The Hartford Adds Contractor's Equipment Insurance to its 'Quote Marine' Online Tool

High-powered online tool enable agents to quote, bind and request issuance of contractor's equipment policies over the internet

HARTFORD, Conn. –The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG), one of the nation’s leading providers of investment and insurance products, is making it easier for agents to meet their construction clients’ need for contractor’s equipment coverage. Agents will now be able to submit, quote, and even initiate policy issuance through the company’s dynamic “Quote Marine” tool.

Contractor’s Equipment coverage is available to protect against damage to the professional hand tools used by small artisan contractors as well as the heavy equipment used by street and road contractors. This is an important coverage for construction companies who rely on their tools and equipment to get their jobs done within contract deadlines.

“The addition of Contractor’s Equipment to Quote Marine is another way we’re responding to the needs of our agents and their clients,” said Lauren Berry, assistant vice president of the commercial marine unit at The Hartford. She also explained, “convenience and efficient use of technology are in high demand. Our goal is to provide our agents with the necessary tools, processes and support to help them best serve their customers and grow their business.”

Accessed through The Hartford’s Electronic Business Center (EBC) portal, Contractor’s Equipment insurance coverage is the fourth commercial marine insurance product to be made available through Quote Marine. It joins Builder’s Risk insurance, which was introduced in December of 2004, Ocean Cargo coverage, which was added in January of this year, and Motor Truck Cargo.

The Hartford’s Quote Marine tool allows agents to quickly submit, quote, and request the issuance of policies, giving them the ability to place coverage in minutes rather than days. The agent can bind some of the best equipment coverages in the industry immediately and the sale can be completed before the client hangs up the phone or leaves the agent’s office. Quote Marine also reduces the amount of paperwork involved in the quoting process, and provides simple management of accounts at any time of day or night, with just a few clicks on a computer.

Quote Marine - Contractor’s Equipment is designed to accommodate construction companies that have total scheduled values up to $4 million. Larger schedules are handled by a Hartford Marine specialist.

Standard features of The Hartford’s Contractor’s Equipment policy includes benefits such as coverage for damage to borrowed, leased, or rented as well as owned equipment; replacement cost coverage for equipment that is less than five years old; $25,000 expediting expense; and reimbursement for up to $5,000 reward payment for the recovery of undamaged, stolen equipment. In addition, The Hartford offers loss control assistance to help clients protect their business and their profits by reducing the likelihood of equipment theft from job sites.

For further information and to register for the EBC, agents can contact their Hartford representative or call The Hartford’s Agency Interface Services Team toll free at 877-322-4833 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST.

The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services companies, with 2006 revenues of $26.5 billion. The Hartford is 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, Brazil and the United Kingdom.

The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com

Some of the statements in this release should be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include statements about our future results of operations. 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, without limitation, those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2006 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.

This document outlines in general terms the coverages that may be afforded under a Hartford policy. All policies must be examined carefully to determine suitability for your needs and to identify any exclusions, limitations or any other terms and conditions that may specifically affect coverage. In the event of a conflict, the terms and conditions of the policy prevail. All Hartford coverages described in this document may be offered by one or more of the property and casualty insurance company subsidiaries of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.

Source: The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.