Amid a smooth leadership transition, Hartford Funds continues to strengthen its key subadvisory relationships to the benefit of fundholders, warranting an Above Average Parent rating.
Greg Frost took the helm of Hartford Funds in January 2025, completing a leadership handoff that was forecast well in advance. He had served as the firm’s CFO since joining in 2012 and was formally appointed the successor to President Jim Davey in June 2024. Since taking the reins, Frost has made modest changes to the organization, such as promoting Brian Kraus to head the product function and separating that team from the investment group. The groups remain highly collaborative, but this move should increase focus and resourcing for key considerations like vehicle-strategy suitability and fees.
Hartford benefits from long-standing partnerships with impressive asset managers Wellington Management and Schroders. As of November 2025, Wellington subadvised more than three-fourths of Hartford’s USD 156 billion in fund assets under management. The depth of these relationships means Hartford can get to know up-and-coming talent before launching a fund. For instance, Hartford launched Hartford Dynamic Bond ETF in 2025. The exchange-traded fund is similar to the mutual fund of the same name that it debuted in June 2022, which itself draws on the lead manager’s experience running the same strategy in a separate account for Wellington clients since 2018. Already, the fund and ETF combined comprise more than USD 3.6 billion in AUM.
Still, the nature of subadvisory relationships, which require two or more firms to split management fees, can make it difficult to compete on cost, especially as passive funds continue to take share and pressure fees. Hartford has taken steps over the years to reduce management fees overall, and its ETFs are attractively priced, but roughly 40% of share classes still carry above-average expenses.
Note: This share class' Parent Pillar rating is analyst-driven, as its Branding Name, Hartford Funds (Branding Name ID: BN00000J6S), is covered by Morningstar Manager Research.
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