EXHIBIT 24.01

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Each person whose signature appears below does hereby make, constitute and
appoint DAVID M. JOHNSON, NEAL S. WOLIN, ROBERT J. PRICE and BRIAN S. BECKER,
and each of them, with full power to act as his or her true and lawful
attorney-in-fact and agent, in his or her name, place and stead to execute on
his or her behalf, as an officer and/or director of The Hartford Financial
Services Group, Inc. (the "Company"), one or more Registration Statements of the
Company on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement"), and any and all amendments
or supplements to the Registration Statement (including any and all
post-effective amendments), and any and all additional registration statements
relating to the same offering of securities as those that are covered by the
Registration Statement that are filed pursuant to Rule 462(b), and to file the
same with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") pursuant to the Securities
Act of 1933 (the "Act"), and any applicable securities exchange or securities
self-regulatory body, and any and all other instruments which any of said
attorneys-in-fact and agents deems necessary or advisable to enable the Company
to comply with the Act, the rules, regulations and requirements of the SEC in
respect thereof, and the securities or Blue Sky laws of any State or other
governmental subdivision, giving and granting to each of said attorneys-in-fact
and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and
thing whatsoever necessary or appropriate to be done in and about the premises
as fully to all intents as he or she might or could do in person, with full
power of substitution and resubstitution, hereby ratifying and confirming all
that his or her said attorneys-in-fact and agents or substitutes may or shall
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto subscribed this power of
attorney this 17th day of March, 2003.

<Table>
                                                         

/s/ RAND V. ARASKOG                                         /s/ ROBERT J. PRICE
- -----------------------------------------------------       -----------------------------------------------------
Rand V. Araskog                                             Robert J. Price

/s/ RAMANI AYER                                             /s/ ROBERT W. SELANDER
- -----------------------------------------------------       -----------------------------------------------------
Ramani Ayer                                                 Robert W. Selander

/s/ DONALD R. FRAHM                                         /s/ CHARLES B. STRAUSS
- -----------------------------------------------------       -----------------------------------------------------
Donald R. Frahm                                             Charles B. Strauss

/s/ DAVID M. JOHNSON                                        /s/ H. PATRICK SWYGERT
- -----------------------------------------------------       -----------------------------------------------------
David M. Johnson                                            H. Patrick Swygert

/s/ EDWARD J. KELLY, III                                    /s/ GORDON I. ULMER
- -----------------------------------------------------       -----------------------------------------------------
Edward J. Kelly, III                                        Gordon I. Ulmer

/s/ PAUL G. KIRK, JR.                                       /s/ DAVID K. ZWIENER
- -----------------------------------------------------       -----------------------------------------------------
Paul G. Kirk, Jr.                                           David K. Zwiener

/s/ THOMAS M. MARRA
- -----------------------------------------------------
Thomas M. Marra
</Table>