<PAGE>
PUTNAM HARTFORD CAPITAL ACCESS VARIABLE ANNUITY
HARTFORD LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
SUPPLEMENT DATED SEPTEMBER 30, 1998 TO THE PROSPECTUS DATED JULY 2, 1998
FOR THE PUTNAM HARTFORD CAPITAL ACCESS VARIABLE ANNUITY
The following new fund and sub-account should be inserted into the table on the
first page of the prospectus, between Putnam OTC & Emerging Growth Sub-Account
and Putnam U.S. Government & High Quality Bond Sub-Account:
Putnam Research Sub-Account - shares of Class IB of Putnam VT
Research Fund of Putnam Variable Trust
The table and accompanying footnotes under the section entitled "Annual Fund
Operating Expenses" should be deleted and replaced with the following language:
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(as percentage of average annual net assets)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Fund
Operating
Other Expenses (after
Management Expenses (after 12b-1 Fees any fee waivers
Fees (after any any expense (after any and expense
fee waivers) reimbursement) waivers)(1 reimbursement)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Putnam VT Asia Pacific Growth Fund 0.80% 0.27% 0.15% 1.22%
Putnam VT Diversified Income Fund 0.69% 0.11% 0.15% 0.95%
Putnam VT The George Putnam Fund of Boston (2)(3) 0.49% 0.36% 0.15% 1.00%
Putnam VT Global Asset Allocation Fund 0.66% 0.11% 0.15% 0.92%
Putnam VT Global Growth Fund 0.60% 0.15% 0.15% 0.90%
Putnam VT Growth and Income Fund 0.47% 0.04% 0.15% 0.66%
Putnam VT Health Sciences Fund (2)(3) 0.56% 0.34% 0.15% 1.05%
Putnam VT High Yield Fund 0.66% 0.06% 0.15% 0.87%
Putnam VT International Growth Fund (2)(3) 0.73% 0.47% 0.15% 1.35%
Putnam VT International Growth and Income Fund (2)(3) 0.80% 0.32% 0.15% 1.27%
Putnam VT International New Opportunities Fund (2)(3) 0.92% 0.68% 0.15% 1.75%
Putnam VT Investors Fund 0.52% 0.33% 0.15% 1.00%
Putnam VT Money Market Fund 0.45% 0.09% 0.15% 0.69%
Putnam VT New Opportunities Fund 0.58% 0.05% 0.15% 0.78%
Putnam VT New Value Fund (2) 0.70% 0.15% 0.15% 1.00%
Putnam VT OTC & Emerging Growth Fund (2)(3) 0.56% 0.34% 0.15% 1.05%
Putnam VT Research Fund(2) 0.37% 0.48% 0.15% 1.00%
Putnam VT U.S. Government and High Quality Bond Fund 0.61% 0.08% 0.15% 0.84%
Putnam VT Utilities Growth and Income 0.67% 0.07% 0.15% 0.89%
Putnam VT Vista Fund (2) 0.65% 0.22% 0.15% 1.02%
Putnam VT Voyager Fund 0.54% 0.05% 0.15% 0.74%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
(1) The Class IB 12b-1 plans provide for payments by each fund to Putnam Mutual
Funds at the annual rate of up to 0.35%. The Trustees currently limit
12b-1 payments on Class IB shares to 0.15% of average net assets.
(2) In order to limit the expenses of Putnam VT The George Putnam Fund of
Boston, Putnam VT Health Sciences Fund, Putnam VT International Growth
Fund, Putnam VT International Growth and Income Fund, Putnam VT
International New Opportunities Fund, Putnam VT Investors Fund, Putnam VT
New Vlalue Fund, Putnam VT OTC & Emerging Growth Fund, Putnam VT Research
Fund and Putnam VT Vista Fund during their start-up periods, Putnam
Management has agreed to limit its compensation (and, to the extent
necessary, bear other expenses of the funds) through December 31, 1998, to
the extent that expenses of the funds (exclusive of brokerage, interest,
taxes, deferred organizational and extraordinary expenses, and payments
under the funds' distribution plan with respect to class IB shares) would
exceed the annual rate of 0.85%. 0.90%, 1.20%, 1.20%, 1.60%, 0.85%, 1.10%,
0.90% and 1.05%, respectively, of the funds' average net assets.
(3) After expense limitation. The "Management Fees," "12b-1Fees," and "Other
Expenses" shown in the table reflect an expense limitation. In the absence
of an expense limitation, "Management Fees," "Other Expenses", "12b-1
Fees," and "Total Fund Operating Expenses" would have been:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Fund
Management Other 12b-1 Operating
Fees Expenses Fees Expenses
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Putnam VT The George Putnam Fund of Boston + 0.65% 0.36% 0.15% 1.16%
Putnam VT Health Sciences Fund + 0.70% 0.34% 0.15% 1.19%
Putnam VT Internal Growth Fund + 0.80% 0.47% 0.15% 1.42%
Putnam VT International New Opportunities Fund 1.20% 0.68% 0.15% 2.03%
Putnam VT Investors Fund + 0.65% 0.33% 0.15% 1.13%
Putnam VT OTC & Emerging Growth Fund + 0.70% 0.34% 0.15% 1.19%
Putnam VT Research Fund + 0.65% 0.48% 0.15% 1.28%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
+Estimated "Management Fees," "Other expenses" and "Total Fund Operating
Expenses".
