Sec Form 4 Filing - Garland Kim Burton @ State Auto Financial CORP - 2022-03-01

FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP 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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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person Garland Kim Burton 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol State Auto Financial CORP [ STFC] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner X __ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Senior Vice President (Last) (First) (Middle) 518 EAST BROAD ST. 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (MM/DD/YY) 03/01/2022 (Street) COLUMBUS, OH43215 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YY) 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 Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned 1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Shares without Par Value 03/01/2022 D 49,750( 1 )( 2 )( 3 ) D 0 D Common Shares without Par Value 03/01/2022 D 1,454 D 0 I By 401 (k) Plan( 4 )

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ( e.g. , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) 1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YY) 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reportin g Owners Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships Director 10% Owner Officer Other Garland Kim Burton 518 EAST BROAD ST. COLUMBUS, OH43215 Senior Vice President Signatures /s/Kim Burton Garland by Melissa A. Centers, attorney in fact pursuant to POA filed with the Commission on 11/16/15. 03/03/2022 Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

( 1 )This Form 4 reports securities disposed of pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger and Combination (the "Merger Agreement"), dated as of July 12, 2021, by and among State Auto Financial Corporation, an Ohio corporation ("STFC"), State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company, an Ohio mutual insurance company ("SAM"), Liberty Mutual Holding Company, Inc., a Massachusetts mutual holding company ("LMHC"), Pymatuning, Inc., an Ohio corporation and wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of LMHC ("Merger Sub I"), and Andover, Inc., an Ohio corporation and wholly-owned direct subsidiary of LMHC, a copy of which was filed as Exhibit 2.1 to STFC's Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2021. ( 2 )Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, on March 1, 2022, LMHC effected the acquisition of STFC through the merger of Merger Sub I with and into STFC (the "Merger") with STFC surviving the Merger as the surviving corporation and as an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of LMHC. At the effective time of the Merger (the "Effective Time"), each issued and outstanding share of common stock of STFC (each, a "Share") (other than the SAM Owned Shares, the Cancelled Shares and the Dissenting Shares, as such terms are defined in the Merger Agreement) was cancelled and converted into the right to receive $52.00 in cash (the "Merger Consideration") without interest and subject to applicable withholding taxes. ( 3 )Includes the following acquisitions: 531.547 Shares acquired in December 2021 through the STFC Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Also includes 24,366 performance units pursuant to the STFC 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan. ( 4 )Shares held in Reporting Person's 401(k) Plan.

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

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