Hartford Life

Hartford Life's story reflects a common arc in U.S. life insurance: consolidation into a large multiline group and, later, a strategic shift away from legacy long-duration blocks. A California regulator profile for Hartford Life Insurance Company shows authorization in California dating to 1903 and lists an earlier name, Columbian National Life Insurance Company, effective in 1960, with the entity's license status later shown as "MERGED." [1]

In the 2010s and early 2020s, many legacy variable annuity and life blocks became capital- and hedging-intensive, especially after the 2008 financial crisis and the long low-rate period that followed. Public reporting described Hartford's annuities and certain life operations being sold to a specialist run-off platform (Talcott Resolution) backed by institutional investors. [2]

For policyholders, these transitions typically mean the same contractual promises supported by a new ownership and operational structure, with oversight by state insurance regulators. Historically, Hartford's opportunity in life and annuity markets was to use brand trust and distribution to reach mainstream households; in the run-off era, the opportunity shifted to efficient servicing, disciplined investment management, and careful risk management for in-force blocks. The Hartford Life narrative is therefore as much about how insurers adapt to interest-rate regimes and regulatory scrutiny as it is about any single product line.

Sources: [1] https://interactive.web.insurance.ca.gov/companyprofile/companyprofile?doFunction=getCompanyProfile&eid=2640&event=companyProfile [2] https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/former-hartford-financial-annuities-unit-sold-for-2-billion/