---
title: "CFC vs Cowbell Crime Insurance"
description: "Both sell crime as a management-liability module; CFC declines some US risks, while Cowbell distributes Zurich Select Plus to private companies under 250 employees."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-cowbell/crime"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-23"
---

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[Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-cowbell/crime)

# CFC vs Cowbell Crime Insurance

Both sell crime as a management-liability module; CFC declines some US risks, while Cowbell distributes Zurich Select Plus to private companies under 250 employees.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate CFC and Cowbell for Crime Insurance against the same documented criteria. It identifies differences and questions to confirm; it does not select a winner for a particular business. Offering claims are what each provider publishes about this line unless marked otherwise. “Not found” describes the evidence reviewed, not proof that a feature is unavailable. Confirm the insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and cost in an actual quote.

## Summary

CFC includes crime in its US Management Liability package and lists California-domiciled and US public companies among declined risks. Cowbell distributes Zurich’s Select Plus crime module for private companies with under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets, written on Zurich admitted paper. [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") [6](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/class/management-liability/ "Management liability") [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [11](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")

## What Is CFC Insurance?

CFC provides specialty insurance through an MGA model, with technology products for startups through multinational businesses. Its U.S. technology materials describe combined liability and cyber protection, while California eligibility requires product-specific confirmation. [1](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/company/ "About CFC") [2](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/industry/technology/ "Technology") [3](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/ywdbvkpy/technology_product-brochure_us_0525_v2.pdf "Technology — United States product brochure") [4](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/support/regulatory-information/ "Regulatory information")

[CFC profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cfc)

## What Is Cowbell Insurance?

Cowbell is a specialty-insurance platform and agency focused on cyber risk for small and midsize businesses. Its U.S. catalogue also includes combined Technology E&O and cyber products and a Zurich management-liability offering distributed through appointed wholesalers. [9](https://cowbell.insure/ "Cowbell") [10](https://cowbell.insure/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/CB-US-PrimeTech-Overview-1.pdf "Prime Tech Product Overview") [11](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")

[Cowbell profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cowbell)

## What Is Crime Insurance?

Crime insurance addresses business losses from specified theft and fraud risks, such as robbery, forgery and embezzlement. [13](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/09-comm/commercialguide.cfm "Commercial Insurance Guide")

## Key Differences in Crime Insurance

### Two Management Packages, Different Operators

CFC includes crime inside its own US Management Liability package. Cowbell operates the platform that distributes Zurich’s Select Plus product, where crime is one of four modules a buyer can combine; Zurich underwrites the module. [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [11](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")

### Who Can Buy the Module

CFC’s brochure lists California-domiciled business and US publicly traded companies among risks it declines for the package that carries this crime coverage. Cowbell targets the crime module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets, across the same industries listed for Select Plus. [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")

### Paper, Access and Coverage Wording

Cowbell and Zurich both say Select Plus modules, including crime, are written on Zurich admitted paper. CFC’s regulatory page discloses FCA authorization and Lloyd’s Syndicate 1988 but does not name the issuer for a given US crime policy. The Cowbell crime module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through Cowbell’s API, not sold direct to businesses. CFC also sells crime inside a fintech package whose wording the reviewed pages do not equate with the management package. [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [11](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") [4](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/support/regulatory-information/ "Regulatory information") [7](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/industry/fintech/ "Fintech insurance")

### What the Cover Descriptions Say

Cowbell describes crime as protecting against theft, fraud and embezzlement by employees or third parties. CFC’s brochure lists employee theft, funds-transfer fraud, credit-card and currency fraud, client crime, and on- or off-premises theft. Neither CFC’s brochure nor the Cowbell or Zurich Select Plus pages publish crime limits or retentions. [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") [11](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")

## What to Confirm in Crime Insurance Quotes

- Confirm you are a private company under Cowbell’s 250-employee and $50 million-asset band if the quote is Select Plus. [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")
- Ask CFC whether California domicile or public-company status is a decline, and whether crime is the management or fintech package. [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") [7](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/industry/fintech/ "Fintech insurance")
- Ask which Zurich entity issues the Select Plus crime module; the pages name admitted paper without identifying the specific issuer. [11](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")
- Get crime limits and retentions from both quotes; neither reviewed set publishes them. [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")

