8-K

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                                  UNITED STATES


                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549



                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



Date of report (Date of earliest event reported)             March 31, 2004


                      -------------------------------------



                            CNA FINANCIAL CORPORATION

             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)





               DELAWARE                  1-5823              36-6169860
     (State or Other Jurisdiction      (Commission         (IRS Employer
           of Incorporation)           File Number)      Identification No.)

       CNA PLAZA, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS                             60685
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                     (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code         (312) 822-5000

                                 Not Applicable
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

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Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c)  Exhibits:

Exhibit No.    Description
- -----------    -----------

99.1           CNA Financial Corporation press release, issued March 30,
               2004.


Item 9.  Regulation FD Disclosure

The information in this Current Report is being furnished and shall not be
deemed "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section. The
information in this Current Report shall not be incorporated by reference into
any registration statement or other document pursuant to the Securities Act of
1933, as amended.

On March 30, 2004 Registrant issued a press release announcing that the
previously announced sale of its individual life insurance business to Swiss Re
Life & Health America Inc. (Swiss Re), initially expected to close on March 31,
2004, is now anticipated to be completed on April 30, 2004, subject to certain
customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The press release is
furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K.


                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                             CNA FINANCIAL CORPORATION



Dated:  March 31, 2004                       /s/ Robert V. Deutsch
                                             --------------------------------
                                        By:  Robert V. Deutsch
                                       Its:  Executive Vice President and
                                             Chief Financial Officer




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EX-99.1

                                                                      [CNA LOGO]

Exhibit 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTACT:

MEDIA:                                             ANALYSTS:
Charles M. Boesel, 312/822-2592                    Dawn M. Jaffray, 312/822-7757
Katrina W. Parker, 312/822-5167

         CNA FINANCIAL ANTICIPATES CLOSING APRIL 30, 2004 ON SALE OF ITS
                       INDIVIDUAL LIFE INSURANCE BUSINESS

CHICAGO, MARCH 30, 2004 --- CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE: CNA) today stated
that the previously announced sale of its individual life insurance business to
Swiss Re Life & Health America Inc. (Swiss Re), initially expected to close on
March 31, 2004, is now anticipated to be completed on April 30, 2004, subject to
certain customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Neither party anticipates a problem with closing the transaction. The April 30th
closing will help to ensure a smooth transition of the business from CNA to
Swiss Re.

ABOUT CNA

CNA is the country's fourth largest commercial insurance writer and the 11th
largest property and casualty company. CNA's insurance products include standard
commercial lines, specialty lines, surety, marine and other property and
casualty coverages. CNA services include risk management, information services,
underwriting, risk control and claims administration. For more information,
please visit CNA at www.cna.com. CNA is a registered service mark, trade name
and domain name of CNA Financial Corporation.

                           FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release includes statements which relate to anticipated future events
(forward-looking statements) rather than actual present conditions or historical
events. You can identify forward-looking statements because generally they
include words such as "believes", "expects", "intends", "anticipates",
"estimates", and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements, by their
nature, are subject to a variety of inherent risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected. Many of
these risks and uncertainties cannot be controlled by CNA.

Any forward-looking statements made in this press release are made by CNA as of
the date of this press release. CNA does not have any obligation to update or
revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release, even if
CNA's expectations or any related events, conditions or circumstances change.

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