Aon vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

Aon’s middle-market brokerage works with clients on market strategy and applications for selected programs; THREE offers an online small-business quote route. A buyer coordinating a complex multi-line program may prefer Aon’s broker process, while a smaller firm can start with THREE’s quote. 1,15,24

Introduction

Coverage Comparison

CoverageAonTHREE by Berkshire Hathaway
Builders riskListed 14Aon names Construction Property/Builders Risk on its global construction page; confirm whether this line is offered for the buyer, state, and placement.Not listed
Business owner’s policyNot listedListed 24,16Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Cargo and transitListed 9Aon lists cargo placements in its global marine practice; U.S. eligibility, insurer, limits and policy terms are not stated on the reviewed page.Not listed
Commercial autoListed 6Aon lists automobile liability within its global Professional Services Practice for law, accounting and consulting firms; U.S. availability and specific policy terms are not established.Listed 24,16Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Commercial propertyListed 8Aon describes commercial-property brokerage and risk management, with a U.S.-available analytics tool; tool availability does not establish state-specific insurance availability.Listed 24,16Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
CrimeListed 6Aon lists crime within its global Professional Services Practice for law, accounting and consulting firms; U.S. availability and specific policy terms are not established.Not listed
Cyber liabilityListed 7,6Aon describes cyber insurance and related brokerage, analytics and claims support; confirm the producing entity, insurer, jurisdiction and policy terms for a U.S. placement.Listed 24,16Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Directors and officersListed 5Aon describes D&O brokerage and program services in a global practice; this does not identify the producer, insurer or state availability for a particular U.S. placement.Listed 24Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Employment practices liabilityListed 6Aon lists EPL for professional-services firms in a global practice; this does not establish eligibility for every U.S. employer or state.Listed 24Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Equipment breakdownNot listedListed 24,16THREE lists equipment breakdown within the package; its displayed sample excludes machinery, equipment or listed vehicles that stop without an accident. Check the quoted form for the actual protection.
Fiduciary liabilityListed 6Aon lists fiduciary liability within its global Professional Services Practice for law, accounting and consulting firms; U.S. availability and specific policy terms are not established.Listed 24Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
General liabilityListed 14Aon lists general liability within construction liability coverage areas in its global construction practice; this does not establish a standalone or U.S.-available line.Listed 24,16Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Kidnap and ransomListed 6Aon lists kidnap and ransom within its global Professional Services Practice for law, accounting and consulting firms; U.S. availability and specific policy terms are not established.Not listed
Liquor liabilityNot listedListed 24Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy if required; the quote and issued form determine availability and protection.
Management liabilityListed 6Aon describes management liability in its global Professional Services Practice as a partnership program for law, accounting and consulting firms, rather than a standalone line; U.S. availability and specific policy terms are not established.Not listed
Professional errors and omissions (E&O)Listed 6Aon describes professional-liability/E&O services for law, accounting and consulting firms; a U.S. placement and any separate technology E&O terms remain to be confirmed.Listed 24Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Surety bondsListed 10Aon markets Commercial Surety globally and says availability depends on jurisdiction; the page does not establish U.S. placement availability.Not listed
Tools, equipment and inland marineNot listedListed 24Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Umbrella and excess liabilityListed 14Aon lists umbrella and excess within construction liability coverage areas; ask whether either applies to your project and jurisdiction.Not listed
Workers’ compensationListed 14Aon lists workers compensation among global construction coverage areas; this does not establish state availability or a placement.Listed 24,16Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.

A listing may be arranged through an insurer or partner. “Not listed” means this catalogue has no separate offering recorded; ask the provider whether it can quote the coverage and request the policy terms.

Current Spot Scores

Each score uses the rubric for that provider’s documented role. Providers with more than one role may have a score for each.

Aon

Broker

Broker

6.7/ 10

Assessed provider: Aon. Scope: Aon group commercial insurance brokerage, assessed at brand level from Aon's published terms, its 2025 SEC filing, and U.S., U.K. and Irish regulator records. It does not assess a single producing entity, insurer or placement, and it is not a ruling on Aon's consulting or benefits businesses.

Provider assessment

THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

Carrier

Carrier & MGA

No Spot Score

Assessed entity: Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company. Scope: Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), the insurer named on the displayed THREE sample policy. THREE is the commercial product/DBA label. This assessment uses BHDIC-specific evidence only; information about parent companies, affiliates, brokers and other Berkshire insurers is not transferred to BHDIC.

Provider assessment

Review Scores

These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.

