyber risk exposure to the Company on an as-needed basis. As a result,
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cybersecurity and cyber risk are typically discussed more frequently than the annual minimum requirements.
The Company has established an Executive Privacy & Security Council ("EPSC") that meets semi-annually. The EPSC consists of a cross-functional senior leaders, including the Chief Information Officer ("CIO"), the Chief Information Security Officer ("CISO"), the Chief Risk Officer ("CRO"), the Chief Privacy Officer ("CPO") and General Counsel, among others.The EPSC receives a monthly written executive briefing on topics, and with metrics related to cybersecurity, including incident prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation. Quarterly, the Information Technology Risk Council, made up of senior IT leaders, is also provided with an update of cybersecurity risks and preparedness. Various other meetings are held on cybersecurity topics periodically, including monthly business operating reviews, and meetings of the Enterprise Risk
and Capital Committee ("ERCC") and executive leadership team.
Both the CIO and the CISO have expertise assessing and managing cybersecurity risks. The CIO assumed his current role in March of 2025 and served in several similar technology leadership roles during his thirty-year career. The CISO has also held several senior-level information technology roles in his twenty-seven-year tenure with the Company and has served in his current role since 2021. In his various roles, he has been responsible for providing senior leadership in the areas of information security, IT governance risk & compliance, business continuity, and disaster recovery.
Item 2.
Properties
As of December 31, 2025, The Hartford owned building space totaling approximately 1.8 million square feet consisting of its home office complex in Hartford, Connecticut and other properties within the greater Hartford, Connecticut area. In addition, we lease offices throughout North America, the United Kingdom, India, and other overseas locations to house administrative, claims handling, sales and other business operations. As of December 31, 2025, The Hartford leased approximately 1 million square feet throughout the United
States, 13 thousand square feet in London and 28 thousand square feet in other international branches. All of the properties owned or leased are used by one or more of the five reportable segments, or are used for corporate purposes, depending on the location. For more information on reportable segments, see Part I, Item 1, Business Reportable Segments and Corporate. The Company believes its properties and facilities are suitable and adequate for current operations.
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings
For a discussion regarding The Hartford’s legal proceedings, see the information contained under “Litigation” including “Run-off Asbestos and Environmental Claims” in Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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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 19, 2026, the Company had approximately 7,119 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.
The Hartford's cash dividends paid on common stock and expected payment of future cash dividends are discussed in the
Summary of Capital Resources and Liquidity and Liquidity Requirements and Sources of Capital - Dividends sections 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.
Repurchases of common stock by the Company during the quarter ended December 31, 2025 are set forth below. During the period from January 1, 2026 through February 19, 2026, the Company repurchased 1.8 million common shares for $247.
(in millions)
[1]Includes 8,199 shares in net settlement of employee tax withholding obligations related to equity awards under the Company's incentive stock plans, which were not part of publicly announced share repurchase authorizations. The Company paid an average price per share of $126.44 in employee tax withholding obligations related to net share settlements in the three months ended December 31, 2025.
[2]Average price paid per share includes the purchase price of shares acquired and direct costs to acquire shares, including commissions and accrued 1% excise taxes.
[3]On July 25, 2024, the Board of Directors approved a share repurchase authorization for up to $3.3 billion effective from August 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026. The timing of any repurchases is dependent on several factors, including the market price of the Company's securities, the Company's capital position, consideration of the effect of any repurchases on the Company's financial strength or credit ratings, the Company's blackout periods, and other considerations. Share repurchase authorization does not include commissions or 1% excise tax costs.
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Total Return to Stockholders
The following table presents The Hartford’s 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.
Cumulative Five-Year Total Return
Base Period
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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.
Certain reclassifications have been made to historical financial information presented in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations to conform to the current period presentation.
The Hartford defines increases or decreases greater than or equal to 200%, or changes from a net gain to a net loss position, or vice versa, as "NM" or not meaningful.
For discussion of the earliest of the three years included in the financial statements of the current filing, refer to Part II, Item 7, MD&A in The Hartford’s 2024 Form 10-K Annual Report.
Index
Description Page
Key Performance Measures and Ratios 37
The Hartford's Operations 42
Financial Highlights 44
Consolidated Results of Operations 45
Investment Results 48
Critical Accounting Estimates 50
Business Insurance 70
Personal Insurance 75
Property & Casualty Other Operations 80
Employee Benefits 81
Hartford Funds 83
Corporate 85
Enterprise Risk Management 86
Capital Resources and Liquidity 106
Impact of New Accounting Standards 113
Throughout the MD&A, we use certain terms and abbreviations, the more commonly used are summarized in theAcronymssection.
Key Performance Measures and Ratios
The Company considers the measures and ratios in the following discussion to be key performance indicators for its businesses. Management believes that these ratios and measures are useful in understanding the underlying trends in The Hartford’s businesses. However, these key performance indicators should only be used in conjunction with, and not in lieu of, the results presented in the reportable segment and corporate operating summaries that follow in this MD&A. These ratios and measures may not be comparable to other performance measures used by the Company’s competitors.
Definitions of Non-GAAP and Other Measures and Ratios
Assets Under Management ("AUM")- Include mutual fund and ETF assets. AUM is a measure used by the Company's Hartford Funds segment because a significant portion of the segment’s revenues and expenses are based upon asset values. These revenues and expenses increase or decrease with a rise or fall in AUM whether caused by changes in the market or through net flows.
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Book Value per Diluted Share excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) ("AOCI")- This is a non-GAAP per share measure that is calculated by dividing (a) common stockholders' equity, excluding AOCI, after tax, by (b) common shares outstanding and dilutive potential common shares. The Company provides this measure to enable investors to analyze the amount of the Company's net worth that is primarily attributable to the Company's business operations. The Company believes that excluding AOCI from the numerator is useful to investors because it eliminates the effect of items that can fluctuate significantly from period to period, primarily based on changes in interest rates. Book value per diluted share is the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure.
