Hartford Investments Canada Corp. is expand its core offering with the launch of Harford Portfolios, a four portfolio solution that provides investors access to the five leading money managers that sub-advise Hartford Mutual Funds, the company said Monday.

“Very few programs give investors access to the level of money management expertise that Hartford Portfolios provide,” says Laurie Davis, president of Hartford Investments. “I believe the fact we’ve packaged that capability into a core portfolio solution will prove very attractive to advisors and their clients.”

Hartford Portfolios are constructed from Hartford Mutual Funds – core mandates sub-advised by five distinct managers (Beutel Goodman and Company, Black Creek Investment Management, Greystone Managed Investments, Hartford Investment Management Company and Wellington Management) all with proven long-term track records.

“We’re offering Canadians exactly what they need: the expertise of five leading, pension style managers in a single portfolio solution,” adds Davis. “This is what portfolios were supposed to be in the first place. We’ve simply brought the concept back to its roots.”

The asset allocation team at U.S.-based Hartford Investment Management Co. will oversee the management of the four Hartford Portfolios: Hartford Conservative Portfolio, Hartford Balanced Portfolio, Hartford Balanced Growth Portfolio and Hartford Growth Portfolio. The team manages almost US$2 billion (as of Sept. 30, 2008) in assets for similar programs in the U.S. and UK, using a dynamic management approach that sets broad allocation targets, with the flexibility to make small adjustments that take advantage of market shifts.

The team can also selectively add small allocations of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) to efficiently achieve optimal asset allocation. Cash flows are used to rebalance, where possible, minimizing trading and further enhancing portfolio management efficiency.

Hartford Portfolios are available in front and back end load classes, as well as T share options, which provide tax efficient income. All four portfolios can also be selected as destination investments for Hartford Dollar Cost Averaging Advantage Program, which pays investors a premium interest rate on cash waiting to be invested.

IE