Aon

6.1/ 10

Review Score

3 rated sources

Public ratings for Aon are low: Trustpilot shows 1.2 out of 5 from 782 reviews, and BBB shows 1.6 from five. Aon is a global firm, so those pages mostly reflect other parts of the business, not large U.S. commercial accounts.[4][6][7]

Read Aon reviews

THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

7.3/ 10

Review Score

2 rated sources

The inspected sources report separate measures: NerdWallet’s 4.0/5 editorial rating is excluded from the source-rating average; Trustpilot displayed 2.5/5 from five user posts and BBB displayed 4.8/5 from 265 reviews. Trustpilot and BBB include different purchase, service and agent/intermediary interactions, not a verified common policyholder cohort. BBB separately lists complaints. Any source-rating average weights eligible platforms equally and is not a pooled, representative customer-experience estimate or a claims-quality measure.[4][3][1][2]

Read THREE by Berkshire Hathaway reviews

Key Differences Between Aon and THREE

Business Roles and Access to Insurers

Aon’s documented role shapes who handles underwriting and how you reach a policy.

Aon’s U.S. Commercial Risk terms describe Commercial Risk Solutions U.S. as broker of record for certain insurance programs. Separate electronic-delivery terms name Aon Risk Services Companies, Inc. acting for itself and licensed brokerage subsidiaries to deliver arranged policies; the terms define an insurer as the policy issuer and risk bearer. These group-level descriptions do not identify the producer or authority for a particular placement. 1,2Company-reported. Company-reported U.S. Commercial Risk brokerage and electronic-delivery terms; certain programs only. No specific insured, licensed producer, appointment, policy issuer, state authority or placement was matched.

THREE documents its own insurance role and access arrangement.

THREE is the commercial brand and product form used by Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), which identifies itself as doing business as THREE and names itself as issuer on the sample THREE policy. THREE’s FAQ describes THREE or THREE Insurance as the product name, not a separate insurer. The state-specific issued policy controls. 15,16,17Company-reported. U.S. THREE commercial-insurance brand and sample policy; current company identity pages checked 2026-09-28. Company-reported legal disclosure; the state-specific issued policy controls the buyer’s contract.

Business Fit and Application

Compare the provider roles and application paths with your operation; neither route establishes applicant eligibility.

These entry points show how to start; they do not confirm eligibility or that coverage has been bound. 1 1 15 15 24

For certain U.S. Commercial Risk programs, Aon says it consults with the client about market conditions, insurers to approach and program strategy, helps prepare underwriting information and applications, and obtains the client’s instructions to bind specific programs based on Aon’s proposal. The client signs applications that require a signature. 1Company-reported. Company-reported contractual terms for certain U.S. Commercial Risk programs; not a universal workflow, online checkout claim, insurer role or guarantee that a quote can bind.

THREE directs prospective customers to an online quote flow and says licensed Small Business Advisors can help them start or continue the process; the company’s FAQ also describes a phone quote and says an unfinished quote can be saved and resumed. This documents quote routes, not online purchase or binding by an individual customer. 15,17Company-reported. U.S. business insurance quote application. Company-described online and phone process; no customer form was submitted and no binding outcome was tested.

What to Confirm in Quotes

Ask Aon which programs and markets are in scope and how compensation works. Ask THREE to identify the insurer and confirm whether its product covers the full operation. Ask each provider to identify the proposed insurer, exact forms and endorsements, any intermediary or account service contact, and the steps required to bind. Compare premiums only after matching limits, retentions, exclusions, policy periods, taxes and fees.

Compare Services

What each provider documents about the services you may need

CriteriaAonTHREE by Berkshire Hathaway
Business role

Aon’s U.S. Commercial Risk terms describe Commercial Risk Solutions U.S. as broker of record for certain insurance programs. Separate electronic-delivery terms name Aon Risk Services Companies, Inc. acting for itself and licensed brokerage subsidiaries to deliver arranged policies; the terms define an insurer as the policy issuer and risk bearer. These group-level descriptions do not identify the producer or authority for a particular placement. 1,2Company-reported. Company-reported U.S. Commercial Risk brokerage and electronic-delivery terms; certain programs only. No specific insured, licensed producer, appointment, policy issuer, state authority or placement was matched.

THREE is the commercial brand and product form used by Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), which identifies itself as doing business as THREE and names itself as issuer on the sample THREE policy. THREE’s FAQ describes THREE or THREE Insurance as the product name, not a separate insurer. The state-specific issued policy controls. 15,16,17Company-reported. U.S. THREE commercial-insurance brand and sample policy; current company identity pages checked 2026-09-28. Company-reported legal disclosure; the state-specific issued policy controls the buyer’s contract.