Combined Ratio- The sum of the loss and loss adjustment expense ratio, the expense ratio and the policyholder dividend ratio. This ratio is a relative measurement that describes the related cost of losses and expenses for every $100 of earned premiums. A combined ratio below 100 demonstrates underwriting profit; a combined ratio above 100 demonstrates underwriting losses.
Core Earnings- The Hartford uses the non-GAAP measure core earnings as an important measure of the Company’s operating performance. The Hartford believes that core earnings provides investors with a valuable measure of the performance of the Company’s ongoing businesses because it reveals trends in our insurance and financial services businesses that may be obscured by including the net effect of certain items. Therefore, the following items are excluded from core earnings:
•Certain realized gains and losses - Generally realized gains and losses are primarily driven by investment decisions and external economic developments, the nature and timing of which are unrelated to the insurance and underwriting aspects of our business. Accordingly, core earnings excludes the effect of all realized gains and losses that tend to be highly variable from period to period based on capital market conditions. The Hartford believes, however, that some realized gains and losses are integrally related to our insurance operations, so core earnings includes net realized gains and losses such as net periodic settlements on credit derivatives. These net realized gains and losses are directly related to an offsetting item included in the income statement such as net investment income.
•Restructuring and other costs - Costs incurred as part of a restructuring plan are not a recurring operating expense of the business.
•Loss on extinguishment of debt - Largely consisting of make-whole payments or tender premiums upon paying debt off before maturity, these losses are not a recurring operating expense of the business.
•Gains and losses on reinsurance transactions - Gains or losses on reinsurance, such as those entered into upon sale of a business or to reinsure loss reserves, are not a recurring operating expense of the business.
•Integration and other non-recurring M&A costs - These costs, including transaction costs incurred in connection with an acquired business, are incurred over a short period of time and do not represent an ongoing operating expense of the business.
•Change in loss reserves upon acquisition of a business - These changes in loss reserves are excluded from core earnings because such changes could obscure the ability to compare results in periods after the acquisition to results of periods prior to the acquisition.
•Deferred gain resulting from retroactive reinsurance and subsequent changes in the deferred gain - Retroactive reinsurance agreements economically transfer risk to the reinsurers and excluding the deferred gain on retroactive reinsurance and related amortization of the deferred gain from core earnings provides greater insight into the economics of the business.
•Change in valuation allowance on deferred taxes related to non-core components of before tax income - These changes in valuation allowances are excluded from core earnings because they relate to non-core components of before tax income, such as tax attributes like capital loss carryforwards.
•Results of discontinued operations - These results are excluded from core earnings for businesses sold or held for sale because such results could obscure the ability to compare period over period results for our ongoing businesses.
In addition to the above components of net income available to common stockholders that are excluded from core earnings, preferred stock dividends declared, which are excluded from net income, are included in the determination of core earnings. Preferred stock dividends are a cost of financing more akin to interest expense on debt and are expected to be a recurring expense as long as the preferred stock is outstanding.
Net income (loss) and net income (loss) available to common stockholders are the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measures to core earnings. Core earnings should not be considered as a substitute for net income (loss) or net income (loss) available to common stockholders and does not reflect the overall profitability of the Company's business. Therefore, The Hartford believes that it is useful for investors to evaluate net income (loss), net income (loss) available to common stockholders, and core earnings when reviewing the Company's performance.
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Reconciliation of Net Income to Core Earnings
For the years ended December 31,
Preferred stock dividends 21 21 21
Net income available to common stockholders 3,815 3,090 2,483
Net realized losses excluded from core earnings, before tax 96 56 152
Restructuring and other costs, before tax — 2 6
Integration and other non-recurring M&A costs, before tax 7 8 8
Change in deferred gain on retroactive reinsurance, before tax [1] (64) (83) 194
Income tax expense (benefit) [2] (9) 3 (76)
[1]The Company recorded amortization of the deferred gain related to the Navigators adverse development cover ("Navigators ADC") of $64 and $145 for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The deferred gain has been fully amortized as of September 30, 2025. In addition, for the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company ceded, $62 of losses under the asbestos and environmental adverse development cover ("A&E ADC"), which was reflected as an increase to the deferred gain. For additional information regarding the adverse development cover ("ADC") reinsurance agreements, refer to Note 10 - Reserve for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
[2]Primarily represents the federal income tax expense (benefit) related to before tax items not included in core earnings.
Core Earnings Margin- The Hartford uses the non-GAAP measure core earnings margin to evaluate, and believes it is an important measure of, the Employee Benefits segment's operating performance. Core earnings margin is calculated by dividing core earnings by revenues, excluding buyouts and realized gains (losses). Net income margin, calculated by dividing net income by revenues, is the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure. The Company believes that core earnings margin provides investors with a valuable measure of the performance of Employee Benefits because it reveals trends in the business that may be obscured by the effect of buyouts and realized gains (losses) as well as other items excluded in the calculation of core earnings. Core earnings margin should not be considered as a substitute for net income margin and does not reflect the overall profitability of Employee Benefits. Therefore, the Company believes it is important for investors to evaluate both core earnings margin and net income margin when reviewing performance. A reconciliation of net income margin to core earnings margin is set forth in the Results of Operations section within MD&A - Employee Benefits.
