Ownership Submission
FORM 3
 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  MOTAMED THOMAS F
 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
01/01/2009		 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
CNA FINANCIAL CORP [CNA]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
333 SOUTH WABASH AVENUE		 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Chairman and CEO
 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

CHICAGO, IL 60604		 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)		 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Common Shares (1) 130,464
D
 

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Appreciation Rights (2) 01/02/2010(2) 01/02/2019 Common Shares 80,000 $ 16.5 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
MOTAMED THOMAS F
333 SOUTH WABASH AVENUE
CHICAGO, IL 60604		   X     Chairman and CEO  

Signatures

Thomas F. Motamed 01/08/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Common stock respresents the underlying security of restricted stock units granted to the reporting person, each restricted stock unit representing a contingent right to receive one share of CNA Financial Corporation common stock. The restricted stock units vest in equal installments on each of the first four anniversaries of the grant date (January 2, 2009); provided, however, that no restricted stock unit shall vest on such vesting date unless the reporting person has been continuously employed by CNA Financial Corporation from the grant date until such vesting date except as otherwise specified in award terms and employment agreement.
(2) The stock appreciation rights paid in CNA Financial Corporation Common Stock vests annually in four equal installments commencing on January 2, 2010 except as otherwise specified in award terms and employment agreement.

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