Cowbell vs The Hartford: Commercial Crime Insurance

Cowbell distributes Zurich's crime module for private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets, through appointed wholesalers; The Hartford includes crime as one of five Private Choice Premier options for nonprofits, public and private companies.

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

What Are the Key Differences Between Cowbell and The Hartford Crime Insurance?

The Hartford names public companies and nonprofits, categories outside Cowbell’s stated private-company target; it also describes a separate bond and commercial-crime track for financial institutions. Cowbell’s crime coverage is a module in Select Plus. [4] [3]

Two Management-Liability Packages

Cowbell distributes Zurich’s Select Plus product, where crime is one of four modules Zurich underwrites. The Hartford’s crime insurance is one of five options in Private Choice Premier and is also offered as bond and commercial crime (fidelity) within its financial-institutions product track. [3] [8] [4]

Cowbell and Zurich say Select Plus modules including crime sit on Zurich admitted paper. The Hartford describes crime inside those two Hartford product tracks. [8] [4]

How Each Describes the Perils

Cowbell’s FAQ describes theft, fraud and embezzlement by employees or third parties. The Hartford says crime insurance helps cover business-related crimes like employee theft, forgery or robbery, giving as an example an employee stealing money from a cash register. [3] [4]

What Should You Confirm in Cowbell and The Hartford Crime Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask The Hartford whether crime is inside Private Choice Premier or the financial-institutions fidelity track. [4]
  • Confirm Cowbell access through an appointed Zurich E&S wholesaler and your employee and asset figures. [3]
  • Match employee theft, forgery and robbery on the bound forms to each company’s public description. [4] [3]

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 ↗

The Hartford

  • role: The Hartford's crime insurance is one of five options in its Private Choice Premier management-liability package, and is offered separately as bond and commercial crime (fidelity) coverage within its financial-institutions product track. Management liability product page as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: The Hartford says crime insurance helps cover business-related crimes like employee theft, forgery or robbery, giving as an example an employee stealing money from a cash register. Management liability product page as read 2026-09-23. General coverage description; the issued policy controls.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: The Hartford's crime coverage is available to nonprofit organizations, publicly traded companies and privately-held companies as part of its management-liability lineup. Management liability product page as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗

Cowbell fits private companies below 250 employees and $50 million in assets that can reach an appointed wholesaler; The Hartford names public companies, nonprofits and financial institutions among its crime buyers.

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
    Management Liability Insurance | Get a Quote

    The Hartford · Crime Insurance section; Who Does Management Liability Insurance Protect?; Management and Professional Liability Insurance for Financial Institutions (Bond and commercial crime (fidelity)) · 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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