Current Accident Year Catastrophe Ratio- A component of the loss and loss adjustment expense ratio, represents the ratio of catastrophe losses incurred in the current accident year ("CAY") (net of reinsurance) to earned premiums. For U.S. events, a catastrophe is an event that causes $25 or more in industry insured property losses and affects a significant number of property and casualty policyholders and insurers, as defined by the Property Claim Services office of Verisk. For international events, the Company's approach is similar, informed, in part, by how Lloyd's of London defines major losses. Lloyd's of London is an insurance market-place operating worldwide ("Lloyd's"). Lloyd's does not underwrite risks. The Company accepts risks as the sole member of Lloyd's Syndicate 1221 ("Lloyd's Syndicate"). The current accident year catastrophe ratio includes the effect of catastrophe losses, but does not include the effect of reinstatement premiums.
Expense Ratio- For Business Insurance and Personal Insurance is the ratio of underwriting expenses less fee income, to earned premiums. Underwriting expenses include the amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs ("DAC"), amortization of other intangible assets and insurance operating costs and other expenses, including certain centralized services costs and bad debt expense. DAC includes commissions, taxes, licenses and fees and other incremental direct underwriting expenses and are amortized over the policy term.
The expense ratio for Employee Benefits is expressed as the ratio of insurance operating costs and other expenses including amortization of intangibles and amortization of DAC, to premiums and other considerations, excluding buyout premiums.
The expense ratio for Business Insurance, Personal Insurance and Employee Benefits does not include integration and other transaction costs associated with an acquired business.
Fee Income- Is largely driven from amounts earned as a result of contractually defined percentages of AUM in our Hartford Funds business. These fees are generally earned on a daily basis. Therefore, this fee income increases or decreases with the rise or fall in AUM whether caused by changes in the market or through net flows.
Gross New Business Premium- Represents the amount of premiums charged, before ceded reinsurance, for policies issued to customers who were not insured with the Company in the previous policy term. Gross new business premium plus gross renewal written premium less ceded reinsurance equals total written premium.
Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Ratio- A measure of the cost of claims incurred in the calendar year divided by earned premium and includes losses and loss adjustment expenses incurred for both the current and prior accident years. Among other factors, the loss and loss adjustment expense ratio needed for the Company to achieve
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its targeted return on equity ("ROE") fluctuates from year to year based on changes in the expected investment yield over the claim settlement period, the timing of expected claim settlements and the targeted returns set by management based on the competitive environment.
The loss and loss adjustment expense ratio is affected by claim frequency and claim severity, particularly for shorter-tail property lines of business, where the emergence of claim frequency and severity is credible and likely indicative of ultimate losses. Claim frequency represents the percentage change in the average number of reported claims per unit of exposure in the current accident year compared to that of the previous accident year. Claim severity represents the percentage change in the estimated average cost per claim in the current accident year compared to that of the previous accident year. As one of the factors used to determine pricing, the Company’s practice is to first make an overall assumption about claim frequency and severity for a given line of business and then, as part of the rate-making process, adjust the assumption as appropriate for the particular state, product or coverage.
Underlying Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Ratio- This non-GAAP financial measure is the cost of non-catastrophe loss and loss adjustment expenses incurred in the current accident year divided by earned premiums. The loss and loss adjustment expense ratio is the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure. Management believes that the underlying loss and loss adjustment expense ratio is a performance measure that is useful to investors as it removes the impact of volatile and unpredictable catastrophe losses and prior accident year development ("PYD"). A reconciliation of the loss and loss adjustment expense ratio to the underlying loss and loss adjustment expense ratio is set forth in the Reportable Segment and Corporate Operating Summaries section within MD&A.
Loss Ratio, excluding Buyouts- Utilized for the Employee Benefits segment and is expressed as a ratio of benefits, losses and loss adjustment expenses, excluding those related to buyout premiums, to premiums and other considerations, excluding buyout premiums. Since Employee Benefits occasionally buys a block of claims for a stated premium amount, the Company excludes this buyout from the loss ratio used for evaluating the profitability of the business as buyouts may distort the loss ratio. Buyout premiums represent takeover of open claim liabilities and other non-recurring premium amounts.
Net investment income excluding limited partnerships and other alternative investments- This non-GAAP measure is the amount of net investment income on a consolidated level earned from invested assets, excluding the net investment income related to limited partnerships and other alternative investments. The Company believes that net investment income excluding limited partnerships and other alternative investments, provides investors with an important measure of the trend in investment earnings because it excludes the impact of the volatility in returns related to limited partnerships and other alternative investments. Net investment income is the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure. A reconciliation of net investment income to net investment income excluding limited partnerships and other alternative investments - is set forth in the Investment Results section within MD&A.
Mutual Fund and Exchange-Traded Fund Assets- Are owned by the shareowners of those products and not by the Company and, therefore, are not reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements, except in instances where the Company seeds new investment products.
Mutual fund and ETF assets are a measure used by the Company primarily because a significant portion of the Company’s Hartford Funds segment revenues and expenses are based upon asset values. These revenues and expenses increase or decrease with a rise or fall in AUM whether caused by changes in the market or through net flows.
Net New Business Premium- Represents the amount of premiums charged, after ceded reinsurance, for policies issued to customers who were not insured with the Company in the previous policy term. Net new business premium plus renewal written premium equals total written premium.
Policy Count Retention- For small business, represents the number of renewal policies issued during the current year period divided by the new and renewal policies issued in the prior period. Policy count retention is affected by a number of factors, including the percentage of renewal policy quotes accepted and decisions by the Company to non-renew policies because of specific policy underwriting concerns or because of a decision to reduce premium writings in certain classes of business or states. Policy count retention is also affected by advertising and rate actions taken by us and competitors.
