Baldwin vs Foundershield: Fidelity Bonds

The Baldwin Group brokers commercial fidelity options for professional-services firms, with limited bond-form detail. Founder Shield places ERISA fidelity bonds for plan sponsors and fiduciaries, and explains statutory minimum bonding levels.

Van Ness Partners presents a practical comparison of source materials relevant to financial crime exposures.Research updated 2026-09-30

Founder Shield’s ERISA bond description names covered plan-fund dishonesty and statutory minimum amounts; The Baldwin Group lists commercial crime/fidelity bonds but does not identify an ERISA form or bond limit.

What Are the Key Differences Between The Baldwin Group and Founder Shield Fidelity Bonds?

ERISA-specific scope

Founder Shield describes an ERISA fidelity bond for plan sponsors, fiduciaries and third-party administrators, with theft and embezzlement of plan assets among its covered acts. Baldwin lists crime/fidelity-bond options for professional-services clients but does not specify ERISA coverage. If the requirement arises from a retirement plan, ask Baldwin for an ERISA-specific form and verify the covered fund handlers. [2] [5]

Bond amount and placement

Founder Shield states the federal ERISA minimum as 10% of funds handled, generally from $1,000 to $500,000, with up to $1 million for plans holding employer securities; those are statutory figures, not its own limit. Baldwin describes brokerage without published amounts. Ask both for the required bond amount and the issuer’s underwriting terms. [2] [5]

What Should You Confirm in The Baldwin Group and Founder Shield Fidelity Bonds Quotes?

  • Does Founder Shield’s quote satisfy the plan’s required bond amount and identify all fund handlers? Can Baldwin place the same ERISA form and who issues it?

Crime coverage

The Baldwin Group

  • role: The source describes The Baldwin Group’s brokerage or advisory role for Commercial Fidelity Bond. It does not identify Baldwin as the risk-bearing insurer for a particular placement. The cited company page describes its brokerage/advisory role and does not name the issuer for a buyer-specific placement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Baldwin lists professional-services firms among the commercial sectors for which it can arrange crime/fidelity-bond options. The page does not establish a bond applicant’s eligibility or identify a surety. This is the audience or client context named on Baldwin’s page, not an underwriting decision or guarantee of product availability.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Baldwin lists a commercial crime/fidelity bond as an option for professional-services clients. It does not describe a specific bond form, protected obligee, covered employee conduct or bond amount. The statement reports Baldwin’s marketed coverage or advisory description only. No individual quote, binder, policy form, schedule or endorsement was reviewed; policy entitlement and terms remain unknown.company-reportedSource ↗
  • services: Baldwin describes market navigation and tailored risk and insurance advice for accountants, architects, engineers, financial advisers, lawyers, consultants and surveyors. These are company-described brokerage and risk-advisory services; account-specific service commitments and third-party terms are not established.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The reviewed source does not state a buyer-specific limit, retention, deductible or coverage schedule. Confirm the quote and issued policy or bond. No buyer quote, binder, policy or bond form was available in the reviewed public sources.not-disclosedSource ↗

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 ERISA Fidelity Bond 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 says this bond is required for plan sponsors offering a retirement plan, the fiduciaries who manage it, third-party administrators, and even small businesses with a simple 401(k). ERISA Fidelity Bond product page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Founder Shield lists theft and embezzlement of plan assets, forgery, misappropriation and larceny by those who handle a benefit plan's funds as what an ERISA fidelity bond covers. Product page; the issued bond and its terms control actual coverage.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: Founder Shield's page states the federal ERISA bonding requirement: at least 10% of plan funds handled, with a minimum bond of $1,000 and a maximum of $500,000 (up to $1 million for plans holding employer securities). This is the statutory minimum, not a Founder Shield-specific limit. Product page describing the ERISA statutory bonding requirement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield ERISA Fidelity Bond, 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 ERISA Fidelity Bond 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 ↗

Sources consulted

  1. 01
    About Us

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

  2. 02
    ERISA Fidelity Bond

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

  3. 03
    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

  4. 04
    Glossary of Insurance Terms

    National Association of Insurance Commissioners · Fidelity; Surety Bond · accessed 2026-09-16

  5. 05
    Professional Liability Insurance & Services

    The Baldwin Group · Professional-services customer population lines 35–64; coverage snapshot lines 68–84 lists property, general/professional liability, cyber, workers’ compensation, D&O, fiduciary, crime/fidelity bond, EPL, and IP liability; Employee benefits lines 93–95; accessed 2026-09-29. · accessed 2026-09-30

  6. 06
    Crime Terms and Conditions

    Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America · I.A.1–3 p.1; III.S pp.8–9; V.B.1–2 pp.18–20; CRI consideration p.1; III.P p.8; V.A.3 pp.16–17; V.A.4 p.17; V.B.3 p.20; IV.L p.15 · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2008-04: Guidance Regarding ERISA Fidelity Bonding Requirements

    U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration · Q1–Q3 pp.2–3; Q2 pp.2–3 · accessed 2026-09-16

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