8-K

                                  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) NOVEMBER 5, 2004


                            CNA FINANCIAL CORPORATION
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          DELAWARE                     1-5823                  36-6169860
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 (State or other jurisdiction       (Commission              (IRS Employer
        of incorporation)           File Number)           Identification No.)


         CNA CENTER, 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.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
    (17 CFR 230.425)

[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act
    (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



                                   Page 1 of 2




ITEM 5.02(c) APPOINTMENT OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICERS.


On November 5, 2004, Registrant issued a press release announcing the
appointment of D. Craig Mense, age 52 years, as its Chief Financial Officer,
effective November 29, 2004. The press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to
this Form 8-K.



ITEM 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(c) Exhibits:

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

99.1           CNA Financial Corporation press release, issued November 5, 2004.



                                   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
                                                       (Registrant)

Date  November 5, 2004                            /s/ Lawrence J. Boysen
                                             -----------------------------------
                                                        (Signature)*
                                             By:  Lawrence J. Boysen
*Print name and title of the signing         Its: Acting Chief Financial Officer
 officer under his signature.


                                   Page 2 of 2

EX-99.1

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

                                                                      [CNA LOGO]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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CONTACTS:

MEDIA --                                 ANALYSTS --
Charles M. Boesel, 312/822-2592               Dawn M. Jaffray, 312/822-7757
Katrina W. Parker, 312/822-5167               Kenneth S. DeVries, 312/822-1111


                CNA FINANCIAL CORPORATION ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF
                    D. CRAIG MENSE AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

CHICAGO, NOVEMBER 5, 2004-- Today, CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE:CNA)
announced the appointment of D. Craig Mense, age 52, as chief financial officer
(CFO), effective November 29, 2004. Mr. Mense will report to Stephen W.
Lilienthal, chairman and chief executive officer of CNA Financial Corporation.
Mr. Mense succeeds Robert V. Deutsch, who served as CFO from August of 1999 to
October of 2004.

Mr. Mense will be responsible for CNA's Corporate Finance Department, which
provides asset and capital management, investor relations, corporate accounting,
financial reporting, corporate tax, financial regulation, and internal audit
services to the organization.

"I am pleased to welcome Craig to our organization," said Mr. Lilienthal. "He
brings a wealth of both financial and operational experience to strengthen and
enhance our senior management team."

Mr. Mense comes to CNA from St. Paul Travelers, where he served most recently as
president & chief executive officer of its Global Run-Off Operations. In that
capacity, he was responsible for all discontinued businesses, including Gulf
Insurance Group, Domestic Assumed Reinsurance, International Reinsurance. From
May of 2003 to May of 2004, he was chief operating officer of the Gulf Insurance
Group, with oversight of all company operations. Previously, at Travelers
Property Casualty, Mr. Mense was senior vice president & chief financial officer
(Bond) from April of 1996 to July of 2002, and chief financial & administrative
officer (Personal Lines) from July of 2002 to March of 2003.

CNA is the country's seventh largest commercial insurance writer and the 14th
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 STATEMENT

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. For a detailed
description of these risks and uncertainties please refer to CNA's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, available at www.cna.com.

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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