Effective Policy Count Retention- For Personal Insurance, represents the number of policies expected to renew in the current year period, based on contract effective dates, divided by the new and renewal policies effective in the prior period. Effective policy count retention is affected by a number of factors, including the percentage of renewal policy quotes accepted and decisions by the Company to non-renew policies because of specific policy underwriting concerns or because of a decision to reduce premium writings in certain classes of business or states. Effective policy count retention is also affected by advertising and rate actions taken by us and competitors, as well as the effect of subsequent cancellations and non-renewals by customers. Effective policy count retention statistics are subject to change from period to period based on the effect of differences between actual and expected policy cancellations throughout the policy period.
Policies in-force- Represents the number of policies with coverage in effect as of the end of the period. The number of policies in-force is a growth measure used for Personal Insurance, small business, and middle market lines within middle & large business and is affected by both new business growth and retention.
Policyholder Dividend Ratio- The ratio of policyholder dividends to earned premium.
Premium Retention- For middle & large business, represents the ratio of prior period premiums that were successfully renewed divided by premiums associated with policies available for renewal in the current period. Premium retention excludes premium amounts from annual audits, renewal written price increases and changes in exposure, including amount of insurance. Premium retention statistics are subject to change from period to period based on a number of
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factors, including the effect of subsequent cancellations and non-renewals.
Prior Accident Year Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Ratio- Represents the increase (decrease) in the estimated cost of settling catastrophe and non-catastrophe claims incurred in prior accident years as recorded in the current calendar year divided by earned premiums.
Reinstatement Premiums- Represents additional ceded premium paid for the reinstatement of the amount of reinsurance coverage that was reduced as a result of the Company ceding losses to reinsurers.
Renewal Earned Price Increase (Decrease)- Written premiums are earned over the policy term, which is six months for certain personal automobile business and twelve months for substantially all of the remainder of the Company’s P&C business. Since the Company earns premiums over the six to twelve month term of the policies, renewal earned price increases (decreases) lag renewal written price increases (decreases) by six to twelve months.
Renewal Written Price Increase (Decrease)- For Business Insurance, represents the combined effect of rate changes, and individual risk pricing decisions per unit of exposure on policies that renewed and includes amount of insurance. For Personal Insurance, renewal written price increases represent the total change in premium per policy since the prior year on those policies that renewed and includes the combined effect of rate changes, amount of insurance and other changes in exposure. For Personal Insurance, other changes in exposure include, but are not limited to, the effect of changes in number of drivers, vehicles and incidents, as well as changes in customer policy elections, such as deductibles and limits. The rate component represents the change in rate impacting renewal policies as previously filed with and approved by state regulators during the period. Amount of insurance represents the change in the value of the rating base, such as model year/vehicle symbol for automobiles, building replacement costs for property and wage inflation for workers’ compensation. A number of factors affect renewal written price increases (decreases) including expected loss costs as projected by the Company’s pricing actuaries, rate filings approved by state regulators, risk selection decisions made by the Company’s underwriters and marketplace competition. Renewal written price changes reflect the property and casualty insurance market cycle. Prices tend to increase for a particular line of business when insurance carriers have incurred significant losses in that line of business in the recent past or the industry as a whole commits less of its capital to writing exposures in that line of business. Prices tend to decrease when recent loss experience has been favorable or when competition among insurance carriers increases. Renewal written price statistics are subject to change from period to period, based on a number of factors, including changes in actuarial estimates and the effect of subsequent cancellations and non-renewals, and modifications made to better reflect ultimate pricing achieved.
Return on Assets ("ROA"), Core Earnings-The Company uses this non-GAAP financial measure to evaluate, and believes is an important measure of, the Hartford Funds segment’s operating performance. ROA, core earnings is calculated by dividing annualized core earnings by a daily average AUM. ROA is the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure. The Company believes that ROA, core earnings, provides investors with a valuable measure of the performance of the Hartford Funds segment because it reveals trends in our business that may be obscured by the effect of items excluded in the calculation of core earnings. ROA, core earnings, should not be considered as a substitute for ROA and does not reflect the overall profitability of our Hartford Funds business. Therefore, the Company believes it is important for investors to evaluate both ROA, and ROA, core earnings when reviewing the Hartford Funds segment performance. A reconciliation of ROA to ROA, core earnings is set forth in the Results of Operations section within MD&A - Hartford Funds.
Underlying Combined Ratio- This non-GAAP financial measure of underwriting results represents the combined ratio before catastrophes, prior accident year development and current accident year change in loss reserves upon acquisition of a business. Combined ratio is the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure. The Company believes this ratio is an important measure of the trend in profitability since it removes the impact of volatile and unpredictable catastrophe losses and prior accident year loss and loss adjustment expense reserve development. The changes to loss reserves upon acquisition of a business are excluded from underlying combined ratio because such changes could obscure the ability to compare results in periods after the acquisition to results of periods prior to the acquisition as such trends are valuable to our investors' ability to assess the Company's financial performance. A reconciliation of combined ratio to underlying combined ratio is set forth in the Results of Operations section within MD&A - Business Insurance and Personal Insurance.
Underwriting Gain (Loss)- This non-GAAP financial measure is a before tax measure that represents earned premiums less incurred losses, loss adjustment expenses and underwriting expenses. Net income (loss) is the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure. The Hartford's management evaluates profitability of the Business and Personal Insurance segments primarily on the basis of underwriting gain or loss. Underwriting gain (loss) is influenced significantly by earned premium growth and the adequacy of The Hartford's pricing. Underwriting profitability over time is also greatly influenced by The Hartford's underwriting discipline, as management strives to manage exposure to loss through favorable risk selection and diversification, effective management of claims, use of reinsurance and its ability to manage its expenses. The Hartford believes that underwriting gain (loss) provides investors with a valuable measure of profitability, before tax, derived from underwriting activities, which are managed separately from the Company's investing activities.
