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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

         
(Mark One)    
þ   ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
      For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004
 
       
OR
       
 
       
o   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
      For the transition period from ___ to ___

Commission file number 002-46577

HARTFORD LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
     
Connecticut   06-0974148
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

200 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, Connecticut 06089
(Address of principal executive offices)

(860) 547-5000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

     3.75% Secured Medium-Term Notes due 2009 of Hartford Life Global Funding Trust 2004-001

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ Noo

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).
Yes o Noþ

The aggregate market value of the shares of Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2004 was $0, because all of the outstanding shares of Common Stock were owned by Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Hartford Life, Inc.

As of February 18, 2005, there were outstanding 1,000 shares of Common Stock, $5,690 par value per share, of the registrant.

The registrant meets the conditions set forth in General Instruction (I) (1) (a) and (b) of Form 10-K and is therefore filing this Form with the reduced disclosure format.

 
 

 


CONTENTS

                     
ITEM           DESCRIPTION   PAGE  
  1   Business of Hartford Life Insurance Company*     3  
 
  2   Properties*     9  
 
  3   Legal Proceedings     10  
 
  4   **        
 
                   
  5   Market for Hartford Life Insurance Company’s Common Stock and Related Stockholder Matters     11  
 
  6   **        
 
  7   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations*     12  
 
  7A   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk     49  
 
  8   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data     49  
 
  9   Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure     49  
 
  9A   Controls and Procedures     49  
 
                   
  10   **        
 
  11   **        
 
  12   **        
 
  13   **        
 
  14   Principal Accounting Fees and Services     49  
  15   Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules, and Reports on Form 8-K     50  
 
          Signatures   II-1
 
          Exhibits Index   II-2
 EX-3.01: RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
 EX-3.02: BY-LAWS OF HARTFORD LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
 EX-23.01: CONSENT OF DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
 EX-31.01: CERTIFICATION
 EX-31.02: CERTIFICATION
 EX-32.01: CERTIFICATION
 EX-32.02: CERTIFICATION

*   Item prepared in accordance with General Instruction I (2) of Form 10-K

**   Item omitted in accordance with General Instruction I (2) of Form 10-K

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PART I

Item 1. BUSINESS OF HARTFORD LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
(Dollar Amounts In Millions, Unless Otherwise Stated)

General

Hartford Life Insurance Company and its subsidiaries (“Hartford Life Insurance Company” or the “Company”), is a direct subsidiary of Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company (“HLA”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hartford Life, Inc. (“Hartford Life”). Hartford Life is an indirect subsidiary of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (“The Hartford”). The Company, together with HLA, provides (i) retail and institutional investment products, including variable annuities, fixed market value adjusted (“MVA”) annuities, private placement life insurance, which includes life insurance products purchased by a company on the lives of its employees, and retirement plan services for the savings and retirement needs of over 5.0 million customers, (ii) life insurance for wealth protection, accumulation and transfer needs for approximately 738,000 customers, (iii) group benefits products such as group life and group disability insurance for the benefit of millions of individuals and (iv) fixed annuity products through its international operations. The Company is one of the largest sellers of individual variable annuities, variable universal life insurance and group disability insurance in the United States. The Company’s strong position in each of its core businesses provides an opportunity to increase the sale of the Company’s products and services as individuals increasingly save and plan for retirement, protect themselves and their families against the financial uncertainties associated with disability or death and engage in estate planning.

In the past year, the Company’s total assets, increased 14% to $195.6 billion at December 31, 2004 from $171.9 billion at December 31, 2003. The Company generated revenues of $5.7 billion, $4.9 billion and $3.9 billion in 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively. Additionally, Hartford Life Insurance Company generated net income of $965, $626 and $426 in 2004, 2003, and 2002, respectively.

Customer Service, Technology And Economies Of Scale

The Company maintains advantageous economies of scale and operating efficiencies due to its growth, attention to expense and claims management and commitment to customer service and technology. These advantages allow the Company to competitively price its products for its distribution network and policyholders. In addition, the Company utilizes computer technology to enhance communications within the Company and throughout its distribution network in order to improve the Company’s efficiency in marketing, selling and servicing its products and, as a result, provides high-quality customer service. In recognition of excellence in customer service for individual annuities, Hartford Life Insurance Company was awarded the 2004 Annuity Service Award by DALBAR Inc., a recognized independent financial services research organization, for the ninth consecutive year. Hartford Life Insurance Company is the only company to receive this prestigious award in every year of the award’s existence. Also, in 2004 the Company earned its second DALBAR Award for Retirement Plan Service which recognizes Hartford Life Insurance Company as the No. 1 service provider of retirement plans in the industry. Additionally, the Company’s Individual Life segment won its fourth consecutive DALBAR award for service of life insurance customers and its third consecutive DALBAR Financial Intermediary Service Award in 2004.

Risk Management

The Company’s product designs, prudent underwriting standards and risk management techniques are structured to protect it against disintermediation risk, greater than expected mortality and morbidity experience and, for certain product features, specifically the guaranteed minimum death benefit (“GMDB”) and guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit (“GMWB”) offered with variable annuity products, equity market volatility. As of December 31, 2004, the Company had limited exposure to disintermediation risk on approximately 97% of its domestic life insurance and annuity liabilities through the use of non-guaranteed separate accounts, MVA features, policy loans, surrender charges and non-surrenderability provisions. The Company effectively utilizes prudent underwriting to select and price insurance risks and regularly monitors mortality and morbidity assumptions to determine if experience remains consistent with these assumptions and to ensure that its product pricing remains appropriate. The Company also enforces disciplined claims management to protect itself against greater than expected morbidity experience. The Company uses reinsurance structures and has modified benefit features to mitigate the mortality exposure associated with GMDB. The Company also uses reinsurance to minimize the volatility associated with the GMWB liability.