Berkshire Hathaway’s published company list identifies Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (THREE) and lists Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) and biBERK separately. Its 2025 annual report says BH Direct and GUARD together primarily offer commercial products to small and medium-sized businesses; it separately describes BH Direct’s admitted commercial underwriting and use of the biBERK.com and Threeinsurance.com distribution platforms. The reviewed list and report do not establish the exact direct-versus-indirect ownership chain. 22,21Company-reported. Berkshire Hathaway company list checked 2026-09-28 and 2025 annual-report discussion of BH Direct and GUARD; group relationship and commercial operating scope only, not a precise ownership-chain finding.

Application process

For certain U.S. Commercial Risk programs, Aon says it consults with the client about market conditions, insurers to approach and program strategy, helps prepare underwriting information and applications, and obtains the client’s instructions to bind specific programs based on Aon’s proposal. The client signs applications that require a signature. 1Company-reported. Company-reported contractual terms for certain U.S. Commercial Risk programs; not a universal workflow, online checkout claim, insurer role or guarantee that a quote can bind.

THREE directs prospective customers to an online quote flow and says licensed Small Business Advisors can help them start or continue the process; the company’s FAQ also describes a phone quote and says an unfinished quote can be saved and resumed. This documents quote routes, not online purchase or binding by an individual customer. 15,17Company-reported. U.S. business insurance quote application. Company-described online and phone process; no customer form was submitted and no binding outcome was tested.

THREE describes a partner-agency channel. Its partner page says the Agency Service Team assists policyholders and agents and that agency partners can use the THREE platform to quote, bind, and issue policies online. This describes the partner channel, not the direct public quote flow. 20Company-reported. THREE partner agency program and platform capabilities as described by the company; these capabilities apply to partner agencies and do not establish direct-customer self-binding.

Sources

Aon Official Website

  1. Commercial Risk Solutions U.S. Brokerage Terms of Service. Aon; Lines 120–127: certain-program broker-of-record scope, consultation, application assistance, client signature and bind instruction, and account administration; lines 140–147: variable and contingent compensation, potential placement incentive, and client request route; lines 206–213: no price guarantee and surplus-lines limitations; lines 229–231: client insurer-notice duty unless separately agreed. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Aon Commercial Risk U.S. Electronic Disclosure and Consent Terms. Aon; Lines 120–125: Aon Risk Services Companies, Inc. acting for itself and licensed brokerage subsidiaries in electronic delivery; insurer is defined as issuer and risk bearer. The passage does not identify a producing entity or insurer for a particular placement. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Aon plc Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. Aon plc / U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Cover lines 23–34: Aon plc is incorporated in Ireland and gives Dublin as principal executive office; lines 261–263: global client breadth; lines 271–273 and segment discussion: company-reported Commercial Risk brokerage and risk-consulting operations. Filing is parent-level evidence, not placement producer, authority or insurer evidence. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  4. Middle Market Clients. Aon; Lines 125–132: mid-sized organizations and middle-market framing; lines 165–173: dedicated practice and North America statement; lines 188–224: Commercial Risk capabilities. No numeric company-size cutoff or U.S.-only eligibility rule is stated on the reviewed page. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  5. Directors’ and Officers’ (D&O) Liability Insurance. Aon; Lines 135–160: general covered allegations and Side A, B and C scenarios, including public/private differences; lines 171–185: insurer-selection analytics, brokerage/claims-team collaboration and management-liability specialization. Product explanation and company-reported services; not an Aon-issued policy or quote. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  6. Professional Services Practice | Insurance Broking & Risk Management. Aon; Lines 125–128: global professional-services team and named law, accounting and consulting firm audience; lines 131–147: professional-liability/E&O offering and terminology; lines 151–176: cyber and EPL offerings, including management liability described at lines 158–163 as a partnership program/category; lines 180–189: professional-services P&C listing, including crime, fiduciary, kidnap and ransom, and automobile liability. “Loss Prevention” section (directly inspected passage at lines 209–212) conditions law-firm loss prevention on Aon broking of lawyers’ professional liability. Global practice page; no state-specific placement schedule. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  7. Cyber Risk. Aon; Lines 194–205: cyber risk financing and cyber insurance; lines 206–230: claims advocacy/preparation and third-party incident-response providers, separate client contracts, no performance guarantee, and possible referral remuneration. Company-reported global service description. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  8. Property Risk Management. Aon; Lines 132–140: property/buildings/contents and possible business-interruption cover, broker team services; lines 148–159: rates, retentions, limits, deductibles, benchmarking and U.S.-available Property Risk Analyzer; lines 161–168: global market access and alternate risk transfer. Tool availability does not establish placement availability or authority by state. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  9. Marine Insurance and Risk Management. Aon; Lines 123–126: global marine practice, customer examples and marine claims/risk services; lines 155–175: cargo offerings including project cargo, general cargo, stock throughput, excess storage and freight/logistics. No U.S. placement terms, insurer, limits or state authority specified. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  10. Commercial Surety. Aon; Lines 125–127: commercial surety bond description and three parties; lines 190–210: Aon says it approaches the surety market globally and describes its brokerage support, with offerings depending on jurisdiction; lines 211–222: examples of bond types. Global company marketing; no U.S. producing entity, state authority, issuer or placement terms. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  11. About | Aon. Aon; Aon’s company overview and Our Capabilities list distinguish Risk Capital from Human Capital and describe group-wide capabilities. General company identity context; not placement, authority or insurer evidence. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  12. Broking and Risk Transfer | Aon. Aon; Explore Our Risk Transfer Offerings; Property & Casualty, Specialty, Management Liability and industry listings. Broad catalogue only; not sufficient for a dedicated line record by itself. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  13. Financial and Executive Risks | Insurance Broking & Risk Management. Aon; Financial Services Group Overview; D&O, fiduciary, EPL and crime references plus policy design and insurer market knowledge. Broad category/source context; not sufficient by itself to establish a separate U.S. product. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  14. Construction and Infrastructure Insurance and Risk Management. Aon; Lines 125–126: global construction practice designing and placing risk solutions; lines 137–156: industry-specific property, casualty, construction professional liability, subcontractor default and construction surety offerings; lines 167–195: global coverage areas explicitly list Builders Risk, general/umbrella/excess liability within construction liability, workers compensation and surety among other categories. These are construction-practice marketing statements; page does not provide U.S. state or placement availability for each line. Accessed 2026-09-29.