<PAGE>
The table in the section entitled "Example" should be replaced with the
following:
EXAMPLE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you surrender your Contract at the end of the If you annuitize your Contract at the end of
applicable time period, you would pay the the applicable time period, you would pay the
following expenses on a $1,000 investment, following expenses on a $1,000 investment,
assuming a 5% annual return on assets: assuming a 5% annual return on assets:
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub-Account 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Putnam Asia Pacific Growth $28 $87 $149 $305 $28 $87 $148 $305
Putnam Diversified Income 26 79 135 278 25 78 134 277
The George Putnam Fund 26 81 N/A N/A 26 80 N/A N/A
Putnam Global Asset Allocation 25 78 134 275 25 78 133 274
Putnam Global Growth 25 78 132 273 25 77 132 272
Putnam Growth and Income 23 70 120 248 22 69 119 247
Putnam Health Sciences 27 82 N/A N/A 26 81 N/A N/A
Putnam High Yield 25 77 131 270 24 76 130 269
Putnam International Growth 30 91 155 318 29 91 155 317
Putnam International Growth and
Income 29 89 151 310 28 88 151 309
Putnam International New
Opportunities 34 103 175 356 33 103 175 356
Putnam Investors 26 81 N/A N/A 26 80 N/A N/A
Putnam Money Market 23 71 122 251 22 70 121 251
Putnam New Opportunities 24 74 126 261 23 73 126 260
Putnam New Value 26 81 138 283 26 80 137 282
Putnam OTC & Emerging Growth 27 82 N/A N/A 26 81 N/A N/A
Putnam Research 26 81 N/A N/A 26 80 N/A N/A
Putnam U.S. Government and High
Quality Bond 25 76 129 267 24 75 129 266
Putnam Utilities Growth and
Income 25 77 132 272 24 77 131 271
Putnam Vista 26 81 139 285 26 81 138 285
Putnam Voyager 24 73 124 257 23 72 124 256
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
Delete the paragraph under the section entitled "WHAT ARE THE INVESTMENTS
OPTIONS AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACT?" and replace it with the following
language:
The investment options underlying the Contracts are the Class IB shares of
Putnam Variable Trust are available under the Contracts: Putnam VT Asia Pacific
Growth Fund, Putnam VT Diversified Income Fund, Putnam VT The George Putnam Fund
of Boston, Putnam VT Global Asset Allocation Fund, Putnam VT Global Growth Fund,
Putnam VT Growth and Income Fund, Putnam VT Health Sciences Fund, Putnam VT High
Yield Fund, Putnam VT International Growth Fund, Putnam VT International Growth
and Income Fund, Putnam VT International
<PAGE>
New Opportunities Fund, Putnam VT Investors Fund, Putnam VT Money Market Fund,
Putnam VT New Opportunities Fund, Putnam VT New Value Fund, Putnam VT OTC &
Emerging Growth Fund, Putnam VT Research Fund, Putnam VT U.S. Government and
High Quality Bond Fund, Putnam VT Utilities Growth and Income Fund, Putnam VT
Vista Fund, and Putnam VT Voyager Fund, and such other funds as shall be offered
from time to time (the "Funds"). (See "The Funds," page _____.) With certain
limitations, Contract Owners may allocate their Premium Payments and Contract
Values to one or a combination of Sub-Accounts which invest in these investment
options, and may transfer among the corresponding Sub-Accounts. (See
"Sub-Account Value Transfers Before and After the Annuity Commencement Date,"
page ______.)
The following language should be added between the paragraph entitled "Putnam VT
OTC & Emerging Growth Fund" and the paragraph entitled "Putnam VT U.S.
Government and High Quality Bond Fund in the section entitled "The Funds":
PUTNAM VT RESEARCH FUND
Seeks capital appreciation by investing primarily in common stocks
recommended by Putnam Investment Management, Inc. ("Putnam Management"), as
having the greatest potential for capital appreciation.
Under the section entitled "The Funds" delete the fifth paragraph from the
bottom of the section and replace it with the following:
Putnam VT Asia Pacific Growth Fund, Putnam VT Diversified Income Fund, Putnam VT
The George Putnam Fund of Boston, Putnam VT Global Growth Fund, Putnam VT
Growth and Income Fund, Putnam VT Health Sciences Fund, Putnam VT High Yield
Fund, Putnam VT International Growth Fund, Putnam VT International Growth and
Income Fund, Putnam VT International New Opportunities Fund, Putnam VT Investors
Fund, Putnam VT Money Market Fund, Putnam VT New Opportunities Fund, Putnam VT
New Value Fund, Putnam VT OTC & Emerging Growth Fund, Putnam VT Research Fund,
Putnam VT U.S. Government and High Quality Bond Fund, Putnam VT Utilities Growth
and Income Fund, Putnam VT Vista Fund, and Putnam VT Voyager Fund are generally
managed in styles similar to other open-end investment companies which are
managed by Putnam Management and whose shares are generally offered to the
public. These other Putnam funds may, however, employ different investment
practices and may invest in securities different from those in which their
counterpart Funds invest, and consequently will not have identical portfolios or
experience identical investment results.
Under the section entitled "Distribution of the Funds" delete the second
sentence of the second paragraph and replace with the following language:
HSD is an affiliate of Hartford. Hartford's parent company indirectly owns
100% of HSD.
HV-
333-50467