Reporting Segments

Hartford Life Insurance Company changed its reportable operating segments in 2004 from Investment Products, Individual Life and Corporate Owned Life Insurance (“COLI”) to Retail Products Group (“Retail”), Institutional Solutions Group (“Institutional”) and Individual Life. Retail offers individual variable and fixed annuities, retirement plan products and services to corporations under Section 401(k) plans and other investment products. Institutional primarily offers retirement plan products and services to municipalities under Section 457 plans, other institutional investment products, structured settlements, and private placement life

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insurance (formerly referred to as COLI). Individual Life sells a variety of life insurance products, including variable universal life, universal life, interest sensitive whole life and term life insurance. The company also includes, in an Other category, net realized capital gains and losses other than periodic net coupon settlements on non-qualifying derivatives and net realized capital gains and losses related to guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefits; corporate items not directly allocable to any of its reportable operating segments and intersegment eliminations, as well as certain group benefit products, including group life and group disability insurance that is directly written by the Company and is substantially ceded to its parent, HLA. During the third quarter of 2004, Hartford Life introduced fixed MVA annuity products to provide a diversified product portfolio to its customers in Japan. The fixed MVA product is written by Hartford Life Insurance KK, a wholly owned Japanese subsidiary of HLA and subsequently reinsured to the Company. The reinsurance of the fixed MVA product is included in the Other category.

Retail Products Group

The Retail Products segment focuses, through the sale of individual variable and fixed annuities, retirement plan services and other investment products, on the savings and retirement needs of the growing number of individuals who are preparing for retirement or who have already retired. Retail Products generated revenues of $2.6 billion in 2004, $1.8 billion in 2003 and $1.6 billion in 2002, of which individual annuities accounted for $2.5 billion, $1.7 billion and $1.5 billion in 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively. Net income in the Retail segment was $392, $341 and $280 in 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively.

The Company sells both variable and fixed individual annuity products through a wide distribution network of national and regional broker-dealer organizations, banks and other financial institutions and independent financial advisors. The Company is a market leader in the annuity industry with sales of $15.7 billion, $16.5 billion, and $11.6 billion in 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively. The Company was the largest seller of individual retail variable annuities in the United States with sales of $15.0 billion, $15.7 billion and $10.3 billion in 2004, 2003, and 2002, respectively. In addition, the Company continues to be the largest seller of individual retail variable annuities through banks in the United States.

The Company’s total account value related to individual annuity products was $111.0 billion as of December 31, 2004. Of this total account value, $99.6 billion, or 90%, related to individual variable annuity products and $11.4 billion, or 10%, related primarily to fixed MVA annuity products. At December 31, 2003, the Company’s total account value related to individual annuity products was $97.7 billion. Of this total account value, $86.5 billion, or 89%, related to individual variable annuity products and $11.2 billion, or 11%, related primarily to fixed MVA annuity products.

In addition to its leading position in individual annuities, Hartford Life Insurance Company is among the top providers of retirement products and services, including asset management and plan administration sold to small and medium size corporations pursuant to Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (referred to as “401(k)”).

Principal Products

Individual Variable Annuities - Hartford Life Insurance Company earns fees, based on policyholders’ account values, for managing variable annuity assets and maintaining policyholder accounts. The Company uses specified portions of the periodic deposits paid by a customer to purchase units in one or more mutual funds as directed by the customer, who then assumes the investment performance risks and rewards. As a result, variable annuities permit policyholders to choose aggressive or conservative investment strategies, as they deem appropriate, without affecting the composition and quality of assets in the Company’s general account. These products offer the policyholder a variety of equity and fixed income options, as well as the ability to earn a guaranteed rate of interest in the general account of the Company. The Company offers an enhanced guaranteed rate of interest for a specified period of time (no longer than twelve months) if the policyholder elects to dollar-cost average funds from the Company’s general account into one or more non-guaranteed separate accounts. Additionally, the Retail Products segment sells variable annuity contracts that offer various guaranteed minimum death and withdrawal benefits.

Policyholders may make deposits of varying amounts at regular or irregular intervals and the value of these assets fluctuates in accordance with the investment performance of the funds selected by the policyholder. To encourage persistency, many of the Company’s individual variable annuities are subject to withdrawal restrictions and surrender charges. Surrender charges range up to 8% of the contract’s deposit less withdrawals, and reduce to zero on a sliding scale, usually within seven years from the deposit date. Individual variable annuity account values of $99.6 billion as of December 31, 2004, have grown from $86.5 billion as of December 31, 2003, due to strong net cash flow, resulting from high levels of sales, low levels of surrenders and equity market appreciation. Approximately 92% and 90% of the individual variable annuity account values were held in non-guaranteed separate accounts as of December 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively.

