Articles Posted in Late-trading

Hartford Financial Services Group will pay $115 million to settle market-timing and broker-compensation charges brought by the Attorney General offices of Connecticut, New York and Illinois.

The three state regulators charged that the Hartford insurance unit failed to properly oversee hedge funds that were engaging in market-timing sales of its variable annuities. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said his investigation also found that Hartford invested into a hedge fund that was market-timing Hartford’s variable annuities, reaping nearly $16 million in profits from the hedge fund, while hiding its role and profit to customers.

The Connecticut Attorney General said his investigation revealed that Hartford also provided fictitious quotes to insurance brokers including the Marsh & McLennan Companies. He stated that Hartford provided Marsh with the intentionally high and noncompetitive bids, knowing it could “deceptively create the mirage of a competitive market–with the understanding that it could win other desirable future business from Marsh,” adding, “Hartford colluded with brokers and agents to pay concealed contingent commissions to get steered business.”