Foundershield vs Usi: Commercial Crime Insurance

USI Insurance Services brokers crime and targets janitorial, staffing and repair service firms in its Business Services practice; Founder Shield, a retail brokerage, calls crime a priority for healthcare, financial services, nonprofit and manufacturing or retail.

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

Crime coverage

Founder Shield

  • role: Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Crime Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Founder Shield calls this coverage a priority for healthcare, financial services, non-profit and manufacturing/retail companies because of their exposure to internal or external theft. Crime Insurance product page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Founder Shield lists employee dishonesty (theft or embezzlement by an identified employee), forgery or alteration of financial instruments, computer fraud, and funds-transfer fraud from social engineering as the branches of crime coverage it places. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Crime Insurance, only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, chosen for the client's industry. It does not name the issuing insurer for this line; that depends on which carrier the policy is placed with. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: You request Founder Shield Crime Insurance through Founder Shield's website or an insurance advisor rather than binding coverage directly; Founder Shield says its placement team then approaches carriers on the client's behalf. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗

USI Insurance Services

  • role: USI brokers crime insurance, which covers losses from employee theft and related fraud, either as a standalone placement or as part of a management liability review under ExecuSafe. Business Services catalogue and ExecuSafe article.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • insurer: Neither page names the insurer USI uses for crime placements. Pages as read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • eligibility: USI's Business Services practice, which lists crime coverage, says it targets building and maintenance, repair service, janitorial, staffing and printing companies, citing employee errors and misconduct as one of the risk exposures it addresses for them. Company description of client base.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: USI lists crime among the coverages it places for business-services clients, and its ExecuSafe review checks a client's existing crime coverage as part of a broader management liability review. Catalogue listing plus the ExecuSafe review description; actual insuring agreements and exclusions are set by the issued policy.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • limits: Neither page publishes crime coverage limit or retention figures. Pages as read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • services: USI's Business Services practice says it offers classification and exposure reviews, claim advocacy and risk control across its coverage lines including crime, and its ExecuSafe process specifically checks existing crime coverage for gaps. Combines the general Business Services service list with the ExecuSafe-specific review step.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • application: USI directs business-services inquiries to pcinquiries@usi.com or a local office, and ExecuSafe/management-liability inquiries to Select.Business@usi.com. Contact instructions on each page.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗

What Are the Key Differences Between Founder Shield and USI Insurance Services Crime Insurance?

If your current management-liability program may have crime gaps, USI describes an ExecuSafe review; Founder Shield’s page instead emphasizes its sector priorities and four coverage branches. Neither reviewed page publishes crime limits. [10] [4]

Industry Priorities Versus Business-Services Trades

Founder Shield calls crime a priority for healthcare, financial services, non-profits and manufacturing/retail. USI’s Business Services practice, which lists crime, targets building and maintenance, repair, janitorial, staffing and printing companies and cites employee errors and misconduct as an exposure for those trades. Both broker rather than underwrite. [4] [3] [9]

Carrier Screen Versus ExecuSafe Review

Founder Shield says it places only with A-rated AM Best carriers matched to industry. USI’s reviewed pages do not name a crime insurer; crime may be a standalone placement or part of an ExecuSafe review that checks existing crime coverage for gaps, alongside classification reviews, claim advocacy and risk control. [5] [9] [10]

Coverage Detail and Contact Path

Founder Shield lists employee dishonesty by an identified employee, forgery or alteration, computer fraud, and funds-transfer fraud from social engineering. USI lists crime among coverages it places without itemizing those branches. You request Founder Shield coverage through its site or an advisor. USI directs business-services inquiries to a named inbox or a local office, and ExecuSafe inquiries to a separate Select Business inbox. Neither side publishes crime limits. [4] [3] [9] [10]

What Should You Confirm in Founder Shield and USI Insurance Services Crime Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask USI whether the quote is a new placement or an ExecuSafe gap review. [10]
  • Ask Founder Shield which A-rated carrier is issuing. [5]
  • Match Founder Shield’s four branches to USI’s placed form. [4] [9]
  • Confirm how USI’s claim advocacy would apply to a crime loss. [9]

Founder Shield targets healthcare, financial services, nonprofits and manufacturing or retail; USI names building, repair, janitorial, staffing and printing companies and can review existing crime through ExecuSafe.

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
    About Us

    Founder Shield · “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission · accessed 2026-09-23

  4. 04
    Crime Insurance

    Founder Shield · What Is Crime Insurance?; Who Needs Crime Insurance Coverage?; What Does Crime Insurance Cover? · accessed 2026-09-23

  5. 05
    How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?

    Founder Shield · FAQ answer on carrier selection: works exclusively with A-rated (AM Best) carriers, matched by industry appetite · accessed 2026-09-23

  6. 06
    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

  7. 07
    Crime Non-Financial Applications and Forms

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

  8. 08
    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

  9. 09
    Business Services

    USI Insurance Services · USI advises clients...and provides solutions for...Crime... · accessed 2026-09-23

  10. 10
    Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks

    USI Insurance Services · Review existing management liability policies (if any) to uncover gaps in coverage...(including employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, and crime). · accessed 2026-09-23

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