THREE by Berkshire Hathaway Official Website

  1. THREE by Berkshire Hathaway — small business insurance. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Issuer, business focus, and industry scope, lines 70–81; quote/advisor route, lines 405–420; DBA footer, lines 432–434. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. The Policy. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Sample declarations, limits and three-day Business Interruption waiting period (lines 58–76); Section I: interruption follows a property loss the insurer pays and ends on resumed normal operations or an applicable limit (lines 82–86); Section III: machinery/equipment/listed vehicles stopping without an accident are excluded (lines 104–112). Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. FAQs: Understanding THREE. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Quote save/resume, lines 73–76; claim/update routes, lines 78–89; product-not-company wording, lines 98–100; one-year policy/payment terms, lines 129–130; servicing requests, lines 141–157. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Terms & Conditions. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; BHDIC dba THREE, lines 20–23; recurring automatic bank draft qualification, lines 27–33. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Filing a Claim: Call to get started. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Online/phone claims and account-manager assignment, lines 24–43; claim updates, lines 59–61. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Become a THREE Partner. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Partner-agency program and platform permissions, lines 6–18; state availability, lines 30–35. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. 2025 Annual Report / Form 10-K. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.; 2025 annual report, PDF page 5, printed K-4, lines 303–308: BH Direct and GUARD joint SMB focus; BH Direct platforms/admitted products. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Links to Berkshire Hathaway Subsidiary Companies. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.; Published subsidiary-company list; BHDIC (THREE), BHSI, and biBERK shown separately, lines 11–16. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. THREE online quote application. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; THREE online quote entry point inspected; the page is a route to begin an application. No form was submitted or quote generated; this source alone does not establish customer self-binding. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Business Owners Policy | THREE. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Product page explicitly markets Business Liability categories (including liquor liability if required), Property (including equipment breakdown and inland marine), Business Auto (including cargo liability and hired/non-owned), Business Interruption, Cyber and Workers’ Compensation, within one combined policy description (lines 8–9, 19–21, 23–76); BHDIC dba THREE footer (lines 93–94). Accessed 2026-09-29.
  11. Benefits | THREE. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Page copy: commercial coverage category descriptions for liability, cyber, property/business interruption, business auto and workers compensation; describes product benefits, not a complete policy form. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  12. THREE logo SVG. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Direct official SVG asset; viewBox 0 0 720 253; embedded title “Three by Berkshire Hathaway”; downloaded and preserved byte-for-byte as assets/three-logo.svg. Accessed 2026-09-29.

Updated . Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. The comparison applies the same criteria to both providers; it is not a recommendation for a specific policy. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

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