<PAGE>
SELECT DIMENSIONS VARIABLE ANNUITY
HARTFORD LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
SUPPLEMENT DATED SEPTEMBER 20, 1999 TO THE
PROSPECTUS DATED MAY 3, 1999
One additional investment option is now available within Series I of the Select
Dimensions variable annuity. The third paragraph of the first page of the
prospectus should include the following Sub-Account and the underlying
investment for that Sub-Account:
- The Active International Allocation Sub-Account which purchases shares
of Active International Allocation Portfolio of the Morgan Stanley
Dean Witter Universal Funds, Inc.;
The tables and accompanying footnotes under the section entitled "Fee Table --
Summary" should be deleted and replaced with the following language:
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE NET ASSETS)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MANAGEMENT OTHER TOTAL FUND
FEES EXPENSES OPERATING
INCLUDING EXPENSES
WAIVERS INCLUDING
WAIVERS
<S> <C> <C> <C>
MORGAN STANLEY DEAN WITTER SELECT DIMENSIONS INVESTMENT
SERIES:
Money Market Portfolio 0.50% 0.05% 0.55%
North American Government Securities Portfolio 0.65% 0.50% 1.15%
Diversified Income Portfolio 0.40% 0.09% 0.49%
Balanced Growth Portfolio 0.62% 0.09% 0.71%
Utilities Portfolio 0.65% 0.06% 0.71%
Dividend Growth Portfolio 0.60% 0.03% 0.63%
Value-Added Market Portfolio 0.50% 0.05% 0.55%
Growth Portfolio 0.81% 0.25% 1.06%
American Value Portfolio 0.62% 0.04% 0.66%
Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio (1) 0.75% 0.23% 0.98%
Global Equity Portfolio 1.00% 0.10% 1.10%
Developing Growth Portfolio 0.50% 0.09% 0.59%
Emerging Markets Portfolio 1.25% 0.48% 1.73%
MORGAN STANLEY DEAN WITTER UNIVERSAL FUNDS, INC.:
High Yield Portfolio (2) 0.15% 0.65% 0.80%
Mid-Cap Value Portfolio (2) 0.23% 0.82% 1.05%
Emerging Markets Debt Portfolio (2) 0.27% 1.25% 1.52%
Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio (2) 0.00% 1.95% 1.95%
Fixed Income Portfolio (2) 0.06% 0.64% 0.70%
Active International Allocation (2) 0.53% 0.62% 1.15%
VAN KAMPEN LIFE INVESTMENT TRUST:
Strategic Stock Portfolio (3) 0.00% 0.65% 0.65%
Enterprise Portfolio (3) 0.46% 0.14% 0.60%
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
(1) With respect to the Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio, the expense information shown
in the table above has been restated to reflect the current fees. Prior to
April 30, 1999, the investment adviser, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Advisors
Inc., assumed all expenses of the Portfolio and waived the compensation
provided for the Portfolio in its management agreement with the Fund.
(2) With respect to the High Yield, Mid-Cap Value, Fixed Income, Active
International Allocation, Emerging Markets Equity, and Emerging Markets
Debt Portfolios, the investment advisers have voluntarily agreed to waive
their investment advisory fees and to reimburse certain expenses of the
Portfolios if such fees would cause the respective "Total Fund Operating
Expenses" to exceed certain limits. The annual expense ratios for the
Active International Allocation Portfolio have been estimated. Absent such
reductions, it is estimated that "Management Fees", "Other Expenses" and
"Total Fund Operating Expenses" for the Portfolios would have been as
follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
TOTAL FUND
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT OTHER OPERATING
FEES EXPENSES EXPENSES
<S> <C> <C> <C>
High Yield 0.50% 0.65% 1.15%
Mid-Cap Value 0.75% 0.82% 1.57%
Fixed Income 0.40% 0.64% 1.04%
Emerging Markets Equity 1.25% 2.20% 3.45%
Emerging Markets Debt 0.80% 1.25% 2.05%
Active International Allocation 0.80% 0.62% 1.42%
</TABLE>
(3) With respect to the Strategic Stock Portfolio and the Enterprise Portfolio,
the investment adviser, Van Kampen Asset Management Inc. has voluntarily
agreed to waive its investment advisory fees and to reimburse the
Portfolios if such fees would cause their respective "Total Fund Operating
Expenses" to exceed those set forth in the table above. Absent the
aforementioned reductions, it is estimated that "Management Fees", "Other
Expenses" and "Total Fund Operating Expenses" for the Portfolios would have
been as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
TOTAL FUND
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT OTHER OPERATING
FEES EXPENSES EXPENSES
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Strategic Stock 0.50% 2.09% 2.59%
Enterprise 0.50% 0.17% 0.67%
</TABLE>
The following should be added to the Example following the Annual Fund
Operating Expenses:
<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C>
If you surrender your Contract at If you annuitize your Contract at If you do not surrender your
the end of the applicable time the end of the applicable time Contract, you would pay the
period you would pay the period you would pay the following expenses on a
following expenses on a $1,000 following expenses on a $1,000 $1,000 investment, assuming
investment, assuming a 5% investment, assuming a 5% a 5% annual return on assets:
annual return on assets: annual return on assets:
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
1 3 5 10 1 3 5 10 1 3 5 10
SUB-ACCOUNT YEAR YEARS YEARS YEARS YEAR YEARS YEARS YEARS YEAR YEARS YEARS YEARS
- -----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Active $29 $90 $153 $322 $26 $81 $139 $297 $29 $90 $153 $322
International
Allocation
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
The last sentence in the first paragraph under the section entitled
"ACCUMULATION UNIT VALUES" should be deleted and replace with the following
paragraph:
The Active International Allocation, the Fixed Income and the Emerging
Markets Equity Sub-Accounts are new Sub-Accounts and are not shown below.
The following Active International Allocation Portfolio investment objective
should be added after the Fixed Income Portfolio in the Section entitled "The
Portfolios- Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Universal Funds, Inc.":
ACTIVE INTERNATIONAL ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
Seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in accordance
with country and sector weightings determined by the investment adviser in
equity securities of non-issuers which, in the aggregate, replicate
broad-market indices.
The fifth and sixth paragraphs under the Section entitled "The Investment
Advisers" should be deleted and replaced with the following paragraph:
In addition to acting as the Sub-Adviser for the Growth Portfolio, MSDW
Investment Management, pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with
the Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Universal Funds, Inc., is the investment
adviser for the Emerging Markets Debt Portfolio, Emerging Markets Equity
Portfolio and Active International Allocation Portfolio. As the investment
adviser, MSDW Investment Management provides investment advice and
portfolio management services for the Emerging Markets Debt Portfolio,
subject to the supervision of the Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Universal
Fund's Board of Directors.
The investment adviser for the High Yield Portfolio, the Fixed Income
Portfolio and the Mid Cap Value Portfolio is Miller Anderson & Sherrerd,
LLP ("MAS"). MAS is a Pennsylvania limited liability partnership founded in
1969 with its principal offices at One Tower Bridge, West Conshohocken,
Pennsylvania 19428. MAS provides investment advisory services to employee
benefit plans, endowment portfolios, foundations and other institutional
investors and has served as an investment adviser to several open-end
investment companies. MAS is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of MSDW.
33-80738
HV-2451
