Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman Takes Center Court to Bring Financial Planning Lessons to Student-Athletes

Playbook for Life, the award-winning national education program created by The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG), working closely with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), to help student-athletes get a head start on their financial future, announces the newest addition to its "Team Hartford” roster. Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman has joined the group of former student and professional athletes who have found success both in and out of sports and are now sharing important lessons about planning for life after college athletics. Renowned as a trailblazer for women in sports, Lieberman is a two-time Olympian, and a two-time National Champion and Player of the Year while a student-athlete at Old Dominion University. Lieberman went on to play professionally with the Phoenix Mercury in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and was the first woman ever to play in a men’s league, the United States Basketball League. Lieberman was also the former head coach for the Dallas Fury in the National Women’s Basketball League and served as both head coach and general manager for the WNBA’s Detroit Shock. Lieberman is currently a basketball analyst for ESPN and NBA TV and hosts annual youth basketball camps. Active in a number of charitable organizations, including the Boys and Girls Clubs and Special Olympics, Lieberman’s participation in Playbook for Life builds upon her years of experience as a coach and mentor to young athletes. "I’m excited to help student-athletes and young adults understand how to build a solid financial future and avoid making the mistakes that I made – mistakes I could have easily avoided if I had something like the Playbook for Life at that critical stage,” explained Lieberman. "Knowledge of personal finance basics is an essential life skill; our goal is to empower students to make smart decisions that will lead them on the road to success.” As a member of Team Hartford, Lieberman will visit college campuses across the country to share her personal finance struggles as a student and professional athlete who had little guidance on matters off the court. She participated in her first Playbook for Life event at Gonzaga University in October. "I was the proud owner of emus,” said Lieberman of an unresearched investment opportunity in the early years of her professional career. "I started making a lot of money, and I didn’t have sound financial advice. I was told that the oil and feathers from emus could be sold for a profit, so I took a shot. I was ill prepared and I was afraid to ask questions.” In addition to her own compelling story, Lieberman shares insights gained from her many years as a coach and mentor to help enlighten student-athletes about the challenges and opportunities of transitioning to life after sports. "We are delighted to welcome one of the greatest figures in women’s sports to our Team Hartford roster,” said Ann Glover, The Hartford’s group senior vice president of Corporate Relations. "Beyond her many athletic accomplishments, Nancy’s genuine commitment to helping young athletes and her willingness to share her own experiences to bring to life important personal finance lessons make her a wonderful role model and an asset to the Playbook for Life program.” Lieberman will join Team Hartford captain Allen Pinkett, a former Notre Dame and NFL running back, and fellow members Jennifer Rizzotti, University of Hartford women’s basketball coach and former University of Connecticut and WNBA basketball player; Bill Poutre, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship and head coach of the NCAA Division I men’s golf team at the University of Hartford; and others in bringing the Playbook’s teachings to students across the country. "Nancy has been an inspiring role model for countless student-athletes striving for success – both in their sport and in life,” said NCAA president Myles Brand of Lieberman’s addition to Team Hartford. "Her support of the Playbook for Life’s educational mission and her participation in its outreach efforts will help to bring the important message of financial preparedness to an even broader audience of those who can benefit from it.” Playbook for Life was developed by The Hartford as part of the company’s philanthropic focus on education and its corporate partnership with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Designed to help students make smart decisions as they plan for their future financial success, the program features visits to college campuses, a free guidebook with practical, easy-to-use information, and a Web site with a video webinar version of the Playbook for Life on-campus presentation, along with additional resources, at www.playbook.thehartford.com The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 360,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 49,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA Championships in Division I, II and III sports. For more information, go to www.ncaa.org. The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest financial services and insurance companies, with 2005 revenues of $27.1 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. HIG-C 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, without limitation, those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2005 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 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