Cowbell vs Hub International: Commercial Crime Insurance

HUB International brokers crime for private, public and not-for-profit organizations through a broker contact page; Cowbell's crime module, underwritten by Zurich, targets companies under 250 employees and $50M in assets and is not sold directly to businesses.

Van Ness Partners presents a practical comparison of source materials relevant to financial crime exposures.Research updated 2026-09-25

Crime coverage

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 ↗

HUB International

  • role: HUB brokers commercial crime insurance rather than underwriting the coverage itself. Crime insurance product page as read 2026-09-23; the page does not name an issuing insurer.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: HUB lists crime coverage types it arranges as employee theft, vendor theft, forgery, asset misappropriation, computer fraud and funds transfer fraud. Product-page coverage list; the issued policy and its exclusions control an actual claim.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: HUB says crime coverage is available for private, public and not-for-profit organizations. Product-page organization-type list; not a published underwriting appetite by size or industry.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: HUB cites industry statistics that organizations lose about 5% of revenue to fraud each year, that fraud often takes about 18 months to detect, and that more than 23% of fraud cases result in losses of $1 million or more, to frame the need for crime coverage. Product-page statistics are company-cited figures, not independently verified by Spot, and are general fraud statistics rather than HUB-specific claims data.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: The crime insurance page does not name an issuing insurer; HUB places crime coverage with carriers that vary by client and placement. Checked the crime insurance product page on 2026-09-23; no carrier is disclosed there.not-foundSource ↗
  • limits: Published policy limits, deductibles or premium information for HUB-placed crime coverage were not found on the product page. Checked the crime insurance product page on 2026-09-23; limits are set on the quote and declarations.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • application: HUB directs prospects to connect with a broker through its business-insurance contact page; no online quote flow is described. Product-page call to action as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗

What Are the Key Differences Between Cowbell and HUB International Crime Insurance?

If you are a public company or nonprofit, HUB explicitly names those buyer types, while Cowbell’s module targets private companies below its published employee and asset caps. Neither page publishes crime limits, so request the proposed limit before comparing. [4] [3]

Zurich-Underwritten Module Versus Brokered Placement

Cowbell’s crime offering is a Select Plus module Zurich underwrites on admitted paper while Cowbell runs the platform. HUB brokers commercial crime rather than underwriting it; its crime page does not name an issuing insurer, and carriers vary by client and placement. [3] [8] [4]

Private-Company Caps Versus Organization Types

Cowbell targets private companies with under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets. HUB says crime coverage is available for private, public and not-for-profit organizations, without publishing a size or industry appetite. [3] [4]

Channel and Coverage Lists

Only appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers can access Cowbell’s module through the API. HUB directs prospects to connect with a broker through its business-insurance contact page and does not describe an online quote. Cowbell’s public definition is theft, fraud and embezzlement by employees or third parties. HUB lists employee theft, vendor theft, forgery, asset misappropriation, computer fraud and funds-transfer fraud, and cites industry figures that organizations lose about 5% of revenue to fraud each year. Neither pair of reviewed pages publishes crime limits. [3] [4]

What Should You Confirm in Cowbell and HUB International Crime Insurance Quotes?

  • Confirm wholesaler appointment and Zurich issuing entity for Cowbell. [3] [8]
  • Ask HUB which carrier is placing crime and whether vendor theft is on the form. [4]
  • Check public-company or nonprofit status against Cowbell’s private-company target. [3]
  • Compare limit and retention on both quotes; public pages do not show them. [3] [4]

Cowbell fits smaller private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets that can apply through a wholesaler; HUB serves private, public and nonprofit organizations and lists vendor theft, forgery and funds-transfer fraud.

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 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

  4. 04
    Crime Insurance Brokers

    HUB International · Fraud-loss statistics; coverage types: employee theft, vendor theft, forgery, asset misappropriation, computer fraud, funds transfer fraud; organization types: private, public, not-for-profit; Connect With a Broker · 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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