CFC vs Cowbell: Commercial Crime Insurance

Reached only through appointed Zurich wholesalers, Cowbell's crime module targets private companies with under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets; CFC includes crime in its US Management Liability package, which declines California-domiciled business.

Van Ness Partners presents a practical comparison of source materials relevant to financial crime exposures.Research updated 2026-09-29

Crime coverage

CFC

  • role: CFC includes crime coverage inside its US Management Liability package. The reviewed management-liability materials do not offer it as a standalone product within that package. Management-liability product page and brochure; package composition as CFC describes it.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • eligibility: CFC's brochure lists California-domiciled business and US publicly traded companies among the risks it declines for the package that carries this crime coverage. Brochure's 'What we decline' list; underwriting still applies to any individual business.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: CFC's brochure describes company crime cover including employee theft, funds transfer fraud, and credit card and currency fraud. Brochure's 'Crime cover' description; the issued policy wording determines the actual insuring agreements and any sub-limits.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: The brochure also lists client crime, meaning fraud by clients or their staff, and on-premises and off-premises theft, as part of the crime section. Brochure's 'Crime cover' description.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: CFC separately sells crime coverage for employee infidelity and third-party fraud within its fintech package. The reviewed pages do not state whether that fintech crime coverage is the same crime coverage sold inside the management-liability package. Fintech product page compared against the management-liability brochure; both accessed 2026-09-23. This does not establish overlap or difference in wording between the two products.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • limits: The reviewed brochure does not publish a dollar limit, sublimit or retention for crime coverage. Those figures appear only on the quote and declarations. Brochure as read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • insurer: CFC's regulatory page discloses CFC Underwriting Limited's FCA authorization and CFC's Lloyd's Syndicate 1988, managed by Asta Managing Agency Ltd, but neither the regulatory page nor the management-liability brochure names the carrier or syndicate that would issue a given US crime policy. Regulatory information page and brochure as read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
  • claims: CFC provides a US claim-notification route by phone, email and online form, and says a dedicated claims adjuster manages a claim from notification through resolution. Claims page as read on 2026-09-23; not specific to crime claim outcomes or timing.company-reportedSource ↗

Cowbell

  • role: Crime coverage is one module within Cowbell's distribution of Zurich's Select Plus management liability product; Cowbell operates the platform, Zurich underwrites the module. Zurich's own page lists 'Crime Insurance' as one of the four modules a buyer can combine. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • insurer: Cowbell and Zurich both say the Select Plus modules, including crime, are written on Zurich admitted paper. Zurich's site footer names 'Zurich American Insurance Company' in its copyright notice, but neither page states that entity is the specific policy issuer for this module. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • eligibility: Cowbell targets this crime module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50M in assets, across the same target industries listed for the broader Select Plus product. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Cowbell describes crime coverage as protecting against losses resulting from criminal acts such as theft, fraud, and embezzlement committed by employees or third parties. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes crime-coverage limit or retention amounts. Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
  • services: Neither reviewed page describes crime-specific risk-control services such as employee-dishonesty prevention programs; both describe the Select Plus product's claims backing only at the whole-product level. Management liability page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
  • application: This crime module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through the Cowbell platform's API; it is not sold directly to businesses. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'.company-reportedSource ↗

What Are the Key Differences Between CFC and Cowbell Crime Insurance?

Package Eligibility and Buyer Access

CFC includes crime in its US Management Liability package and declines California-domiciled businesses and U.S. public companies. Cowbell offers Zurich’s Select Plus crime module to private companies with fewer than 250 employees and less than $50 million in assets, but only through appointed wholesale brokers. Choose CFC if you meet its company eligibility and want crime in a management-liability package; choose Cowbell if your private company fits those size caps and can access an appointed wholesaler. [5] [8]

Paper, Access and Coverage Wording

Cowbell and Zurich both say Select Plus modules, including crime, are written on Zurich admitted paper. CFC’s regulatory page discloses FCA authorization and Lloyd’s Syndicate 1988 but does not name the issuer for a given US crime policy. The Cowbell crime module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through Cowbell’s API, not sold direct to businesses. CFC also sells crime inside a fintech package whose wording the reviewed pages do not equate with the management package. [8] [12] [6] [3]

What the Cover Descriptions Say

Cowbell describes crime as protecting against theft, fraud and embezzlement by employees or third parties. CFC’s brochure lists employee theft, funds-transfer fraud, credit-card and currency fraud, client crime, and on- or off-premises theft. Neither CFC’s brochure nor the Cowbell or Zurich Select Plus pages publish crime limits or retentions. [8] [5] [12]

What Should You Confirm in CFC and Cowbell Crime Insurance Quotes?

  • Confirm you are a private company under Cowbell’s 250-employee and $50 million-asset band if the quote is Select Plus. [8]
  • Ask CFC whether California domicile or public-company status is a decline, and whether crime is the management or fintech package. [5] [3]
  • Ask which Zurich entity issues the Select Plus crime module; the pages name admitted paper without identifying the specific issuer. [12]
  • Get crime limits and retentions from both quotes; neither reviewed set publishes them. [5] [8]

CFC excludes California-domiciled and U.S. public companies from its package; Cowbell offers a Zurich crime module to private businesses below 250 employees and $50 million in assets through appointed wholesalers.

Sources consulted

  1. 01
    Commercial Insurance Guide

    California Department of Insurance · Crime · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    Claims

    CFC · Notify a claim or cyber incident; We're in it with you · accessed 2026-09-23

  3. 03
    Fintech insurance

    CFC · What does CFC's fintech policy cover? Crime coverage for employee infidelity and third-party fraud · accessed 2026-09-23

  4. 04
    Management liability

    CFC · Our management liability products: Management liability, Side A DIC · accessed 2026-09-23

  5. 05
    Management liability — United States product brochure

    CFC · Crime cover; At a glance: What we like; What we decline; What else is in the policy? · accessed 2026-09-23

  6. 06
    Regulatory information

    CFC · CFC Underwriting Limited; CFC Lloyd's Syndicate 1988 · accessed 2026-09-23

  7. 07
    Social Engineering Fraud Insurance

    Chubb · Opening; coverage highlights · accessed 2026-09-16

  8. 08
    Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises

    Cowbell · FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (Crime Coverage definition); Target industries list; FAQ on access and account size · accessed 2026-09-23

  9. 09
    Crime Terms and Conditions

    The Travelers Companies, Inc. · I.A–G, printed/PDF pages 1–4; III.RR, printed/PDF p.13; V.B.1–2, printed/PDF pp.18–20; Consideration, printed/PDF p.1; III.P p.8; V.A.3 pp.16–17; V.A.4 p.17; V.B.3 p.20; I.A.3 p.1; III.C p.7; III.S pp.8–9; III.II and III.KK p.12; III.QQ p.13; V.A.5 pp.17–18 (printed/PDF pages); IV.J–O, printed/PDF pages 14–15 · accessed 2026-09-16

  10. 10
    Crime Non-Financial Applications and Forms

    Travelers · Opening paragraph; Sample Policy Forms · accessed 2026-09-16

  11. 11
    Commercial Crime Coverage Application

    Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America · I–III pages 1–2; IX–XI pages 3–4; V–VII, printed/PDF pages 2–3 · accessed 2026-09-16

  12. 12
    Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus

    Zurich North America · Intro on the Zurich/Cowbell collaboration; module name 'Crime Insurance'; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (identical to Cowbell's page); Targeted industries list; footer copyright · accessed 2026-09-23

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