What Is the Baldwin Group?
Baldwin’s Insurance Advisory Solutions group describes commercial-risk and employee-benefit services for businesses and private-risk management for high-net-worth individuals and families; its business-insurance page outlines a five-step RiskMap process. 1,2
What Is Founder Shield Insurance?
Founder Shield is a broker for venture-backed startups: you apply online in under 15 minutes, and an advisor shops its 200+ carrier markets to build a program that changes as your products and locations change. It doesn't insure you itself, so ask which insurer carries each policy. 4,5,6,7,8
What Are Fidelity Bonds?
Fidelity coverage can reimburse certain losses when employees steal money or property they handle. If employees manage company funds, customer property or benefit-plan assets, identify each owner and compare the required protection for each interest. 11,12,13
Key Differences in 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. 9 3
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. 9 3
What to Confirm in 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?
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.
The Baldwin Group
Review Score
The reviewed public sources do not establish a representative customer rating for The Baldwin Group’s commercial advisory business. BBB pages show different legal entities: an A+ regional insurance-agency grade with zero listed reviews and complaints for The Baldwin Group Mid-Atlantic, LLC, and an A- grade plus six complaints in three years for The Baldwin Group Personal Insurance, LLC. A 2026 personal-lines complaint describes delayed refund handling. A separate National General auto review mentions a Baldwin referral but concerns insurer policy administration. None of these observations supports a group-wide or commercial rating.[8][1][2][4][9][10]
Read The Baldwin Group reviewsFounder Shield
Review Score
1 rated source
Founder Shield has too little independent customer feedback for a reliable verdict. One positive Trustpilot review does not establish a service track record.[1][4]
Read Founder Shield reviewsOffering Details
The Baldwin Group vs Founder Shield: Fidelity Bonds: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Baldwin Commercial Fidelity Bond Brokerage and Advisory | Founder Shield ERISA Fidelity Bond |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | 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. 3Company-reported. The cited company page describes its brokerage/advisory role and does not name the issuer for a buyer-specific placement. | 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. 10Company-reported. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line. |
| Issuing Insurer | Confirm in your quote. | 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. 6Company-reported. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements. |
| Who It’s For | 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. 3Company-reported. This is the audience or client context named on Baldwin’s page, not an underwriting decision or guarantee of product availability. | 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). 9Company-reported. ERISA Fidelity Bond product page. |
| Coverage Features | 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. 3Company-reported. 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. | 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. 9Company-reported. Product page; the issued bond and its terms control actual coverage. |
| Limits and Retentions | The reviewed source does not state a buyer-specific limit, retention, deductible or coverage schedule. Confirm the quote and issued policy or bond. 3Not publicly disclosed. No buyer quote, binder, policy or bond form was available in the reviewed public sources. | 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. 9Company-reported. Product page describing the ERISA statutory bonding requirement. |
| Risk Services | Baldwin describes market navigation and tailored risk and insurance advice for accountants, architects, engineers, financial advisers, lawyers, consultants and surveyors. 3Company-reported. These are company-described brokerage and risk-advisory services; account-specific service commitments and third-party terms are not established. | Confirm in your quote. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | 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. 10,6Company-reported. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form. |
Full Comparison
More The Baldwin Group vs Founder Shield Comparisons
Other Fidelity Bonds Comparisons
Sources
The Baldwin Group
- The Baldwin Insurance Group, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; filed by The Baldwin Insurance Group, Inc.; Part I, Item 1, “The Company,” lines 194–196; “Operating Groups,” lines 260–263; “Clients and Insurers,” lines 286–288; pp. 6–10; opened 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Business Insurance. The Baldwin Group; RiskMap process, lines 40–68; Connect With Us consultation invitation, lines 182–187; accessed 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- 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.
Founder Shield
- Founder Shield. Founder Shield; Opening broker description; Specialized Practices; Smart Tech, Smarter People; quote and sign-in links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Startup Insurance. Founder Shield; What Coverage Does your Startup Need?; Why Startups Choose Founder Shield; Industries We Serve; Essential Policies to Consider section. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- 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.
- What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year? Founder Shield; Carl Niedbala answer, November 25, 2024: operational changes and coverage adjustments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Terms of Service. Founder Shield; Opening agreement; License Status; Representations and Disclaimers Related to Products or Services; Fees and Charges; Void Where Prohibited. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- 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.
- About Us. Founder Shield; “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Fidelity Bonds Guide
- Glossary of Insurance Terms. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Fidelity; Surety Bond. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- 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.
- 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.