The assets underlying the Company’s variable annuities are managed both internally and by independent money managers, while the Company provides all policy administration services. The Company utilizes a select group of money managers, such as Wellington Management Company, LLP (“Wellington”); Hartford Investment Management Company (“Hartford Investment Management”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Hartford; Putnam Financial Services, Inc. (“Putnam”); American Funds; MFS Investment

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Management (“MFS”); Franklin Templeton Group; and AIM Investments (“AIM”). All have an interest in the continued growth in sales of the Company’s products and enhance the marketability of the Company’s annuities and the strength of its product offerings. Hartford Leaders, which is a multi-manager variable annuity that combines the product manufacturing, wholesaling and service capabilities of the Company with the investment management expertise of four of the nation’s most successful investment management organizations: American Funds, Franklin Templeton Group, AIM and MFS, has emerged as the industry leader in terms of retail sales. In addition, the Director variable annuity, which is managed in part by Wellington, ranks second in the industry in terms of retail sales.

Fixed MVA Annuities — Fixed MVA annuities are fixed rate annuity contracts which guarantee a specific sum of money to be paid in the future, either as a lump sum or as monthly income. In the event that a policyholder surrenders a policy prior to the end of the guarantee period, the MVA feature increases or decreases the cash surrender value of the annuity in respect of any interest rate decreases or increases, respectively, thereby protecting the Company from losses due to higher interest rates at the time of surrender. The amount of payment will not fluctuate due to adverse changes in the Company’s investment return, mortality experience or expenses. The Company’s primary fixed MVA annuities have terms varying from one to ten years with an average term to maturity of approximately four years. Account values of fixed MVA annuities were $11.4 billion and $11.2 billion as of December 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively.

401(k) — The Company sells retirement plan products and services to corporations under Section 401(k) plans targeting the small and medium case markets. The Company believes these markets are under-penetrated in comparison to the large case market. As of December 31, 2004, the Company administered over 8,200 Section 401(k) plans.

Marketing and Distribution

The Retail Products distribution network is based on management’s strategy of utilizing multiple and competing distribution channels to achieve the broadest distribution to reach target customers. The success of the Company’s marketing and distribution system depends on its product offerings, fund performance, successful utilization of wholesaling organizations, quality of customer service, and relationships with national and regional broker-dealer firms, banks and other financial institutions, and independent financial advisors (through which the sale of the Company’s retail investment products to customers is consummated).

The Company maintains a distribution network of approximately 1,500 broker-dealers and approximately 500 banks. As of December 31, 2004, the Company was selling products through the 25 largest retail banks in the United States. The Company periodically negotiates provisions and terms of its relationships with unaffiliated parties, and there can be no assurance that such terms will remain acceptable to the Company or such third parties. The Company’s primary wholesaler of its individual annuities is PLANCO Financial Services, Inc. and its affiliate, PLANCO, Incorporated (collectively “PLANCO”) a wholly owned subsidiary of HLA. PLANCO is one of the nation’s largest wholesalers of individual annuities and has played a significant role in The Hartford’s growth over the past decade. As a wholesaler, PLANCO distributes the Company’s fixed and variable annuities, and 401(k) plans and 529 plans by providing sales support to registered representatives, financial planners and broker-dealers at brokerage firms and banks across the United States. Owning PLANCO secures an important distribution channel for Hartford Life and gives Hartford Life a wholesale distribution platform which it can expand in terms of both the number of individuals wholesaling its products and the portfolio of products which they wholesale. In addition, the Company uses internal personnel with extensive experience in the Section 401(k) market, to sell its products and services in the retirement plan market.

Competition

The Retail segment competes with numerous other insurance companies as well as certain banks, securities brokerage firms, independent financial advisors and other financial intermediaries marketing annuities and other retirement-oriented products. Product sales are affected by competitive factors such as investment performance ratings, product design, visibility in the marketplace, financial strength ratings, distribution capabilities, levels of charges and credited rates, reputation and customer service.

Institutional Solutions Group

The Company is among the top providers of retirement products and services, including asset management and plan administration sold to municipalities pursuant to Section 457 and 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (referred to as “Section 457” and “403(b)”, respectively). The Company also provides structured settlement contracts, institutional annuities, and stable value investment products such as guaranteed investment contracts (“GICs”).

Additionally, Hartford Life Insurance Company is a leader in the private placement life insurance (“PPLI”) market, which includes life insurance policies purchased by a company on the lives of its employees, with the company or a trust sponsored by the company named as the beneficiary under the policy. Until the passage of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), the Company sold two principal types of PPLI, leveraged COLI and variable products.

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The Company has recently introduced two products for the High Net Worth markets. One is a specialized life insurance contract for ultra-wealthy, High Net Worth investors, the other is a hedge fund designed to leverage the strengths of Hartford Life Insurance Company’s award winning customer service and distribution capability.

The Company’s total account values related to institutional investment products were $14.3 billion and $12.4 billion as of December 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively. Governmental account values were $10.0 billion and $9.0 billion as of December 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively. Variable PPLI products account values were $22.5 billion and $21.0 billion as of December 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively. Leveraged COLI account values were $2.5 billion as of December 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively. The Institutional segment generated revenues of $1.8 billion, $2.0 billion and $1.7 billion for the years ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively and net income of $105, $119 and $94 in 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively.

Principal Products

Institutional Investment Products — The Company sells the following institutional investment products; structured settlements, GICs and other short term funding agreements, and other annuity contracts for special purposes such as funding of terminated defined benefit pension plans (institutional annuities arrangements).

