Prudential to acquire The Hartford's Individual Life Insurance business For $615M

Prudential Financial

today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement with The Hartford for The Prudential Insurance Company of America to acquire The Hartford's Individual Life Insurance business through a reinsurance transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, Prudential will pay The Hartford cash consideration of $615 million and primarily will receive approximately $7 billion of general account investment assets and corresponding reserves, and rights and obligations with respect to approximately $5 billion in separate account assets and corresponding liabilities, based on statutory balance sheet values as of June 30, 2012. The cash consideration consists primarily of a ceding commission to provide reinsurance for approximately 700,000 Hartford life insurance policies with face amount in force of approximately $135 billion. The transaction is expected to close in early 2013, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. “The integration of Prudential's Individual Life Insurance business and that of The Hartford will create an organization with greater scale, enhanced product offerings and expanded distribution expertise to meet the life insurance needs of Americans and their families,” said John Strangfeld, chairman and chief executive officer, Prudential Financial. “The Hartford's Individual Life Insurance business represents a unique opportunity for us to acquire a very high-quality life insurance business with talented people, complementary capabilities and financial performance consistent with our objectives.” Following the close of the transaction, Prudential's Individual Life Insurance business will rank among the top five largest individual life insurance companies in the U.S. in terms of new recurring premium sales, based on Prudential and The Hartford's Individual Life Insurance businesses' data reflected in the most recent LIMRA rankings. Prudential will have leadership positions in universal, term and variable life insurance.