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Reconciliation of Net Income to Underwriting Gain (Loss)
For the years ended December 31,
Business Insurance
Adjustments to reconcile net income to underwriting gain:
Other (income) expense 3 5 1
Personal Insurance
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to underwriting gain (loss):
Net servicing and other (income) expense (17) (18) (21)
Income tax expense (benefit) 113 49 (15)
Underwriting gain (loss) $ 300 $ 31 $ (230)
P&C Other Ops
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to underwriting loss:
Net investment income (76) (74) (69)
Net realized losses 3 4 7
Other expense 1 4 —
Income tax benefit (29) (35) (36)
Written and Earned Premiums- Written premium represents the amount of premiums charged for policies issued, net of reinsurance, during a fiscal period. Premiums are considered earned and are included in the financial results on a pro rata basis over the policy period. Management believes that written premium is a performance measure that is useful to investors as it reflects current trends in the Company’s sale of property and casualty insurance products. Written and earned premium are recorded net of ceded reinsurance premium.
Written premium growth, for the Company's property and casualty insurance businesses, is a function of retention, pricing, exposure growth and new business, all of which can be impacted by competitive market conditions and general economic conditions. Changes in reinsurance programs can also impact written premium growth.
Traditional life and disability insurance type products, such as those sold by Employee Benefits, collect premiums from policyholders in exchange for financial protection for the policyholder from a specified insurable loss, such as death or disability. These premiums together with net investment income earned are used to pay the contractual obligations under these insurance contracts.
Two major factors, sales and persistency, impact premium growth. Sales can increase or decrease in a given year based
on a number of factors, including but not limited to, customer demand for the Company’s product offerings, pricing competition, distribution channels and the Company’s reputation and ratings. Persistency refers to the percentage of premium remaining in-force from year-to-year.
The Hartford's Operations
The Hartford conducts business principally in five reportable segments including Business Insurance, Personal Insurance, Property & Casualty Other Operations, Employee Benefits and Hartford Funds, as well as a Corporate category. The Company includes in the Corporate category capital raising activities (including equity financing, debt financing and related interest expense), purchase accounting adjustments related to goodwill, reserves for run-off structured settlement and terminal funding agreement liabilities, restructuring costs, transaction expenses incurred in connection with an acquisition, certain M&A costs, and other expenses not allocated to the reportable segments. Corporate also includes investment management fees and expenses related to managing third-party assets.
The Company derives its revenues principally from: (a) premiums earned for insurance coverage provided to insureds; (b) management fees on mutual fund and ETF assets; (c) net investment income; (d) fees earned for services provided
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to third parties; and (e) net realized gains and losses. Premiums charged for insurance coverage are earned principally on a pro rata basis over the terms of the related policies in-force.
The profitability of the Company's property and casualty insurance businesses over time is greatly influenced by the Company’s underwriting discipline, which seeks to manage exposure to loss through favorable risk selection and diversification, its management of claims, its use of reinsurance, the size of its in force block, making reliable estimates of actual mortality and morbidity, and its ability to manage its expense ratio which it accomplishes through economies of scale and its management of acquisition costs and other insurance operating costs. Pricing adequacy depends on a number of factors, including the ability to obtain regulatory approval for rate changes, proper evaluation of underwriting risks, the ability to project future loss cost frequency and severity based on historical loss experience adjusted for known trends, the Company’s response to rate actions taken by competitors, its expense levels and expectations about regulatory and legal developments. The Company seeks to price its insurance policies such that insurance premiums and future net investment income earned on premiums received will cover insurance operating costs and the ultimate cost of paying claims reported on the policies and provide for a profit margin. For many of its insurance products, the Company is required to obtain approval for its premium rates from state insurance departments and the Lloyd's Syndicate's ability to write business is subject to Lloyd's approval for its premium capacity each year. Most of Personal Insurance written premium is associated with our exclusive licensing agreement with AARP, which is effective through December 31, 2032. This agreement provides an important competitive advantage given the size of the 50 plus population and the strength of the AARP brand.
Similar to property and casualty, profitability of the Employee Benefits business depends, in large part, on the ability to evaluate and price risks appropriately and make reliable estimates of mortality, morbidity, disability and longevity. To manage the pricing risk, Employee Benefits generally offers term insurance policies, allowing for the adjustment of rates or policy terms in order to minimize the adverse effect of market trends, loss costs, declining interest rates and other factors. However, as policies are typically sold with rate guarantees an average of three years, pricing for the Company’s products could prove to be inadequate if loss and expense trends emerge adversely during the rate guarantee period or if investment returns are lower than expected at the time the products were sold. For some of its products, the Company is required to obtain approval for its premium rates from state insurance departments. New and renewal business for employee benefits business, particularly for LTD, are priced using an assumption
about expected investment yields over time. While the Company employs asset-liability duration matching strategies to mitigate risk and may use interest-rate sensitive derivatives to hedge its exposure in the Employee Benefits investment portfolio, cash flow patterns related to the payment of benefits and claims are uncertain and actual investment yields could differ significantly from expected investment yields, affecting profitability of the business. In addition to appropriately evaluating and pricing risks, the profitability of the Employee Benefits business depends on other factors, including the Company’s response to pricing decisions and other actions taken by competitors, its ability to offer voluntary products and self-service capabilities, the persistency of its sold business and its ability to manage its expenses which it seeks to achieve through economies of scale and operating efficiencies.
The financial results of the Company’s mutual fund and ETF businesses depend largely on the amount of AUM and the level of fees charged based, in part, on asset share class and fund type. Changes in AUM are driven by the two main factors of net flows and the market return of the funds, which are heavily influenced by the return realized in the equity and bond markets. Net flows are comprised of new sales less redemptions by mutual fund and ETF shareowners. Financial results are highly correlated to the growth in AUM since these funds generally earn fee income on a daily basis.
