Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs 
Founder Shield: How Do They Compare for Fiduciary Liability Insurance?
What Is Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance?
BHSI provides commercial and specialty insurance in the U.S., with product-specific industry lists that include healthcare, energy and technology. Online quote and application submissions are nonbinding. 1,2,3,4
Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance profile
Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Fiduciary Liability Insurance page
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. 7,8,9,10,11
What Is Fiduciary Liability Insurance?
Fiduciary liability can protect your company and plan fiduciaries when participants claim mishandling of an employee benefit plan. If you sponsor a retirement or health plan, check who is insured and whether both administration errors and fiduciary-breach claims are addressed. 14,15,16
Key Differences in Fiduciary Liability Insurance
Scope of the Policy
The target descriptions differ in emphasis: Founder Shield starts with the plan and its fiduciaries, while Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance positions the coverage within a private-company portfolio. Founder Shield places the policy with a third-party insurer and does not name the specific carrier. Ask who will issue the quote and whether plan administrators are insured. 6 12
Program and Placement
Founder Shield lists risky investments, poor advice, benefits-processing errors, and improper benefit denials as claim scenarios, and distinguishes this line from D&O and general liability. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s fiduciary form highlights full settlor coverage, ACA gaps, and fines and penalties. The examples point to different wording questions a sponsor should test against its plan operations. 6 12
What to Confirm in Fiduciary Liability Insurance Quotes
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.
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
Review Score
No reviews found
The public ratings for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance are low but thin: Trustpilot shows 2.1 out of 5 from 9 reviews and BBB shows 1 out of 5 from 6. Both mix travel and commercial customers, so we don't count them in a score.[5][7]
Read Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance 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
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Founder Shield: Fiduciary Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Fiduciary Liability in Executive First Private Company Portfolio | Founder Shield Fiduciary Liability Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | BHSI lists fiduciary liability as a component of its Executive First Private Company Portfolio comprehensive form with D&O, EPL, Commercial Crime and employed-lawyer insurance. 5Company-reported. This is a marketed portfolio component; the source does not say every line is required or that limits are shared. | Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Fiduciary Liability Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. 13Company-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 Fiduciary Liability Insurance, 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. 9Company-reported. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements. |
| Who It’s For | The portfolio targets private companies with at least $10 million in revenue and names construction, manufacturing, wholesale, retail, service, technology and transportation sectors. 5Company-reported. These are portfolio target-account statements, not guaranteed fiduciary eligibility. BHSI identifies large commercial and financial firms with complex risk-transfer needs as targets for this fiduciary policy. 6Company-reported. A target segment does not guarantee eligibility for an applicant or plan. | Founder Shield markets fiduciary liability to plan sponsors offering a 401(k) or similar plan and to the individual fiduciaries who handle plan funds or property. 12Company-reported. Fiduciary Liability product page. |
| Coverage Features | BHSI names fiduciary liability as one component of the Executive First Private Company Portfolio. 5Company-reported. The source does not describe the fiduciary insuring agreement, covered plans or insured parties. BHSI’s Executive First Fiduciary Liability Policy page lists full settlor coverage, Affordable Care Act gap coverage, and coverage for fines and penalties; it says specialized defense counsel is recommended but not required. 6Company-reported. These are company-described product highlights. Applicable law, policy wording, conditions and exclusions govern a given plan or claim. | Founder Shield lists claims of risky plan investments, poor investment advice, administrative errors in benefits processing, and improper denial or change of benefits as scenarios fiduciary liability responds to. 12Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage. Founder Shield distinguishes fiduciary liability from D&O and general liability: it responds to breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims tied to ERISA plan administration, not general management or bodily-injury claims. 12Company-reported. Fiduciary Liability product page. |
| Limits and Retentions | BHSI advertises shared or separate limits up to $50 million for the portfolio. 5Company-reported. The source does not give a fiduciary-specific limit or explain allocation among components. | Confirm in your quote. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | You request Founder Shield Fiduciary Liability Insurance 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. 13,9Company-reported. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form. |
Full Comparison
More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Founder Shield Comparisons
Other Fiduciary Liability Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
- At A Glance. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; United States section, zero-based PDF pages 49–53 (viewer pages 50–54): product/industry lists on pages 49–50; U.S. disclosure/version footer on page 53 is 2026-8-03 A. The 2026-09-14 A footer is on preceding European page 48, not the U.S. section. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- About Us. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; About BHSI; company profile page re-opened through official site on 2026-09-28; company says it is part of National Indemnity group. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Terms of Service. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Important Information Concerning Use of this Web Site, paragraphs 2–4; nonbinding submissions, contracted-agent authority, state variation, product availability and policy-specific terms. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Public Disclosure — Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Singapore Branch. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Singapore branch public disclosure, Company Profile ¶¶ 1–2; direct page opened 2026-09-28. ¶ 1 identifies BHSIC as a Nebraska-domiciled direct P&C insurer; ¶ 2 states BHSIC is wholly owned by National Indemnity Company, itself wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Executive First Private Company Portfolio. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Product Highlights, lines 11–15: D&O, EPL, fiduciary, Commercial Crime and Employed Lawyers in one comprehensive form; shared or separate limits up to $50 million; EPL First HR resources and attorney helpline. Top Targets, lines 16–25: private companies with at least $10 million revenue and listed industries. Reopened 2026-09-30. Accessed 2026-09-30.
- Executive First Fiduciary Liability Policy. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Product Highlights: full settlor coverage, ACA gap coverage, recommended-not-mandatory specialized defense counsel, and fines/penalties; Top Targets: large commercial and financial firms (lines 6–20). Reopened 2026-09-30. 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.
- Fiduciary Liability Insurance. Founder Shield; What Is Fiduciary Liability Insurance?; Who Needs Fiduciary Liability Insurance Coverage?; What Does Fiduciary Liability 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.
Fiduciary Liability Insurance Guide
- Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2008-04: Guidance Regarding ERISA Fidelity Bonding Requirements. U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration; Q2 pp.2–3. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Fiduciary Liability. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America; II.D,J–L pp.2–3; II.A p.1; II.V p.5; Header p.1; II.M p.3; I p.1; III.A.6–8 pp.5–6; II.M.2 p.3; III.B.1 p.6. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Fiduciary Liability Insurance. Travelers; What Is Fiduciary Liability Insurance? Accessed 2026-09-16.
