Coverdash vs Gallagher: Fidelity Bonds

Coverdash brokers fidelity bonds through outside carriers and offers a digital quote and purchase flow. Gallagher arranges ERISA fidelity bonds through carriers and reviews required limits and coverage terms for plan sponsors.

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

Coverdash offers an employee-dishonesty bond through its online surety catalog; Gallagher helps plan sponsors set ERISA bond limits using legal requirements and peer analysis.

What Are the Key Differences Between Coverdash and Gallagher Fidelity Bonds?

Online Bond or ERISA Limit Advice

Coverdash lists an employee-dishonesty bond in its digital surety catalog. Gallagher's executive-risk team helps plan sponsors set fidelity limits using ERISA requirements, peer analysis and exposure data. Choose Coverdash if you need an employee-dishonesty bond through an online flow; choose Gallagher if you are setting an employee-benefit plan's required limit. [1] [3]

Who the Reviewed Pages Say the Bond Is For

Coverdash’s surety-bond page does not separately describe who needs a fidelity bond; the page-level eligibility text is written for surety bonds generally. Gallagher ties fidelity bond limit-setting to a client’s required bond limits under ERISA, indicating the offering is aimed at plan sponsors and fiduciaries needing ERISA fidelity bonding. [1] [3]

Published Limits Versus a Sizing Method

Coverdash’s surety-bond page does not publish specific limit or bond-amount figures for fidelity bonds. Gallagher’s reviewed page also does not publish specific fidelity bond limits or premium ranges; it describes a method for recommending a limit that includes ERISA-required amounts, peer analysis using third-party databases, and an exposure index developed by the Surety Association of America with the American Institute of Accountants. [1] [3]

What Should You Confirm in Coverdash and Gallagher Fidelity Bonds Quotes?

  • Ask Coverdash which carrier issues the bond and what employee-dishonesty wording is on the form. [1]
  • Ask Gallagher how the ERISA requirement, peer analysis and exposure index produced the recommended limit, and which carrier writes it. [3]
  • Get written bond amounts from both; neither reviewed page publishes them. [1] [3]
  • Ask Gallagher how older incidents and claims triggers are treated on the specimen. [3]

Crime coverage

Coverdash

  • role: Coverdash arranges fidelity bonds as a broker rather than an insurer, placing coverage with a carrier under its standard brokerage terms. General brokerage terms applied to the fidelity-bonds card on the surety-bond page; not specific to any one carrier or state.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • coverage: Coverdash's surety-bond page describes fidelity bonds in a single line as protecting clients against loss from employee dishonesty; it does not have a dedicated fidelity-bond product page. One catalog card on the surety-bond page, not a full product description. Fidelity bonds are a distinct crime-type coverage rather than a three-party surety guarantee, even though Coverdash lists them on the same page as its surety bonds.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: The surety-bond page does not name the insurer that issues fidelity bonds. Reviewed surety-bond page as of 2026-09-23; the page describes coverage without naming a specific carrier.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • eligibility: The surety-bond page's eligibility description (contractors, licensed trades and businesses bidding on contracts) is written for surety bonds generally and does not separately describe who needs a fidelity bond specifically. Page-level eligibility text is shared across all four bond types on the page; it was not written specifically for employee-dishonesty coverage.not-foundSource ↗
  • limits: The surety-bond page does not publish specific limit or bond-amount figures for fidelity bonds. Reviewed surety-bond page as of 2026-09-23; figures are quote-specific and not shown on the public page.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • application: Coverdash describes a fully digital quote-to-purchase process on its surety-bond page, which includes the fidelity-bond option among its four bond types. Product-page company information and cross-sell section.company-reportedSource ↗

Gallagher

  • role: Gallagher's Executive and Financial Risk practice places fidelity bond coverage with outside carriers alongside its employee-dishonesty (crime) coverage; it does not underwrite the bond. Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page; fidelity bonds are described jointly with crime coverage, not as a fully separate section.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Gallagher ties fidelity bond limit-setting to a client's required bond limits under ERISA, indicating this offering is aimed at plan sponsors and fiduciaries needing ERISA fidelity bonding rather than a general commercial audience. Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • services: Gallagher says its methodology for fidelity bond and crime limits includes peer analysis using third-party databases and an exposure index developed by the Surety Association of America with the American Institute of Accountants. Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • claims: Gallagher says it reviews coverage to confirm the carrier allows appropriate treatment of older incidents and does not use claims triggers that are too difficult to prove, a review it applies to the same crime-and-fidelity offering. Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page; a stated review practice, not a guarantee of claim payment.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: The executive-and-financial-risk page does not name the insurer that would issue a given client's fidelity bond. Checked the group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • limits: The page does not publish specific fidelity bond limits or premium ranges beyond describing the ERISA-linked methodology used to recommend a limit. Checked the group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page.not-disclosedSource ↗

Sources consulted

  1. 01
    Surety Bonds

    Coverdash · Types of Coverage card 04, Fidelity bonds: "Protect clients against loss from employee dishonesty" · accessed 2026-09-23

  2. 02
    Terms And Conditions

    Coverdash · "Coverdash does not provide any underwriting services"; broker/agent of record designation · accessed 2026-09-23

  3. 03
    Executive and Financial Risk Insurance

    Gallagher · Employee Dishonesty (Crime) and Fidelity Bond insurance section · accessed 2026-09-23

  4. 04
    Glossary of Insurance Terms

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

  5. 05
    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

  6. 06
    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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