Structured Settlements — Structured settlement annuity contracts provide for periodic payments to an injured person or survivor for a generally determinable number of years, typically in settlement of a claim under a liability policy in lieu of a lump sum settlement.

Stable Value Products — Guaranteed Interest Contracts (GICs) are group annuity contracts issued to sponsors of qualified pension or profit-sharing plans or stable value pooled fund managers. Under these contracts, the client deposits a lump sum with the Hartford for a specified period of time for a guaranteed interest rate. At the end of the specified period, the client receives principal plus interest earned. Funding agreements are investment contracts that perform a similar function for non-qualified assets. Also during 2004, the Company began issuing fixed rate funding agreements to Hartford Life Global Funding trusts that, in turn, issue registered notes to institutional and retail investors.

Institutional Annuities — Institutional annuities arrangements are group annuity contracts used to fund pension liabilities that exist when a qualified retirement plan sponsor decides to terminate an existing defined benefit pension plan. Group annuity contracts are very long-term in nature, since they must pay the pension liabilities typically on a monthly basis to all participants covered under the pension plan which is being terminated.

Governmental — The Company sells retirement plan products and services to municipalities under Section 457 plans. The Company offers a number of different investment products, including variable annuities and fixed products, to the employees in Section 457 plans. Generally, with the variable products, the Company manages the fixed income funds and certain other outside money managers act as advisors to the equity funds offered in Section 457 plans administered by the Company. As of December 31, 2004, the Company administered over 3,600 plans under Sections 457 and 403(b).

Variable PPLI products — Private Placement Variable Life Insurance (“PPVLI”) products continue to be used by employers to fund non-qualified benefits or other post-employment benefit liabilities. A key advantage to plan sponsors is the opportunity to select from a range of tax deferred investment allocations. Recent clarifications in regulatory policy have made PPVLI products particularly attractive to banks with postretirement medical obligations. PPVLI has also been widely used in the high net worth marketplace due to its low costs, range of investment choices and ability to accommodate a fund of funds management style. This institutionally priced hedge fund product is aimed at the rapidly growing market composed of affluent investors unable to participate in the higher minimums of some hedge funds.

Leveraged COLI — Leveraged COLI is a fixed premium life insurance policy owned by a company or a trust sponsored by a company. HIPAA phased out the deductibility of interest on policy loans under leveraged COLI at the end of 1998, virtually eliminating all future sales of leveraged COLI.

Marketing and Distribution

In the Section 457 market, the Institutional segment distribution network uses internal personnel with extensive experience to sell its products and services in the retirement plan and institutional markets. The success of the Company’s marketing and distribution system depends on its product offerings, fund performance, successful utilization of wholesaling organizations, quality of customer service, and relationships with national and regional broker-dealer firms, banks and other financial institutions.

In the structured settlement market, the Institutional segment sells individual fixed immediate annuity products through a small number of specialty brokerage firms that work closely with The Hartford’s Property and Casualty claim operations. The Company also works directly with the brokerage firms on cases that do not involve The Hartford’s Property and Casualty operations.

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In the stable value marketplace, the Institutional segment sells GICs, funding agreements, and investor notes to retirement plan sponsors either through investment management firms or directly, using Hartford employees.

In the institutional annuities market, the Company sells its group annuity products to retirement plan sponsors through three different channels — (1) a small number of specialty brokers, (2) large benefits consulting firms and (3) directly, using Hartford employees.

In the PPVLI market, specialized strategic alliance partners with expertise in the large case market assist in the placement of many cases. High Net Worth PPVLI is often placed with the assistance of investment banking and wealth management specialists.

The hedge fund of funds product is positioned to be sold through family office arrangements, wealth management platforms of regional banks and other specialists in the mass-affluent market.

Competition

The Institutional segment competes with numerous other insurance companies as well as certain banks, securities brokerage firms, independent financial advisors and other financial intermediaries marketing annuities and other retirement-oriented products. Product sales are affected by competitive factors such as investment performance ratings, product design, visibility in the marketplace, financial strength ratings, distribution capabilities, levels of charges and credited rates, reputation and customer service.

For institutional product lines offering fixed annuity products (i.e., institutional annuities, structured settlements and stable value), financial strength, stability and credit ratings are key buying factors. As a result, the competitors in those marketplaces tend to be other large, long-established insurance companies.

For PPVLI, competition in the large case market comes from other insurance carriers, and from specialized agents with expertise in the benefit funding marketplace. For high net worth programs, the competition is often from other investment banking firms allied with other insurance carriers.

The hedge fund of funds product competes against a range of similar products from respected vendors, including investment banking firms and wire houses. It is distributed by former members of the PLANCO team which made The Hartford’s annuity business one of the most successful in the industry.

Individual Life

The Individual Life segment provides life insurance solutions to a wide array of partners to solve the wealth protection, accumulation and transfer needs of their affluent, emerging affluent and business insurance clients. Account values increased 9% to $9.0 billion as of December 31, 2004 from $8.2 billion as of December 31, 2003. Revenues were $957, $893, and $858 for the years ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively. Net income in the Individual Life segment was $141, $134, and $116 for the years ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively.

Principal Products

Hartford Life Insurance Company holds a significant market share in the variable universal life product market and was the number one seller of variable life insurance, according to the Tillinghast VALUE Survey, in 2004, for the third year in a row. In 2004, the Company’s sales of individual life insurance were 50% variable universal life, 44% universal life and other, and 6% term life insurance.