## Offering Details

| Criteria | CFC Crime | Cowbell / Zurich Select Plus Crime Coverage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Role in This Line | CFC includes crime coverage inside its US Management Liability package. The reviewed management-liability materials do not offer it as a standalone product within that package. [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") [6](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/class/management-liability/ "Management liability") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management-liability product page and brochure; package composition as CFC describes it..) | Crime coverage is one module within Cowbell's distribution of Zurich's Select Plus management liability product; Cowbell operates the platform, Zurich underwrites the module. Zurich's own page lists 'Crime Insurance' as one of the four modules a buyer can combine. [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [11](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section..) |
| Issuing Insurer | CFC's regulatory page discloses CFC Underwriting Limited's FCA authorization and CFC's Lloyd's Syndicate 1988, managed by Asta Managing Agency Ltd, but neither the regulatory page nor the management-liability brochure names the carrier or syndicate that would issue a given US crime policy. [4](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/support/regulatory-information/ "Regulatory information") [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Regulatory information page and brochure as read on 2026-09-23..) | Cowbell and Zurich both say the Select Plus modules, including crime, are written on Zurich admitted paper. Zurich's site footer names 'Zurich American Insurance Company' in its copyright notice, but neither page states that entity is the specific policy issuer for this module. [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [11](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer..) |
| Who It’s For | CFC's brochure lists California-domiciled business and US publicly traded companies among the risks it declines for the package that carries this crime coverage. [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Brochure's 'What we decline' list; underwriting still applies to any individual business..) | Cowbell targets this crime module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50M in assets, across the same target industries listed for the broader Select Plus product. [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list..) |
| Coverage Features | CFC's brochure describes company crime cover including employee theft, funds transfer fraud, and credit card and currency fraud. [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Brochure's 'Crime cover' description; the issued policy wording determines the actual insuring agreements and any sub-limits..)<br><br>The brochure also lists client crime, meaning fraud by clients or their staff, and on-premises and off-premises theft, as part of the crime section. [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Brochure's 'Crime cover' description..)<br><br>CFC separately sells crime coverage for employee infidelity and third-party fraud within its fintech package. The reviewed pages do not state whether that fintech crime coverage is the same crime coverage sold inside the management-liability package. [7](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/industry/fintech/ "Fintech insurance") [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Fintech product page compared against the management-liability brochure; both accessed 2026-09-23. This does not establish overlap or difference in wording between the two products..) | Cowbell describes crime coverage as protecting against losses resulting from criminal acts such as theft, fraud, and embezzlement committed by employees or third parties. [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'..) |
| Limits and Retentions | The reviewed brochure does not publish a dollar limit, sublimit or retention for crime coverage. Those figures appear only on the quote and declarations. [5](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Brochure as read on 2026-09-23..) | Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes crime-coverage limit or retention amounts. [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [11](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23..) |
| Risk Services | Not described in the reviewed sources. | Neither reviewed page describes crime-specific risk-control services such as employee-dishonesty prevention programs; both describe the Select Plus product's claims backing only at the whole-product level. [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [11](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Management liability page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23..) |
| How to Apply | Not described in the reviewed sources. | This crime module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through the Cowbell platform's API; it is not sold directly to businesses. [12](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'..) |
| Claims Support | CFC provides a US claim-notification route by phone, email and online form, and says a dedicated claims adjuster manages a claim from notification through resolution. [8](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/claims/ "Claims") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Claims page as read on 2026-09-23; not specific to crime claim outcomes or timing..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |

## Full Comparison

- [CFC vs Cowbell](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-cowbell): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims.
- [What Is Crime Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/crime): Crime insurance can help recover business losses from specified theft and fraud, including employee theft, forgery and payment fraud.
- [CFC vs Cowbell Cyber Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-cowbell/cyber)
- [CFC vs Cowbell D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-cowbell/directors-officers)
- [CFC vs Cowbell Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-cowbell/employment-practices)
- [CFC vs Cowbell Management Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-cowbell/management-liability)
- [CFC vs Cowbell Tech E&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-cowbell/technology-errors-omissions)
- [Alliance Risk vs CFC Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-cfc/crime)
- [Alliance Risk vs Cowbell Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-cowbell/crime)
- [Beazley vs CFC Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-cfc/crime)
- [Beazley vs Cowbell Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-cowbell/crime)
- [CFC vs Chubb Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-chubb/crime)
- [CFC vs Coalition Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-coalition/crime)

## Sources

### CFC

1. [About CFC](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/company/). CFC; Matt Taylor biography: independent MGA and Syndicate 1988. Accessed 2026-09-16.
2. [Technology](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/industry/technology/). CFC; Introduction; Technology key features; Digitally traded. Accessed 2026-09-16.
3. [Technology — United States product brochure](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/ywdbvkpy/technology_product-brochure_us_0525_v2.pdf). CFC; Page 1: coverage sections, including Products and services liability; Response app highlights; Limits and deductibles. Accessed 2026-09-16.
4. [Regulatory information](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/support/regulatory-information/). CFC; CFC Underwriting Limited; CFC Lloyd's Syndicate 1988. Accessed 2026-09-23.
5. [Management liability — United States product brochure](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf). CFC; Crime cover; At a glance: What we like; What we decline; What else is in the policy?. Accessed 2026-09-23.
6. [Management liability](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/class/management-liability/). CFC; Our management liability products: Management liability, Side A DIC. Accessed 2026-09-23.
7. [Fintech insurance](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/industry/fintech/). CFC; What does CFC's fintech policy cover? Crime coverage for employee infidelity and third-party fraud. Accessed 2026-09-23.
8. [Claims](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/claims/). CFC; Notify a claim or cyber incident; We're in it with you. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### Cowbell

9. [Cowbell](https://cowbell.insure/). Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
10. [Prime Tech Product Overview](https://cowbell.insure/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/CB-US-PrimeTech-Overview-1.pdf). Cowbell; PDF pp. 1–4: non-admitted combined Technology E&O and cyber for technology businesses up to $1 billion; up to $5 million; surplus lines in 50 states; edition PRIME TECH US0001 1025. Accessed 2026-09-16.
11. [Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability). Zurich North America; Intro on the Zurich/Cowbell collaboration; module name 'Crime Insurance'; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (identical to Cowbell's page); Targeted industries list; footer copyright. Accessed 2026-09-23.
12. [Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/). Cowbell; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (Crime Coverage definition); Target industries list; FAQ on access and account size. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### Crime Insurance Guide

13. [Commercial Insurance Guide](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/09-comm/commercialguide.cfm). California Department of Insurance; Crime. Accessed 2026-09-16.

Updated 2026-09-23. 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](https://spot.insure/editorial-policy). To suggest a correction, [contact Spot](https://spot.insure/contact) with the page URL and supporting source.

## Agent and Developer Resources

- [Markdown page](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-cowbell/crime.md)
- [Developer resources](https://spot.insure/developers)
- [Public MCP server](https://spot.insure/mcp)
- [MCP server manifest](https://spot.insure/server.json)
- [OpenAPI description](https://spot.insure/openapi.json)
- [Public page index](https://spot.insure/llms.txt)