Cowbell vs Newfront: Commercial Crime Insurance

Newfront brokers crime cover from a consultation request and says its Executive Risk practice serves private companies from seed round on; Cowbell's Zurich-underwritten module is for private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets, via wholesalers.

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

Cowbell fits smaller private companies within its employee and asset targets that can access a wholesaler; Newfront serves startups and public companies but leaves crime-specific agreements and limits unspecified.

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

Newfront describes Executive Risk work with private companies from seed through later rounds and more than 500 public companies. Its page groups crime with fidelity, so request crime-specific terms; Cowbell gives a clearer size target but requires a wholesale contact. [4] [3]

Named Module Versus Executive-Risk Placement

Cowbell’s crime offering is a named Select Plus module: Cowbell operates the platform and Zurich underwrites the module. Newfront brokers Fidelity and Crime as one Key Coverages entry in Executive Risk and negotiates placement rather than underwriting. [3] [8] [4]

Coverage Language

Cowbell describes crime as protecting against theft, fraud and embezzlement by employees or third parties. Newfront lists Fidelity and Crime among Executive Risk coverages and does not separately describe crime-specific insuring agreements such as employee theft, computer fraud or funds-transfer fraud. [3] [4]

Until Newfront puts those agreements on a quote, you are comparing Cowbell’s published definition with a bundled line item. [3] [4]

How You Start

Appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers access Cowbell’s module through the platform API; it is not sold directly to businesses. You start a Newfront crime placement by requesting a consultation through the Executive Risk page. [3] [4]

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

  • Confirm Cowbell wholesaler appointment and whether you sit under 250 employees and $50 million in assets. [3]
  • Ask Newfront which carrier issues Fidelity and Crime and which insuring agreements are on the form. [4]
  • Ask whether Newfront’s dashboard access and integrated claims negotiation apply to the crime placement. [4]
  • Ask whether Newfront’s Executive Risk work from seed through public companies is the book placing your crime coverage. [4]

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 ↗

Newfront

  • role: Newfront brokers crime coverage as part of its Executive Risk practice, which it groups with fidelity coverage under one Key Coverages entry. It negotiates placement rather than underwriting the risk. Executive Risk offering page; crime and fidelity are listed together, not as separately described products.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: The reviewed Executive Risk page does not name the insurer or insurers that would issue a crime policy placed through Newfront. Executive Risk page as read on 2026-09-23; carrier depends on the specific placement.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Newfront says its Executive Risk practice services private companies from seed round through every series of funding, and describes work with over 500 publicly traded companies, without a crime-specific eligibility threshold. Here for the Long Run section; figures describe the executive-risk practice broadly, not crime coverage specifically.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Newfront lists "Fidelity and Crime" among the Key Coverages of its Executive Risk program. The page does not separately describe crime-specific insuring agreements such as employee theft, computer fraud or funds-transfer fraud. Executive Risk page Key Coverages list; crime and fidelity are bundled in one line item.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: Newfront's Executive Risk page does not publish limits or retentions for crime coverage. Executive Risk page as read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • services: Newfront says clients get 24/7 access to their insurance program, including policies, certificates of insurance and billing, through its connected dashboard, and that renewal submissions use pre-populated historical data. Industry-Leading Technology section; described across Executive Risk lines, not crime-specific.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: You start a crime coverage placement by requesting a consultation through Newfront's Executive Risk page. Executive Risk page call-to-action; no online quoting or binding described.company-reportedSource ↗
  • claims: Newfront says it provides "integrated claims and coverage negotiation" for its Executive Risk lines, which would apply to a crime claim. The Newfront Difference section; described across Executive Risk lines, not a crime-specific claims workflow.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 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
    Executive Risk

    Newfront · Key Coverages to Protect Your Business: Fidelity and Crime; Here for the Long Run: Private Companies and Public statistics; Industry-Leading Technology · 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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