Variable universal life — Variable universal life insurance provides a return linked to an underlying investment portfolio and the Company allows policyholders to determine their desired asset mix among a variety of underlying mutual funds. As the return on the investment portfolio increases or decreases, the surrender value of the variable universal life policy will increase or decrease, and, under certain policyholder options or market conditions, the death benefit may also increase or decrease. The Company’s second-to-die products are distinguished from other products in that two lives are insured rather than one, and the policy proceeds are paid upon the death of both insureds. Second-to-die policies are frequently used in estate planning for a married couple. Variable universal life account values were $5.4 billion and $4.7 billion as of December 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively.

Universal Life and Interest Sensitive Whole Life — Universal life and interest sensitive whole life insurance coverages provide life insurance with adjustable rates of return based on current interest rates. Universal life provides policyholders with flexibility in the timing and amount of premium payments and the amount of the death benefit, provided there are sufficient policy funds to cover all policy charges for the coming period, unless guaranteed no-lapse coverage is in effect. At December 31, 2004, guaranteed no-lapse

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universal life represents less than 2% of life insurance in-force. The Company also sells second-to-die universal life insurance policies.

Marketing and Distribution

Consistent with the Company’s strategy to access multiple distribution outlets, the Individual Life distribution organization has been developed to penetrate a multitude of retail sales channels. The Company sells both variable and fixed individual life products through a wide distribution network of national and regional broker-dealer organizations, banks and independent financial advisors. The Company is a market leader in selling individual life through national stockbroker and financial institutions. In addition, the Company distributes individual life insurance through independent life and property-casualty agents and Woodbury Financial Services, a subsidiary retail broker dealer. To wholesale the Company’s products, the Company has a group of highly qualified life insurance professionals with specialized training in sophisticated life insurance sales. These individuals are generally employees of the Company who are managed through a regional sales office system.

Competition

The Individual Life segment competes with approximately 1,200 life insurance companies in the United States, as well as other financial intermediaries marketing insurance products. Competitive factors related to this segment are primarily the breadth and quality of life insurance products offered, pricing, relationships with third-party distributors, effectiveness of wholesaling support, pricing and availability of reinsurance and the quality of underwriting and customer service.

Reserves

Life insurance subsidiaries of the Company establish and carry as liabilities, predominantly, three types of reserves: (1) a liability equal to the balance that accrues to the benefit of the policyholder as of the financial statement date, otherwise known as the account value, (2) a liability for unpaid claims, including those that have been incurred but not yet reported, and (3) a liability for future policy benefits, representing the present value of future benefits to be paid to or on behalf of policyholders less the present value of future net premiums. The liabilities for unpaid claims and future policy benefits are calculated based on actuarially recognized methods using morbidity and mortality tables, which are modified to reflect the Company’s actual experience when appropriate. Liabilities for unpaid claims include estimates of amounts to fully settle known reported claims as well as claims related to insured events that the Company estimates have been incurred but have not yet been reported. Future policy benefit reserves are computed at amounts that, with additions from estimated premiums to be received and with interest on such reserves compounded annually at certain assumed rates, are expected to be sufficient to meet the Company’s policy obligations at their maturities or in the event of an insured’s disability or death. Other insurance liabilities include those for unearned premiums and benefits in excess of account value. Reserves for assumed reinsurance are computed in a manner that is comparable to direct insurance reserves. Additional information on reserves may be found in the Critical Accounting Estimates section of the MD&A under “Reserves”.

Ceded Reinsurance

In accordance with normal industry practice, the Company is involved in both the cession and assumption of insurance with other insurance and reinsurance companies. As of December 31, 2004, the largest amount of life insurance retained on any one life by any one of the life operations was approximately $2.9. In addition, the Company has reinsured the majority of the minimum death benefit guarantees as well as the guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefits on contracts issued prior to July 2003 offered in connection with its variable annuity contracts. The Company also assumes reinsurance from other insurers. The Company evaluates the financial condition of its reinsurers and monitors concentrations of credit risk. For the years ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002, the Company did not make any significant changes in the terms under which reinsurance is ceded to other insurers except for the Company’s 2003 recapture of a block of business previously reinsured with an unaffiliated reinsurer. For further discussion see Note 6 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Investment Operations

The investment portfolios of the Company are managed by Hartford Investment Management Company (“HIM”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Hartford. HIM manages the portfolios to maximize economic value, while attempting to generate the income necessary to support the Company’s various product obligations, within internally established objectives, guidelines and risk tolerances. The portfolio objectives and guidelines are developed based upon the asset/liability profile, including duration, convexity and other characteristics within specified risk tolerances. The risk tolerances considered include, for example, asset and credit issuer allocation limits, maximum portfolio below investment grade (“BIG”) holdings and foreign currency exposure. The Company attempts to minimize adverse impacts to the portfolio and the results of operations due to changes in economic conditions through asset allocation limits, asset/liability duration matching and through the use of derivatives. (For further discussion of HIM’s portfolio management approach, see the Investments General section of the MD&A.)

