##### 



EXHIBIT 10.18 FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE
CNA SUPPLEMENTAL EXECUTIVE SAVINGS
AND CAPITAL ACCUMULATION PLAN The CNA SUPPLEMENTAL EXECUTIVE SAVINGS AND CAPITAL ACCUMULATION PLAN, as restated by CNA
effective January 1, 2003, is hereby amended as follows:  1.
    Section 1.5(i) is amended to read as follows: (i) Deferral Agreement means an agreement between an Active Participant and his Employer
specifying that a portion of his Compensation shall be withheld and credited to his Account in the
Plan pursuant to Section 2.2, or providing that additional amounts will be credited to his Account
pursuant to Section 2.3, or both, and any amendment thereto. To the extent determined by the
Administrator, a Deferral Agreement may take the form of an election made by the Participant either
in writing or through electronic communications, and a Participants election to participate in the
S-CAP may be treated as a Deferral Agreement under this Plan in the absence of a contrary election.
The term Deferral Agreement may also refer to any provision of an employment, consulting,
severance, or other agreement for the performance of services that makes specific reference to this
Plan and provides for deferred compensation.  2.
    Section 2.5 is amended to read as follows: 2.5 Vesting. The balance in a Participants Deferral Account shall be fully
vested and nonforfeitable at all times. The balance in a Participants Matching Account or
Employer Account (or any subaccount thereof) shall be vested at the same times and to the same
extent as the Participants analogous account in the S-CAP (except as otherwise provided in a
Deferral Agreement with respect to amounts credited pursuant to Section 2.3(b)); provided, however,
that an event that results in the S-CAP accounts of a group of Participants being vested without
regard to their years of service, including but not limited to the sale of a business unit or a
determination that a partial termination of the S-CAP has occurred, shall apply to this Plan if and
only if such event is listed in Appendix A to this Plan. To the extent a Participants Account is
not vested at the time of his termination of employment for any reason, the non-vested portion
shall be forfeited, and neither the Company nor any Employer shall have any further obligation to
him whatsoever with respect to the forfeited portion.  3.
    Section 2.6 is amended to read as follows: 2.6 Time and Form of Payment. The vested balance in a Participants Account shall be
paid to the Participant at the time and in the method elected by the Participant at the time of his
initial Deferral Agreement in accordance with the procedures established by the Administrator. If
the Participant does not specify a time and method of payment, the vested balance in his Account
shall be distributed in a single lump sum as soon as administratively feasible following his
termination of employment. The initial election or deemed election as to the time and form of
distribution cannot be changed.




---



##### 



4.
    A new Appendix A is added to the Plan in the form appended to this Amendment. 5.     This amendment is intended to clarify the meaning of the Plan as restated, and shall be
effective as of the effective date of the restatement. Except as otherwise provided herein, the
Plan shall remain in full force and effect. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Amendment has been executed on behalf of CNA Financial Corporation
pursuant to the authority reserved under Section 5.1 of the Plan, this 27 day of February, 2004. CNA FINANCIAL CORPORATION By:
    
    /s/ Thomas PontarelliThomas Pontarelli,
Senior Vice President-Human Resourcesof Continental Casualty Company,pursuant to authority delegated by theBoard of Directors of CNA Financial Corporation
 -2-




---



##### 





APPENDIX A
FULL VESTING OF PARTICIPANTS AFFECTED BY CERTAIN EVENTS

A.1      Sales of Business Units

In accordance with Section 2.5, Participants whose employment is terminated in connection with
the following sales or other dispositions of business units shall be fully vested in their Account
balance regardless of their years of service. Except as otherwise provided below, the Participants
who qualify for full vesting with respect to any transaction shall be those, and only those, who
qualify as an Affected Member with respect to such transaction in accordance with Appendix F of
the S-CAP.

Transaction
    
    Closing Date
    
    Exceptions/Special RulesSale of Life ReinsuranceBusiness Unit to MARC
    
    12/31/00
    
    NoneSale of CNA Credit CollectionAgency, Inc., to Coface
    
    12/31/02
    
    NoneSale of the unbundled riskmanagement business of RSKCoServices, Inc to CunninghamLindsey US
    
    6/2/03
    
    NoneSale of Smith System toMcFadden Brothers
    
    4/29/03
    
    NoneSale of CNA Group Operations toHartford Financial ServicesGroup
    
    12/31/03
    
    NoneSale of individual lifeinsurance business to Swiss ReLife & Health America
    
    App. 3/31/04
    
    None