April 15, 2009 - The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG), today announced that it has been named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute for the second consecutive year.

"The Hartford is honored to be recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the second year in a row," said Alan Kreczko, executive vice president and general counsel of The Hartford. "For nearly 200 years, The Hartford has demonstrated a strong commitment to ethics and integrity. At the heart of our business is the promise we make to our employees, customers, investors, business partners, and government officials- the promise to hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards in every situation."

Through a rigorous, multi-step evaluation process, Ethisphere's researchers and analysts reviewed more than 10,000 companies in order to determine the finalists.

"The Hartford has proven to be one of the world leaders in upholding high ethical standards, making it a true standout in its industry, especially as unethical business actions and decisions grab headlines each day," said Alex Brigham, executive director of the Ethisphere Institute. "The competition for this year's World's Most Ethical Companies was very strong and we applaud The Hartford for rising to the top. The Hartford recognizes that being ethical is not only the right thing to do, it is also good business practice and leads to more successful and profitable operations."

Over the last few years, The Hartford has engaged in a companywide, systematic effort to build an even stronger, more cohesive ethics and compliance program for its 31,000-employee organization. The expanded program addresses the evolving ethics and compliance standards in the highly regulated financial services industry and focuses on policies and practices to detect and prevent ethics and compliance-related issues. The comprehensive, risk-based program enhances the company's ability to understand, assess and address the legal and regulatory risks facing each business area and the enterprise as a whole.

The methodology for the WME ranking includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers; and working with consumer action groups for feedback. The 2009 World's Most Ethical Companies methodology committee, comprised of leading attorneys, government officials, professors and organization leaders, were consulted early on in the 2009 WME process and had the opportunity to review and comment on the methodology used to rate this year's nominees. Ethisphere researchers further analyze information provided by the companies through questionnaires.

To view the complete list of the 2009 World’s Most Ethical Companies, please visit www.ethisphere.org/wme2009.

About Ethisphere Institute
The research-based Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. The Institute's associated membership group, the Ethisphere Council, is a forum for business ethics that includes more than 200 leading corporations, universities and institutions. The Ethisphere Council is dedicated to the development and advancement of individuals on its membership council through increased efficiency, innovation, tools, mentoring, advice, and unique career opportunities. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World's Most Ethical Companies Ranking(TM), is the quarterly publication of the Institute. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.org.

About The Hartford
The Hartford is one of the nation's largest financial services companies and a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Ireland. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.

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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 2008 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.

The Hartford

The Hartford

The Hartford (NYSE: HIG) is a leading provider of insurance and wealth management services for millions of consumers and businesses worldwide. The Hartford is consistently recognized for its superior service and as one of the world's most ethical companies. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com.

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