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Regulation and Premium Rates

Insurance companies are subject to comprehensive and detailed regulation and supervision throughout the United States. The extent of such regulation varies, but generally has its source in statutes which delegate regulatory, supervisory and administrative powers to state insurance departments. Such powers relate to, among other things, the standards of solvency that must be met and maintained; the licensing of insurers and their agents; the nature of and limitations on investments; establishing premium rates; claim handling and trade practices; restrictions on the size of risks which may be insured under a single policy; deposits of securities for the benefit of policyholders; approval of policy forms; periodic examinations of the affairs of companies; annual and other reports required to be filed on the financial condition of companies or for other purposes; fixing maximum interest rates on life insurance policy loans and minimum rates for accumulation of surrender values; and the adequacy of reserves and other necessary provisions for unearned premiums, unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses and other liabilities, both reported and unreported.

Most states have enacted legislation that regulates insurance holding company systems such as Hartford Life. This legislation provides that each insurance company in the system is required to register with the insurance department of its state of domicile and furnish information concerning the operations of companies within the holding company system which may materially affect the operations, management or financial condition of the insurers within the system. All transactions within a holding company system affecting insurers must be fair and equitable. Notice to the insurance departments is required prior to the consummation of transactions affecting the ownership or control of an insurer and of certain material transactions between an insurer and any entity in its holding company system. In addition, certain of such transactions cannot be consummated without the applicable insurance department’s prior approval.

The extent of insurance regulation on business outside the United States varies significantly among the countries in which the Company operates. Some countries have minimal regulatory requirements, while others regulate insurers extensively. Foreign insurers in many countries are faced with greater restrictions than domestic competitors domiciled in that particular jurisdiction. The Company’s international operations are comprised of insurers licensed in their respective countries and, therefore, are subject to the generally less restrictive domestic insurance regulations.

Ratings

Reference is made to the Capital Resources and Liquidity section of the MD&A under “Ratings”.

Risk-Based Capital

Reference is made to the Capital Resources and Liquidity section of the MD&A under “Risk-Based Capital”.

Legislative and Regulatory Initiatives

Reference is made to the Regulatory Matters and Contingencies section of the MD&A under “Legislative and Regulatory Initiatives”.

Insolvency Fund

Reference is made to the Regulatory Matters and Contingencies section of the MD&A under “Guaranty Fund”.

Dependence on Certain Third Party Relationships

Reference is made to the Regulatory Matters and Contingencies section of the MD&A under “Dependence on Certain Third Party Relationships”.

Employees

Hartford Life Insurance Company had approximately 3,800 employees as of December 31, 2004.

Item 2. PROPERTIES

The Company’s principal executive offices are located in Simsbury, Connecticut. The Company’s home office complex consists of approximately 655 thousand square feet, and is leased from a third party by Hartford Fire Insurance Company (“Hartford Fire”), a direct subsidiary of The Hartford. This lease expires January 1, 2010. Expenses associated with these offices are allocated on a direct basis to the Company by Hartford Fire. The Company believes its properties and facilities are suitable and adequate for current operations.

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Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries (“The Hartford”) is involved in various legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business, some of which assert claims for substantial amounts. These actions include, among others, putative state and federal class actions seeking certification of a state or national class. Such putative class actions have alleged, for example, improper sales practices in connection with the sale of life insurance and other investment products; and improper fee arrangements in connection with mutual funds. The Hartford also is involved in individual actions in which punitive damages are sought, such as claims alleging bad faith in the handling of insurance claims. Management expects that the ultimate liability, if any, with respect to such lawsuits, after consideration of provisions made for estimated losses, will not be material to the consolidated financial condition of the Company. Nonetheless, given the large or indeterminate amounts sought in certain of these actions, and the inherent unpredictability of litigation, it is possible that an adverse outcome in certain matters could, from time to time, have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or cash flows in particular quarterly or annual periods.

Broker Compensation Litigation - On October 14, 2004, the New York Attorney General’s Office filed a civil complaint (the “NYAG Complaint”) against Marsh Inc. and Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (collectively, “Marsh”) alleging, among other things, that certain insurance companies, including The Hartford, participated with Marsh in arrangements to submit inflated bids for business insurance and paid contingent commissions to ensure that Marsh would direct business to them. The Hartford is not joined as a defendant in the action. Since the filing of the NYAG Complaint, several private actions have been filed against The Hartford asserting claims arising from the allegations of the NYAG Complaint.

Two securities class actions have been filed in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut alleging claims against The Hartford and five of its executive officers under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and SEC Rule 10b-5. The complaints allege on behalf of a putative class of shareholders that The Hartford and the five named individual defendants, as control persons of The Hartford, “disseminated false and misleading financial statements” by concealing that “[The Hartford] was paying illegal and concealed ‘contingent commissions’ pursuant to illegal ‘contingent commission agreements.’” The class period alleged is November 5, 2003 through October 13, 2004, the day before the NYAG Complaint was filed. The complaints seek damages and attorneys’ fees. The Hartford and the individual defendants dispute the allegations and intend to defend these actions vigorously.

In addition, three putative class actions have been filed in the same court on behalf of participants in The Hartford’s 401(k) plan against The Hartford, Hartford Fire Insurance Company, The Hartford’s Pension Fund Trust and Investment Committee, The Hartford’s Pension Administration Committee, The Hartford’s Chief Financial Officer, and John/Jane Does 1-15. The suits assert claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), alleging that The Hartford and the other named defendants breached their fiduciary duties to plan participants by, among other things, failing to inform them of the risk associated with investment in The Hartford’s stock as a result of the activity alleged in the NYAG Complaint. The class period alleged is November 5, 2003 through the present. The complaints seek restitution of losses to the plan, declaratory and injunctive relief, and attorneys’ fees. All defendants dispute the allegations and intend to defend these actions vigorously.