The investment return, or yield, on invested assets is an important element of the Company’s earnings since insurance products are priced with the assumption that premiums received can be invested for a period of time before benefits, losses and loss adjustment expenses are paid. Due to the need to maintain sufficient liquidity to satisfy claim obligations, the majority of the Company’s invested assets have been held in available-for-sale ("AFS") securities, including, among other asset classes, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, government debt, short-term debt, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities ("ABS") and collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs"). The Company also invests in commercial mortgage loans as well as limited partnerships and other alternative investments, which are private investments that are less liquid, but have the potential to generate higher returns. The primary investment objective for the Company is to maximize economic value, consistent with acceptable risk parameters, including the management of credit risk and interest rate sensitivity of invested assets, while generating sufficient net of tax income to meet policyholder and corporate obligations. Investment strategies are developed based on a variety of factors including business needs, regulatory requirements and tax considerations.
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2025 Financial Highlights
+ More favorable P&C prior accident year reserve development
+ Lower underlying loss and LAE ratio in Personal Insurance
- Higher underlying loss and LAE ratio in Business Insurance
Ý Increased 20 bps Þ Improved 2.9 points Þ Decreased 0.1 points
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Consolidated Results of Operations
The Consolidated Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and the related Notes as well as with the Reportable Segment and Corporate Operating Summaries within the MD&A.
Consolidated Results of Operations
Amortization of other intangible assets 71 71 71 — % — %
Restructuring and other costs — 2 6 (100 %) (67 %)
Preferred stock dividends 21 21 21 — % — %
Year ended December 31, 2025 compared to 2024
Net income available to common stockholders increased by $725, primarily driven by:
•A higher P&C underwriting gain of $623, before tax, primarily driven by the effect of earned premium growth, a higher level of favorable prior accident year reserve development, and a lower underlying loss and LAE ratio in Personal Insurance, partially offset by a higher underlying loss and LAE ratio in Business Insurance;
•Higher net investment income of $343, before tax, driven by a higher level of invested assets, higher income from limited partnerships and other alternative investments, and reinvesting at higher interest rates, partially offset by a lower yield on variable-rate securities; and
•Higher other revenues driven by an increase in valuation of an investment.
These increases were partially offset by:
•In Employee Benefits, the impact of a higher expense ratio, including higher staffing costs and technology costs, and a higher long-term disability loss ratio, partially offset by a lower group life loss ratio, a lower loss ratio on the paid family and medical leave product, and the impact of slightly higher fully insured ongoing premiums; and
•Higher net realized losses of $39, before tax.
For a discussion of the Company's operating results by segment, see MD&A - Reportable Segment and Corporate Operating Summaries.
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Revenue
Earned Premiums
Earned premiums increased by $1,463 or 6% primarily due to:
•An increase in P&C reflecting a 9% increase in Business Insurance and an 8% increase in Personal Insurance.
–Contributing to the increase in Business Insurance was the effect of an increase in new business across most lines of business and earned pricing increases.
–For Personal Insurance, earned premium increased primarily due to the effect of earned pricing increases, partially offset by a decline in policies in-force.
•Employee Benefits earned premium was up slightly as an increase in exposure on existing accounts was largely offset by lower fully insured ongoing sales during the past year.
Fee income increased primarily due to a $42 increase in Hartford Funds driven by higher daily average assets resulting from an increase in equity market levels, partially offset by net outflows over the preceding twelve-month period.
Net Investment Income
Net investment income increased due to the impact of a higher level of invested assets, higher income from limited partnerships and other alternative investments, and reinvesting at higher interest rates, partially offset by a lower yield on variable-rate securities.
Net realized losses increased primarily due to:
•Lower appreciation in value of equity securities in the 2025 period compared to the 2024 period;
•Losses on transactional foreign currency revaluation in the 2025 period compared to gains in the 2024 period;
•Greater depreciation in value of fixed maturities, at fair value using the fair value option (“FVO securities”) in the 2025 period due to changes in credit spreads;
•Impairment of a real estate joint venture in the 2025 period; and
•Gains on interest rate derivatives in the 2024 period.
These losses were partially offset by fewer net losses on sales of fixed maturities.
For further discussion of investment results, see MD&A - Investment Results, Net Investment Income and MD&A - Investment Results, Net Realized Gains (Losses).
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Benefits, Losses and Expenses
Losses and LAE Incurred for P&C
Benefits, losses and loss adjustment expenses increased $364, due to:
•An increase in Property & Casualty of $355, which was attributable to:
–An increase in P&C CAY loss and LAE before catastrophes of $679, before tax, primarily due to the effect of higher earned premiums and a higher underlying loss and LAE ratio in Business Insurance, partially offset by a lower underlying loss and LAE ratio in Personal Insurance.
Partially offset by:
–A favorable change of $304, before tax, in P&C net prior accident year reserve development, with net favorable development in the 2025 period of $424, before tax, and in the 2024 period of $120, before tax. Among other reserve changes, prior year reserve development included adverse development for A&E reserves of $165 and $203, before tax, in 2025 and 2024, respectively, of which $62 was ceded to National Indemnity Company (“NICO”), a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (“Berkshire”) in 2024 under the A&E ADC and accounted for as a deferred gain under retroactive reinsurance accounting. As of December 31, 2024, the Company has ceded the cumulative treaty limit of $1.5 billion. Also included within net prior accident year reserve development for the year ended 2025 and 2024 was a benefit of $64 and $145, respectively related to amortization of the Navigators ADC deferred gain, which has been fully amortized as of September 30, 2025.
