CFC vs 
Cowbell: How Do They Compare for D&O Insurance?
Cowbell distributes Zurich D&O for smaller private companies through firms Zurich appoints to distribute the module; CFC includes D&O in a US management-liability package and separately offers Side A DIC excess cover.
Cowbell's D&O is built for private companies with under 250 employees and $50 million in assets, reached only through wholesale brokers. CFC folds D&O into a management-liability package that declines California-based and US publicly traded companies. 1,2,5,6
What Are the Key Differences Between CFC and Cowbell D&O Insurance?
Who Gets Turned Away
Check these screens before you spend time on a quote. CFC lists California-domiciled businesses and US publicly traded companies among risks it declines for its US Management Liability package. 2 Cowbell's Private Company D&O, a module in Zurich's Select Plus product, is aimed at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets. 5 Choose Cowbell if you are a private company under 250 employees and $50 million in assets; choose CFC if you are a private company outside California that is larger than Cowbell's caps.
Buying Through a Wholesaler vs a Package
You can't buy Cowbell's D&O directly: appointed Zurich wholesale brokers access it through Cowbell's API, so ask your broker whether it has that access. 5 CFC's D&O comes as part of its management-liability package rather than on its own. 1
What Should You Confirm in CFC and Cowbell D&O Insurance Quotes?
- Check your state of domicile and public status against CFC's declines, and your headcount and assets against Cowbell's caps. 2 5
- Ask who issues each policy: CFC doesn't name its US D&O insurer, while Cowbell's module is written by Zurich on an admitted basis. 3 6
- Ask CFC for the additional limit for insured persons and whether Side A difference-in-conditions cover applies. 2
- Ask the wholesaler for Select Plus D&O limits; the reviewed materials don't publish them. 5
CFC vs Cowbell D&O Insurance Compared
CFC vs Cowbell: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | CFC Directors & Officers Liability | Cowbell / Zurich Select Plus Private Company D&O |
|---|---|---|
| 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 D&O coverage. 2Company-reported. Brochure's 'What we decline' list; underwriting still applies to any individual business. | Cowbell targets this D&O module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50M in assets, in industries such as technology, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail. 5Company-reported. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list. |
| Coverage Features | CFC says its directors and officers cover includes protection for the entity itself and aims to prevent directors and officers from having to sell personal assets to pay defense costs. 2Company-reported. Brochure's 'Directors and officers cover' description; the issued policy wording determines actual entity and Side B/C coverage terms. CFC's brochure lists an additional limit for insured persons as part of the directors and officers liability section, on top of the package's base limit. 2Company-reported. Brochure's 'What else is in the policy?' list; the dollar amount of that additional limit is not stated on the reviewed pages. CFC separately offers Side A DIC (difference in conditions), which it describes as excess coverage for directors and officers of private and publicly traded organizations, sitting above the primary management-liability D&O cover. 1Company-reported. Management-liability product page; Side A DIC has its own brochure that was not opened for this record, so its terms are not otherwise described here. | Cowbell describes D&O liability as protecting the personal assets of directors and officers and the company's financial assets against claims alleging wrongful acts in their capacity as directors and officers. 5Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'. |
| Role in This Line | CFC includes directors and officers liability inside its US Management Liability package rather than selling it as a standalone product. It separately sells Side A DIC, an excess policy that sits above a company's existing D&O program. 1,2Company-reported. CFC's management-liability product page and brochure; package composition as CFC describes it. | Private Company D&O is one module within Cowbell's distribution of Zurich's Select Plus management liability product; Cowbell gives Zurich-appointed E&S wholesalers platform access, and Zurich underwrites the module. Zurich's own page labels this module 'Private Management and Company Liability' rather than plain 'D&O.' 5,6Company-reported. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section. |