Two corporate derivative actions also have been filed in the same court. The complaints, brought in each case by a shareholder on behalf of The Hartford against its directors and an executive officer, allege that the defendants knew adverse non-public information about the activities alleged in the NYAG Complaint and concealed and misappropriated that information to make profitable stock trades, thereby breaching their fiduciary duties, abusing their control, committing gross mismanagement, wasting corporate assets, and unjustly enriching themselves. The complaints seek damages, injunctive relief, disgorgement, and attorneys’ fees. All defendants dispute the allegations and intend to defend these actions vigorously.

Seven putative class actions also have been filed by alleged policyholders in federal district courts, one in the Southern District of New York, two in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, three in the Northern District of Illinois, and one in the Northern District of California, against several brokers and insurers, including The Hartford. These actions assert, on behalf of a class of persons who purchased insurance through the broker defendants, claims under the Sherman Act and state law, and in some cases the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), arising from the conduct alleged in the NYAG Complaint. The class period alleged is 1994 through the date of class certification, which has not yet occurred. The complaints seek treble damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, and attorneys’ fees. Putative class actions also have been filed in the Circuit Court for Cook County, Illinois, Chancery Division and in the Circuit Court for Seminole County, Florida, Civil Division, on behalf of a class of all persons who purchased insurance from a class of defendant insurers. These state court actions assert unjust enrichment claims and violations of state unfair trade practices acts arising from the conduct alleged in the NYAG Complaint and seek remedies including restitution of premiums, and, in the Cook County action, imposition of a constructive trust, and declaratory and injunctive relief. The class period alleged is 1994 through the present. The Hartford has removed the Cook County action to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Pursuant to an order of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, it is likely that most or all of these actions will be transferred to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The Hartford disputes the allegations in all of these actions and intends to defend the actions vigorously.

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Additional complaints may be filed against The Hartford in various courts alleging claims under federal or state law arising from the conduct alleged in the NYAG Complaint. The Hartford’s ultimate liability, if any, in the pending and possible future suits is highly uncertain and subject to contingencies that are not yet known, such as how many suits will be filed, in which courts they will be lodged, what claims they will assert, what the outcome of investigations by the New York Attorney General’s Office and other regulatory agencies will be, the success of defenses that The Hartford may assert, and the amount of recoverable damages if liability is established. In the opinion of management, it is possible that an adverse outcome in one or more of these suits could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or cash flows in particular quarterly or annual periods.

PART II

Item 5. MARKET FOR HARTFORD LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY’S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER
             MATTERS

All of the Company’s outstanding shares are ultimately owned by Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, which is ultimately a subsidiary of The Hartford. As of February 18, 2005, the Company had issued and outstanding 1,000 shares of Common Stock, $5,690 par value per share. There is no established public trading market for the Company’s Common Stock.

For a discussion regarding the Company’s payment of dividends, and the restrictions related thereto, see the Capital Resources and Liquidity section of the MD&A under “Dividends”.

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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

(Dollar amounts in millions, unless otherwise stated)

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) addresses the financial condition of Hartford Life Insurance Company and its subsidiaries (“Hartford Life Insurance Company” or the “Company”) as of December 31, 2004, compared with December 31, 2003, and its results of operations for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2004. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes beginning on page F-1. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year financial information to conform to the current year presentation.

Certain of the statements contained herein are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and include estimates and assumptions related to economic, competitive and legislative developments. These forward-looking statements are subject to change and uncertainty which are, in many instances, beyond the Company’s control and have been made based upon management’s expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect upon the Company. There can be no assurance that future developments will be in accordance with management’s expectations or that the effect of future developments on the Company will be those anticipated by management. Actual results could differ materially from those expected by the Company, depending on the outcome of various factors. These factors include: the possible occurrence of terrorist attacks; the response of reinsurance companies under reinsurance contracts and the availability, pricing and adequacy of reinsurance to protect the Company against losses; changes in the stock markets, interest rates or other financial markets, including the potential effect on the Company’s statutory capital levels; the inability to effectively mitigate the impact of equity market volatility on the Company’s financial position and results of operations arising from obligations under annuity product guarantees; the difficulty in predicting the Company’s potential exposure arising out of regulatory proceedings or private claims relating to incentive compensation or payments made to brokers or other producers and alleged anti-competitive conduct; the uncertain effect on the Company of regulatory and market-driven changes in practices relating to the payment of incentive compensation to brokers and other producers, including changes that have been announced and those which may occur in the future; the possibility of more unfavorable loss experience than anticipated; stronger than anticipated competitive activity; unfavorable judicial or legislative developments, including the possibility that the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 is not extended beyond 2005; the potential effect of domestic and foreign regulatory developments, including those which could increase the Company’s business costs and required capital levels; the possibility of general economic and business conditions that are less favorable than anticipated; the Company’s ability to distribute its products through distribution channels, both current and future; the uncertain effects of emerging claim and coverage issues; the effect of assessments and other surcharges for guaranty funds; a downgrade in the Company’s claims-paying, financial strength or credit ratings; the ability of the Company’s subsidiaries to pay dividends to the Company; and other factors described in such forward-looking statements.

