The Baldwin Group vs Coterie Insurance

The 2025 Form 10-K describes The Baldwin Insurance Group, Inc. as an insurance distribution firm and holding-company parent and sole managing member of The Baldwin Insurance Group Holdings, LLC. That filing uses “Baldwin” for the Inc. parent and its consolidated subsidiaries and affiliates. The January 1, 2026 transparency disclosure defines “The Baldwin Group” as Holdings LLC and its affiliated entities; the September 14, 2026 investor release uses “The Baldwin Group” as the brand for the Inc. parent and affiliates. These source-specific group descriptions do not identify the licensed producer or insurer for a particular policy. ^1,2,9Company-reported. The Baldwin Group's consolidated US and international corporate group as described in its 2025 filing; not a claim that the parent company is the licensed producer, managing general agent, or insurer for any particular policy.

On September 14, 2026, The Baldwin Insurance Group, Inc. entered a merger agreement with The Baldwin Insurance Group Holdings, LLC (“OpCo LLC”), Square Acquisition Parent, Inc. (“Parent”), Square Acquisition Merger Sub I, Inc. (“Merger Sub”), and Square Acquisition Merger Sub II, LLC (“LLC Merger Sub”). The SEC filing says Parent is wholly owned by Sequence AI Holdings, Inc. DFO Management, LLC and affiliated investment entities committed equity financing to Parent; DFO is not identified as Parent’s owner. Subject to the agreement’s conditions, LLC Merger Sub will merge into OpCo LLC and OpCo LLC survives; Merger Sub will merge into the Company, which survives as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent. The agreement separately calls for OpCo LLC to form Seller LLC, which forms Seller Intermediate and Seller Merger Sub; after the initial mergers, Seller Merger Sub will merge into OpCo LLC. Seller Merger Sub is distinct from Square Acquisition Merger Sub II, LLC. The filing also says that Holders, as defined in the Stockholders Agreement, of a majority of the Class B shares held by those Holders executed a written consent; approval by holders of at least a majority of outstanding voting shares remained a closing condition. On September 28, 2026, Baldwin’s site still carried the go-private announcement and its release forecast a Q1 2027 close; these sources do not establish a completed acquisition. ^11,12,9,10Company-reported. The signed control transaction as named and described in the September 14, 2026 SEC Form 8-K and merger agreement; status retained as pending on the packet review date, September 28, 2026. DFO is identified as an equity financier to Parent, not as Parent’s owner in the reviewed filing.

Baldwin’s License page has a “Legal Entity | CA License Number” table listing six entities and their California numbers. The page does not identify license class or current status, or map an entry to a particular product, policy, or placement. ²⁵Company-reported. Baldwin’s own California-number disclosure, accessed September 29, 2026; license class, current status and placement-specific authority are not stated.

Coterie is an agent-facing digital route for small-business insurance, so buyers need a licensed agent rather than a direct-to-consumer marketplace. It operates as a managing general agency and platform for agents, brokers and partners. ^26,31,44Company-reported. Current public positioning of the Coterie brand and platform; does not establish the risk-bearing insurer for a policy.

Coterie Applications, Inc. provides the platform under the website terms. The website also identifies Coterie Insurance Agency, LLC as an agency through which it offers insurance. ^33,26Company-reported. Provider-disclosed platform and agency identities only; this fact does not assert a Florida member relationship or a Massachusetts license interval.

Coterie's website lists multiple investors, and Allianz X records Coterie as a current direct investment after leading a 2025 Series C round. The reviewed sources do not establish an acquisition, a controlling parent or Coterie's complete current ownership table. ^26,44,45,47Not found in reviewed sources. Public investor and corporate sources reviewed through September 15, 2026; beneficial ownership was not independently established.

Baldwin’s business-insurance quote page shows a three-step online intake. Its visible first step asks for a revenue band, company and headquarters details, and contact information; the “Get a quote” link points to app.foundershield.com. Baldwin’s business page and contact page also invite prospects to speak with an advisor. The reviewed evidence does not establish a completed quote, purchase, or policy bind through this route. ^5,6,3,7Company-reported. The specific business-insurance quote page inspected on September 28, 2026; the first of three steps was visible and its quote link pointed to app.foundershield.com. Do not generalize this route to all Baldwin commercial prospects or products.

