The Hartford's New Private Choice Encore!(TM) Plus Makes Management Liability Even More Manageable for Private Companies

HARTFORD, Conn., Nov. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Like public companies, private companies also struggle to avoid lawsuits from their management practices. When legal actions are filed, private companies and their managers need broad coverage to see them through.

To meet current needs for private companies, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. , one of the nation's largest providers of management liability coverage, has just introduced Private Choice Encore! Plus, a new suite of endorsements that builds on its industry-leading Private Choice Encore! management liability package policy to offer companies even more protection. The enhanced endorsements are offered to middle market customers at no additional premium.

Private Choice Encore! Plus provides the following major coverage improvements:

* State-of-the-art application severability including affirmative severability for indemnifiable loss, limited imputation to the Insured Entity, and Side A Non-Rescindable language. * Entity defense-only sub-limit for antitrust claims. * Security holder carve-backs to entity-only professional services and intellectual property exclusions. * Broad, state-of-the-art definitions of claim, include civil, criminal, regulatory and arbitration proceedings, and agreements to toll (temporarily suspend) the statute of limitations.

"When we introduced Private Choice Encore! two years ago, it quickly became an industry leader in protecting private companies against management liability issues," said Paul Sullivan, vice president at The Hartford's Hartford Financial Products division. (HFP) "Now, when producers think about providing insurance protection for private company clients, the choice remains easy with Plus. Whether the issue involves D&O (directors & officers), E&O (errors and omissions), EPL (employment practices liability), Fiduciary Liability, Kidnap & Ransom or Crime, producers know their clients are well protected."

Hartford's Private Choice Encore! policy with Plus endorsements continues to provide all of the break-through management liability features available in the original Private Choice Encore! product, such as a free Additional Dedicated Limit for Executives for Side A claims; No settlement provision "Hammer Clause;" and affirmative coverage for Private Placements or for a failure to go public.

For more information about Private Choice Encore! Plus and The Hartford's other financial products, brokers or agents can visit http://www.hfpinsurance.com/ or call Patricia Fitzgerald at 212-277-0457. Coverage is provided by The Hartford companies and may not be available in all states. See policy for actual coverage wording.

The Hartford is one of the largest financial services and insurance companies in the U.S., with worldwide revenues of $22.7 billion in 2004. The company is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property-casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The Hartford's Internet address is http://www.thehartford.com/.

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2004 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

Contacts: Sue Honeyman 860-547-4976 shoneyman@thehartford.com Joseph Loparco 860-547-3397 joseph.loparco@thehartford.com