SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-A FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) DELAWARE (State of incorporation or organization of registrant) 13-3317783 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) C/O KATHERINE VINES TRUMBULL VICE PRESIDENT C/O THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC. HARTFORD PLAZA HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT (860) 547-5000 (Address of principal executive offices of registrant) 06115 (Zip Code) Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class to be registered Name of each exchange on which each class is to be registered Corporate Units ("Corporate Units"), New York Stock Exchange to be issued by The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(c), check the following box. [X] If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(d)(2), check the following box. [ ] Securities Act registration statement file number to which this form relates: 333-88762 Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None Item 1 Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered. The class of securities to be registered hereby are the Corporate Units ("Corporate Units") of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"). For a description of the Corporate Units, reference is made to the description of stock purchase units under the caption "Description of Stock Purchase Contracts and Stock Purchase Units" in the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-88762) (the "Registration Statement"), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 21, 2002, which description is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Any form of prospectus or prospectus supplement or any amendment to the Registration Statement that includes such description and that is subsequently filed by the Company is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Item 2 Exhibits. 1.1 Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-88762) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 21, 2002 by the Company, is incorporated herein by reference. 4.1 Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, amended effective May 1, 2002 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.01 to the Company's Form 10-Q for the three month period ended March 31, 2002). 4.2 Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Company, amended effective February 18, 1999 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.02 to the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998). 4.3 Senior Indenture, dated as of October 20, 1995, between ITT Hartford Group, Inc. ("ITT Hartford") and The Chase Manhattan Bank (National Association) as Trustee (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.08 to ITT Hartford's Report on Form 8-K, dated November 15, 1995). 4.4 Supplemental Indenture No.1, dated as of December 27, 2000, to the Senior Indenture filed as Exhibit 4.3 hereto, between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.30 to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-49666) of the Company, Hartford Capital III, Hartford Capital IV and Hartford Capital V). 4.5 Form of Supplemental Indenture No. 2. 4.6 Form of Global Note (included in the Form of Supplemental Indenture No.2 filed as Exhibit 4.5 hereto). 2 4.7 Form of Purchase Contract Agreement. 4.8 Form of Pledge Agreement. 4.9 Form of Remarketing Agreement. 4.10 Form of Corporate Unit Certificate (included in the Form of Purchase Contract Agreement filed as Exhibit 4.7 hereto). 3 SIGNATURE Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized. THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC. By: /s/ Katherine Vines Trumbull -------------------------------------------- Name: Katherine Vines Trumbull Title: Vice President & Corporate Secretary Dated: September 9, 2002 4