Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Markel Insurance: How Do They Compare for Crime Insurance?

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance explicitly names Commercial Crime in Executive First; Markel’s reviewed material describes eCrime within Cyber 360 rather than a standalone crime policy. 5,8

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 Crime Insurance page

Markel Insurance: Specialty Business and Products

Markel Insurance is Markel Group's specialty and small-business insurance business, with offerings across packages, workers' compensation, cyber, professional and management liability, property, marine, and surety. Products use different insurers and distribution routes, so compare the issuer and terms shown on the specific quote. 6,7

Read the Markel Insurance profile

What Is Crime Insurance?

Crime insurance can help reimburse specified business losses from theft and fraud, including employee theft and forgery. Compare those protections separately and ask whether a payment sent after an impersonation scam is covered. 9,10,11,12,13

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Crime Insurance

Coverage Structure and Crime Scope

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance identifies Commercial Crime as one part of Executive First, alongside D&O, EPL, fiduciary, and employed-lawyer coverage. Markel’s Cyber 360 page describes eCrime expenses from fraudulent transfers and fake payment instructions, subject to policy terms, but does not establish a separate commercial crime policy. Buyers should decide whether they need a crime form or cyber-linked eCrime protection. 5 8

Limits, Eligibility, and Placement

Markel’s eCrime description concerns Cyber 360 policyholders and the exact availability depends on the quote. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance targets private companies from $10 million revenue and advertises portfolio limits up to $50 million. Headline portfolio limits should not be compared with a cyber product’s unreported eCrime sublimit; ask for the actual insuring agreement and limit. 5 8

What to Confirm in Crime Insurance Quotes

  • Ask Markel whether Cyber 360 eCrime applies to your payment-fraud scenario and what sublimit and trigger appear in the quote.
  • Ask Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance for the standalone crime terms, limit allocation, and any discovery or reporting conditions.

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

-/ 10

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 reviews

Markel Insurance

7.5/ 10

Review Score

2 rated sources

There is little public customer feedback on Markel. Trustpilot shows 2.5 out of 5 from just 5 reviews, and BBB lists 12 complaints closed in the last three years.[4][3]

Read Markel Insurance reviews

Offering Details

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Markel Insurance: Crime Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaCommercial Crime in Executive First Private Company PortfolioMarkel Cyber 360 eCrime coverage
Role in This Line

BHSI describes Executive First Private Company Portfolio as one comprehensive form combining D&O, EPL, fiduciary, Commercial Crime and employed-lawyer insurance. 5Company-reported. Portfolio marketing establishes a listed product structure, not a buyer’s entitlement or standalone availability.

Markel lists eCrime within the fraud and unauthorized-use section of Cyber 360; the reviewed source does not establish a standalone commercial crime policy from this page. 8Company-reported. Cyber policy component only; not a fidelity bond.

Who It’s For

BHSI identifies private companies with at least $10 million in revenue among the portfolio’s target accounts. 5Company-reported. Portfolio-level target, not a guarantee that a particular applicant qualifies for the crime component.

Markel describes these resources and coverages for Cyber 360 policyholders; the exact availability and terms require the quoted policy. 8Company-reported. Policyholder-specific access and policy wording apply.

Coverage Features

The portfolio page specifically names Commercial Crime as one component of the comprehensive form. 5Company-reported. The page names the line but does not state its insuring agreements, coverage triggers or relationship to fidelity bonds.

The page says eCrime may cover expenses from fraudulent activity such as unauthorized money transfers and fake payment instructions, subject to policy terms. 8Company-reported. Cyber 360 marketing description; does not establish a general crime-form grant.

Limits and Retentions

The portfolio page advertises shared or separate limits up to $50 million. 5Company-reported. This is a portfolio-wide figure, not a crime-specific limit; the page does not say how limits would be allocated on a specific policy.

Confirm in your quote.

Full Comparison

More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Markel Insurance Comparisons

Other Crime Insurance Comparisons

Sources

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

Markel Insurance

  1. About us. Markel; Markel at a glance; description of Markel Insurance within Markel Group Inc. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Markel Group Inc. 2025 Form 10-K. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; filed by Markel Group Inc.; Cover page; Part I, Item 1 Business—Markel Insurance, U.S. Wholesale and Specialty, Programs and Solutions; Part II, Item 7/8 for group and segment risks. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Cyber Insurance Coverage. Markel; Cyber 360 coverage options: media liability; technology professional liability; eCrime; coverages listed within the cyber policy. Accessed 2026-09-29.

Crime Insurance Guide

  1. Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Crime. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Crime Non-Financial Applications and Forms. Travelers; Opening paragraph; Sample Policy Forms. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Crime Terms and Conditions. The Travelers Companies, Inc.; I.A–G, printed/PDF pages 1–4; III.RR, printed/PDF p.13; V.B.1–2, printed/PDF pp.18–20; Consideration, printed/PDF p.1; III.P p.8; V.A.3 pp.16–17; V.A.4 p.17; V.B.3 p.20; I.A.3 p.1; III.C p.7; III.S pp.8–9; III.II and III.KK p.12; III.QQ p.13; V.A.5 pp.17–18 (printed/PDF pages); IV.J–O, printed/PDF pages 14–15. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Social Engineering Fraud Insurance. Chubb; Opening; coverage highlights. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  5. Commercial Crime Coverage Application. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America; I–III pages 1–2; IX–XI pages 3–4; V–VII, printed/PDF pages 2–3. Accessed 2026-09-16.

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. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

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