CNA vs Cowbell: Commercial Crime Insurance

Crime from Cowbell is a Zurich-underwritten module for private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets, reached only through appointed wholesalers; CNA describes Epack 3 as a modular management-liability policy that can include crime.

Van Ness Partners presents a practical comparison of source materials relevant to financial crime exposures.Research updated 2026-10-01

CNA describes a selectable crime component in Epack 3; Cowbell places crime as a module of Zurich Select Plus management liability for private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets.

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

Offering Structure and Distribution

Cowbell’s record describes a narrower stated segment and an intermediary route: appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers access the crime module through Cowbell’s platform API, rather than selling it directly to businesses. CNA’s listed audience includes private and public companies and not-for-profits, with agents directed to Agent Center. The two descriptions therefore raise different placement and eligibility questions; neither line page supplies enough information to determine an applicant’s acceptance. [3] [4]

Coverage Detail and Buyer Fit

On coverage detail, Cowbell describes losses from criminal acts such as theft, fraud and embezzlement by employees or third parties. CNA confirms a crime offering in Management Liability but does not list comparable triggers in the reviewed claim. Cowbell also says the Cowbell and Zurich Select Plus pages do not publish crime limits or describe crime-specific risk services, so a side-by-side limit conclusion is not supported. [3] [4] [8]

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

  • Ask the Cowbell wholesaler whether your company meets Select Plus thresholds and which Zurich entity appears on the declarations; ask CNA which policy parts and insurer apply. [3] [4]
  • Request the crime forms and compare employee, third-party and funds-transfer wording, limits, retentions and any discovery provisions. [3] [4]

Crime coverage

CNA

  • coverage: CNA currently lists Crime among its Management Liability coverages and says Epack 3 can flexibly combine crime with selected management-liability exposures. The product page establishes a marketed option, not that all component lines must be purchased together.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: CNA describes management-liability risks for private and public companies and not-for-profit organizations. This is broad segment context, not a crime-specific acceptance rule.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: CNA directs agents seeking an application to its Agent Center. The page does not state that a business can apply directly or identify all documents required for crime coverage.company-reportedSource ↗
  • role: CNA describes Epack 3 as a modular policy with a selected mix of management-liability parts rather than one mandatory bundle. The page does not establish which components a buyer can select for a specific risk or whether the crime coverage is offered standalone.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 ↗

Sources consulted

  1. 01
    Commercial Insurance Guide

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

  2. 02
    Social Engineering Fraud Insurance

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

  3. 03
    Management Liability Insurance and Professional Liability

    CNA · Current U.S. page: management liability names crime and kidnap/ransom/extortion; lists management product coverages and Epack 3 modular structure, application channel and caveats. Retrieved 2026-09-30. · accessed 2026-09-30

  4. 04
    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

  5. 05
    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

  6. 06
    Crime Non-Financial Applications and Forms

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

  7. 07
    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

  8. 08
    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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