NEW YORK, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Hartford Financial Services Group Inc (HIG.N: Quote, Profile, Research), a large U.S. life and property-casualty insurer, will cut about 500 jobs as part of its effort to cut costs following a $2.63 billion, third-quarter loss.

The company warned employees the cuts were coming in an internal memo on Monday, spokeswoman Debora Raymond said on Tuesday. She added that the cuts will be "across the board," and could not provide further details.

Employees who will lose their jobs are to be individually told this month, and the company plans to offer help each in the process of looking for new jobs.

Overall, the company plans for such cuts to save $250 million by the end of 2009, Raymond said.

Hartford sells insurance and retirement products in the United States, Japan, Brazil, Ireland, England and Canada.

The job losses will reduce the insurer's total headcount by less than 2 percent. It employs 31,000, and about 12,600 of its positions are in Connecticut, where the company is based.

Hartford is under pressure to curb spending because of capital concerns. It warned earlier this week that it expects to finish 2008 with a $2 billion capital margin, assuming the Standard & Poor's 500 index .SPX closes at 900. That compares with an earlier forecast of $3.5 billion, which was based on the S&P closing the year at 1165 points. It closed on Tuesday at 1005.75.

The company in early October got a $2.5 billion cash infusion from German insurer Allianz SE (ALVG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research).

Hartford shares rose nearly 5 percent in trading on the New York Stock Exchange to close at $17.09. That is 14 percent below the $19.86 price its shares fetched before its quarterly loss announcement on Oct. 29, but much higher than the $8.23 low the shares sunk to on Oct. 30. (Reporting by Lilla Zuill, editing by Leslie Gevirtz)