Losses and LAE Incurred for Employee Benefits
Apart from the A&E reserve changes and the amortization of the Navigators ADC deferred gain, net favorable reserve development was $347 higher in 2025. Favorable prior year reserve development in the 2025 period was primarily driven by decreases in reserves related to workers' compensation, Personal Insurance automobile liability and physical damage, catastrophes, bond, homeowners, and commercial property, partially offset by unallocated loss adjustment expense (“ULAE”) reserves related to A&E reserves in P&C Other Operations. Favorable prior year reserve development in the 2024 period was primarily driven by decreases in reserves related to workers' compensation, catastrophes, bond, personal automobile liability and physical damage, homeowners, professional liability and uncollectible reinsurance, partially offset by increases in reserves for general liability, commercial automobile liability, assumed reinsurance, and unallocated loss adjustment expense reserves related to A&E reserves in P&C Other Operations.
–A decrease in CAY catastrophe losses of $20, before tax. Catastrophe losses in the 2025 period included losses from tornado, wind and hail events across several regions, but concentrated in the South and Midwest regions, and to a lesser extent, the Mid Atlantic and Mountain West regions as well as a loss of $305, net of reinsurance, from the January 2025 California Wildfire Event. Catastrophe losses in the 2024 period included losses from tornado, wind and hail events across several regions of the United States, as well as hurricanes and tropical storms primarily in the Southeast, South and Mid-Atlantic regions, and, to a lesser extent, from winter storms, primarily in the Pacific, Northeast, and South regions.
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For further discussion, see Note 10 - Reserve for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
•Employee Benefits losses and LAE increased slightly as a higher long-term disability loss ratio was partially offset by a lower group life loss ratio, reflecting reduced mortality, and improved results on the paid family and medical leave product due to pricing actions. The increase in long-term disability was driven by higher current-year loss trends and a benefit in the prior year related to an update to the long-term disability claim recovery rate assumptions.
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs increased from the prior year period driven by Business Insurance, reflecting an increase in earned premiums across all lines of business.
Insurance operating costs and other expenses increased due to:
•Higher staffing costs, including higher incentive compensation and benefits costs, partly in response to increased business volume; and
•Higher technology costs, including increased investment.
Income tax expense increased primarily due to an increase in income before tax. For further discussion of income taxes, see Note 16 - Income Taxes of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Investment Results
Composition of Invested Assets
Amount Percent Amount Percent
Fixed maturities, at fair value using the fair value option 168 0.2 % 308 0.5 %
Equity securities, at fair value 492 0.8 % 603 1.0 %
Limited partnerships and other alternative investments 5,804 9.1 % 5,042 8.5 %
[1]Primarily consists of equity fund investments, overseas deposits, consolidated investment funds, and derivative instruments which are carried at fair value.
December 31, 2025 compared to 2024
Total investments increased primarily due to an increase in fixed maturities, AFS, at fair value and limited partnerships and other alternative investments.
Fixed maturities, AFS, at fair value increased primarily due to net additions of corporate bonds, high-quality residential mortgage-backed securities ("RMBS") and ABS, partially offset by net reductions to tax-exempt municipal bonds. The increase was also due to higher valuations as a result of lower interest rates.
Limited partnerships and other alternative investments increased primarily driven by additional investments and higher valuations.
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Net Investment Income
For the years ended December 31,
(Before tax) Amount Yield [1] Amount Yield [1] Amount Yield [1]
Investment expense (99) (99) (91)
[1]Yields calculated using annualized net investment income divided by the monthly average invested assets at amortized cost, as applicable, excluding derivatives book value.
[2]Includes net investment income on short-term investments.
[3]Primarily includes changes in fair value of certain equity fund investments and income from derivatives that qualify for hedge accounting and are used to hedge fixed maturities.
Year ended December 31, 2025 compared to 2024
Total net investment income increased primarily due to a higher level of invested assets, higher income from limited partnerships and other alternative investments, and the impact of reinvesting at higher rates, partially offset by a lower yield on variable-rate securities.
Annualized net investment income yield, excluding limited partnerships and other alternative investments, increased primarily due to the impact of reinvesting at higher rates, partially offset by a lower yield on variable-rate securities.
Average reinvestment rate on fixed maturities and mortgage loans, excluding U.S. Treasury securities, for the year-ended December 31, 2025 was 5.6%, which was above the average yield of sales and maturities of 5.0% for the same period. Average reinvestment rate on fixed maturities and mortgage loans, excluding U.S. Treasury securities, for the year-ended December 31, 2024 was 5.9%, which was above the average yield of sales and maturities of 5.0% for the same period.
For the 2026 calendar year, we estimate the change in net investment income to increase due to a higher level of invested assets and a higher yield on limited partnerships and other alternative investments. The estimated change in net investment income is subject to variability including the impact of evolving market conditions.
Net Realized Gains (Losses)
For the years ended December 31,
Gross gains on sales of fixed maturities $ 61 $ 31 $ 30
Gross losses on sales of fixed maturities (129) (198) (149)
Net credit losses on fixed maturities, AFS [2] — (2) (14)
Change in ACL on mortgage loans [3] (6) 3 (15)
Net realized gains (losses) $ (100) $ (61) $ (188)
[1]The change in net unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities still held as of the end of the period and included in net realized gains (losses) were $49, $68, and $17 for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
[2]See Credit Losses on Fixed Maturities, AFS and Intent-to-Sell Impairments within the Investment Portfolio Risk section of the MD&A.
[3]See ACL on Mortgage Loans within the Investment Portfolio Risk section of the MD&A.