A licensed agent starts a quote in Coterie's dashboard with the client's business name and address, selects the principal industry, confirms or edits prefilled details, customizes coverage and pays to bind an eligible policy. Business owners who do not already have an agent can use Coterie's agent finder. ^30,31,27Company-reported. Company-described standard agent workflow; does not cover referrals, manual underwriting exceptions or every partner integration.

Eligible standard risks may get a quote in under two minutes, according to Coterie, but a quote is not coverage until eligibility is confirmed, underwriting approves it and the policy is issued. ^31,33Company-reported. Marketing speed statement and controlling website terms; no independent timing test was performed.

For business insurance, Baldwin describes a five-step RiskMap process: insurance analysis, risk identification, insurance strategy, data-informed decisions, and continual assessment and optimization as risks evolve. ³Company-reported. The process described for Baldwin's business-insurance advisory service; a company-described service approach, not an independently measured outcome or guaranteed savings.

Baldwin's contact page provides an existing-policy assistance route that asks for the policy type and the customer's US state, and links to a client portal. The page also directs business-insurance prospects to speak with an advisor. ⁷Company-reported. Public contact and service entry points on Baldwin's US-facing site; portal capabilities and service timing were not established by the page.

Policyholders can manage documents, certificates, policy changes and claim reports online; use your agent or broker for coverage questions. Coterie also provides sample forms to help you review proposed terms. ^35,33Company-reported. Public policyholder resources; tool availability and authority to change coverage can depend on the policy and agent relationship.

Businesses with multiple locations should ask about separate policies because Coterie’s FAQ says each location needs its own policy. ³⁵Company-reported. General policyholder FAQ as of September 15, 2026; confirm how mailing, temporary, project and additional locations are treated in the proposed form.

Set renewal preferences before the next term: most Coterie policies are 12 months and may renew automatically, with charges using the saved payment method unless the policy says otherwise. ³³Company-reported. Website terms effective December 16, 2025; the proposed policy, renewal notice and applicable state law control.

In a disclosure effective January 1, 2026, The Baldwin Group says compensation may include insurer-paid commissions, negotiated client fees, and contingent commissions tied to goals measured across a book of business. It also describes separate compensation for certain insurer-partner administration, claims, wholesaling, and managing-general-agent services, among other arrangements. The disclosure is group-wide and does not say which arrangements apply to a particular policy. ²Company-reported. The Baldwin Group's group-level compensation disclosure effective January 1, 2026; not the fee or commission terms for a specific commercial account, affiliate, insurer, or placement.

Include Coterie’s fees in your total-cost comparison: terms list a variable one-time new/renewal policy fee, $7 installment fee, up to $10 late fee and up to $35 insufficient-funds fee; amounts vary by state and line and some are nonrefundable. ³³Company-reported. Website fee terms effective December 16, 2025; not every fee applies to every policy or state.

Ask whether a Coterie policy includes a Manage My Risk Program fee; it is earned when paid and nonrefundable after midterm cancellation, but its amount is not published. ³³Company-reported. Manage My Risk Program terms effective December 16, 2025; applicability and the quoted fee require account-specific disclosure.

Ask whether your agent receives commission or other compensation because Coterie says it may pay commissions through a third-party processor; public sources do not state the rate for your policy. ^34,33Company-reported. Public privacy and platform terms; no producer agreement or account-specific compensation disclosure was reviewed.

Baldwin says its claims-advocacy team works with clients, their claim service providers, and other partners before, during, and after a loss to help manage claims and consider resolution strategies. This describes an advocacy service, not who decides coverage or pays a particular claim. ⁸Company-reported. Company-described commercial claims-advocacy service; it does not establish that Baldwin is the insurer or claim decision-maker for a policy, or guarantee a claim outcome.

You can report standard or surplus-lines claims online and standard claims by phone; have your policy number, named insured, loss date, event details and insurer ready for assignment to a claims representative. ^36,33Company-reported. Current public claims intake; reporting through Coterie does not establish coverage or identify the party ultimately paying a covered claim.

Plan for several days before Coterie contacts you after online claim notice: one page says around two business days, another says three to five, and neither promises a settlement timeline. ^35,36Conflicting sources. Two current company service pages reviewed September 15, 2026; response time is not claim-resolution time.

Cyber and workplace-violence reports start with Coterie before a specialty partner may investigate or respond; this process description does not establish that the event is covered. ^36,40,41,33Company-reported. Cyber and workplace-violence endorsement claims support; policy wording, limits and partner duties control.