products & services H ow do you secure the future when the present is  puzzling enough? It’s a big challenge, and The Hartford’s primary objective. Everything we do is designed to help our customers deal with the uncertainties that lie ahead. The Hartford believes the best way to secure the future is to provide customers with the right products, and then back those products with outstanding per- formance and great service. Staying focused on this objective was never more important—or more chal- lenging—than in 2001. True to form, The Hartford’s life operations’ annu- ities and mutual funds delivered high-quality perform- ance in a time of market turmoil. Despite an anemic stock market, 87 percent of the funds in The Hartford’s Director variable annuity remained in the first or second quartile of three-year returns within the Lipper Peer Group in 2001. Sixty-four percent of the funds in the Leaders suite of annuities and 91 percent of The Hartford’s mutual funds remained in the first or second quartile over the three-year period. The ability to deliver that kind of performance  can be traced to our money managers—Wellington Management Co., American Funds, Franklin Templeton Investments, MFS Investment Management, AIM Funds Management, Inc., Putnam Investment Management and The Hartford’s own Hartford Investment Management Co.  All of The Hartford’s money managers have years of experience and are among the most respected firms in the industry. Their experience and expertise were especially important during the market volatility we saw in 2001. They always stay focused on long-term performance, which is the true measuring stick of The Hartford’s value to its customers. Besides outstanding products and excellent man- agement, great service is a critical component in deliv- ering the right solutions to our customers. In 2001, The Hartford won an unprecedented sixth consecutive DALBAR Annuity Service Award, as well as the  17