[4]Includes gains (losses) on non-qualifying derivatives for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 of $(16), $13, and $(108), respectively, and gains (losses) from transactional foreign currency revaluation of $(15), $20, and $(15), respectively.
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Year ended December 31, 2025
Gross gains and losses on sales were primarily due to sales of tax-exempt municipals and corporate securities to fund purchases of higher-yielding investments.
Equity securities net gains were primarily driven by an increase in value due to higher equity market levels.
Other, net losses primarily included losses of $30 on FVO securities due to a decrease in value, losses of $20 on a real estate joint venture impairment, losses of $15 on transactional foreign currency revaluation, and losses of $14 on equity derivatives driven by changes in equity market levels.
Year ended December 31, 2024
Gross gains and losses on sales were primarily due to sales of U.S. treasuries, corporate securities, tax-exempt municipals, and commercial mortgage-backed securities ("CMBS") largely to fund purchases of higher-yielding investments.
Equity securities net gains were primarily driven by an increase in value due to higher equity market levels.
Other, net gains primarily included gains of $20 on transactional foreign currency revaluation and gains of $8 on interest rate derivatives driven by changes in interest rates.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and 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, and in the past have differed, from those estimates.
The Company has identified the following estimates as critical in that they involve a higher degree of judgment and are subject to a significant degree of variability:
•property and casualty insurance product reserves, net of reinsurance;
•employee benefit LTD reserves, net of reinsurance;
•evaluation of goodwill for impairment;
•valuation of investments and derivative instruments including evaluation of credit losses on fixed maturities, AFS and ACL on mortgage loans; and
•contingencies relating to corporate litigation and regulatory matters.
In developing these estimates management makes subjective and complex judgments that are inherently uncertain and subject to material change as facts and circumstances develop. Although variability is inherent in these estimates, management believes the amounts provided are appropriate based upon the facts available upon compilation of the financial statements. 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 Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Property & Casualty Insurance Product Reserves, Net of Reinsurance
Loss and LAE Reserves, Net of Reinsurance as of December 31, 2025
Automobile physical damage 28 65 — 93 0.3%
[1]Business Insurance policy packages that include property and general liability coverages are generally referred to as the package line of business.
P&C Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves, Net of Reinsurance, by Segment as of December 31, 2025
For descriptions of the coverages provided under the lines of business shown above, see Part I - Item1, Business.
Overview of Reserving for Property and Casualty Insurance Claims
It typically takes many months or years to pay claims incurred under a property and casualty insurance product; accordingly,
the Company must establish reserves at the time the loss is incurred. Most of the Company’s policies provide for occurrence-based coverage where the loss is incurred when a claim event happens, like an automobile accident, house or building fire or injury to an employee under a workers’ compensation policy. Some of the Company's policies, mostly for directors and officers insurance and errors and omissions insurance, are claims-made policies where the loss is incurred in the period the claim event is reported to the Company even if the loss event itself occurred in an earlier period.
Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves provide for the estimated ultimate costs of paying claims under insurance policies written by the Company, less amounts paid to date. These reserves include estimates for both claims that have been reported and those that have not yet been reported, and include estimates of all expenses associated with processing and settling these claims. Case reserves are established by a claims handler on each individual claim and are adjusted as new information becomes known during the course of handling the claim. Incurred but not reported (“IBNR”) reserves represent the difference between the estimated ultimate cost of all claims and the actual loss and loss adjustment expenses reported to the Company by claimants to date (“reported losses”). Reported losses represent cumulative loss and loss adjustment expenses paid plus case reserves for outstanding reported claims. For most lines, Company actuaries evaluate the total reserves (IBNR and case reserves) on an accident year basis. An accident year is the calendar year in which a loss is incurred, or, in the case of claims-made policies, the calendar year in which a loss is reported. For certain lines, total reserves are evaluated
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on a policy year basis and then converted to accident year. A policy year is the calendar year in which a policy incepts.
Factors that Change Reserve Estimates- Reserve estimates can change over time because of unexpected changes in the external environment. Higher than expected inflation in claim costs, such as with medical care, hospital care, automobile parts, wages, and home and building repair, would cause claims to settle for more than they are initially reserved. Changes in the economy can cause an increase or decrease in the number of reported claims (claim frequency). For example, an improving economy could result in more automobile miles driven and a higher number of automobile-related claims, or a change in economic conditions can lead to more or fewer workers’ compensation reported claims. An increase in the number or percentage of claims litigated can increase the average settlement amount per claim (claim severity). Changes in the judicial environment can affect interpretations of damages and how policy coverage applies, which could increase or decrease claim severity. Over time, judges or juries in certain jurisdictions may be more inclined to determine liability and award damages. New legislation can also change how damages are defined or change the statutes of limitations for the filing of civil suits, resulting in greater claim frequency or severity. In addition, new types of injuries may arise from exposures not contemplated when the policies were written. Past examples include pharmaceutical products, silica, lead paint, sexual molestation and sexual abuse and construction defects. Additionally, legal system abuse pressures, such as increased litigation funding and aggressive tactics by plaintiff attorneys, can introduce the risk of potentially increasing jury awards and an increase in the percentage of litigated claims impacting both general liability and automobile claim frequency and severity.
Reserve estimates can also change over time because of changes in internal Company operations. A delay or acceleration in handling claims may signal a need to increase or reduce reserves from what was initially estimated. New lines of business may have loss development patterns that are not well established. Changes in the geographic mix of business, changes in the mix of business by industry and changes in the mix of business by policy limit or deductible can increase the risk that losses will ultimately develop differently than the loss development patterns assumed in our reserving. In addition, changes in the quality of risk selection in underwriting and changes in interpretations of policy language could increase or decrease ultimate losses from what was assumed in establishing the reserves.