INDEX

                     
Overview
    12     Investment Credit Risk     33  
Critical Accounting Estimates
    16     Capital Markets Risk Management     39  
Consolidated Results of Operations: Operating Summary
    21     Capital Resources and Liquidity     45  
Retail Products Group
    23     Effect of Inflation     49  
Institutional Solutions Group
    25     Impact of New Accounting Standards     49  
Individual Life
    26    
Investments
    27              

OVERVIEW

The Company has three reportable operating segments: Retail Products Group, Institutional Solutions Group, and Individual Life. The Company provides investment and retirement products such as variable and fixed annuities, retirement plan services and other institutional investment products; structured settlements; private placement life insurance; and individual life insurance products including variable universal life, universal life, interest sensitive whole life and term life.

The Company derives its revenues principally from: (a) fee income, including asset management fees, on separate account and mutual fund assets and mortality and expense fees, as well as cost of insurance charges; (b) net investment income on general account assets; (c) fully insured premiums; and (d) certain other fees. Asset management fees and mortality and expense fees are primarily generated from separate account assets, which are deposited with the Company through the sale of variable annuity and variable universal life products. Cost of insurance charges are assessed on the net amount at risk for investment-oriented life insurance products.

The Company’s expenses essentially consist of interest credited to policyholders on general account liabilities, insurance benefits provided, amortization of the deferred policy acquisition costs, expenses related to the selling and servicing the various products offered by the Company, dividends to policyholders, and other general business expenses.

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The Company’s profitability in its variable annuity and to a lesser extent, variable universal life businesses depends largely on the amount of the contract holder account value on which it earns fees and the level of fees charged. Changes in account value are driven by two main factors: net flows, which measure the success of the Company’s asset gathering and retention efforts and the market return of the funds, which is heavily influenced by the return on the equity markets. Net flows are comprised of new sales and other deposits less surrenders, death benefits, policy charges and annuitizations of investment type contracts, for instance variable annuity contracts. The Company uses the average daily value of the S&P 500 Index as an indicator for evaluating market returns of the underlying account portfolios in the United States. Relative profitability of variable products is highly correlated to the growth in account values since these products generally earn fee income on a daily basis. Thus, a prolonged downturn in the financial markets could reduce revenues and potentially raise the possibility of a charge against deferred policy acquisition costs.

The profitability of the Company’s fixed annuities and other spread based products depends largely on its ability to earn target spreads between earned investment rates on its general account assets and interest credited to policyholders. Profitability is also influenced by operating expense management including the benefits of economies of scale in the administration of its United States variable annuity businesses in particular. In addition, the size and persistency of gross profits from these businesses is an important driver of earnings as it affects the rate of amortization of the deferred policy acquisition costs.

The Company’s profitability in its individual life insurance business depends largely on the size of its in force block, the adequacy of product pricing and underwriting discipline, actual mortality experience, and the efficiency of its claims and expense management.

Performance Measures

Fee Income

Fee income is largely driven from amounts collected as a result of contractually defined percentages of assets under management on investment type contracts. These fees are generally collected on a daily basis from the contract holder’s account. For individual life insurance products, fees are contractually defined percentages based on levels of insurance, age, premiums and deposits collected and contractholder account value. Life insurance fees are generally collected on a monthly basis. Therefore, the growth in assets under management either through positive net flows and favorable equity market performance will have a favorable impact on fee income. Conversely, negative net flows and unfavorable equity market performance will reduce fee income generated from investment type contracts.

                                   
 
        For the Years Ended    
  Product/Key Indicator Information     2004       2003       2002    
 
 
                               
 
Variable Annuities
                               
 
Account value at December 31,
    $ 99,617       $ 86,501       $ 64,343    
 
Net flows
      5,471         7,709         2,127    
 
Change in market value
      7,645         14,449         (12,365 )  
 
Individual Life Insurance
                               
 
Variable universal life account value at December 31,
    $ 5,356       $ 4,725       $ 3,648    
 
Total life insurance inforce
      139,889         130,798         126,680    
 
S&P 500 Index
                               
 
Year end closing value
      1,212         1,112         880    
 
Daily average value
      1,131         965         995    
 

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Net Investment Income and Interest Credited

Certain investment type contracts such as fixed annuities and other spread-based contracts generate deposits that the Company collects and invests to earn investment income. These deposits comprise the majority of the assets of the general account that are invested to generate investment income for the Company. The investment type contracts use this investment income to credit the contract holder an amount of interest specified in the respective contract. As discussed in the overview, the amount of investment income earned in excess of the interest credited to the contract holder is the spread income earned by the Company. For insurance type contracts, net investment income earned during the time that premiums are invested prior to paying claims and expenses supports the profitability of these products.

                                   
 
        For the Years Ended    
  Net Investment Income     2004       2003       2002    
 
 
                               
 
Retail Products Group segment
    $ 1,079       $ 493       $ 367    
 
Institutional Solutions Group segment
      1,044         976         958    
 
Individual Life segment
      267         222         224    
 
Other
      80         73         23    
 
Total net investment income
    $ 2,470       $ 1,764       $ 1,572    
 
 
                               
 
Interest Credited on General Account Assets
                               
 
Retail Products Group segment
    $ 880       $ 325       $ 256    
 
Institutional Solutions Group segment
      586         564         549    
 
Individual Life segment
      192         166         170    
 
Other
                         
 
Total interest credited on general account assets
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