CFC vs Cowbell D&O Insurance

CFC’s D&O is a US management-liability module with California and public-company declines; Cowbell distributes Zurich Select Plus D&O for firms under 250 employees and $50 million in assets.

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. 1,2,3,4

Read the CFC profile

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. 8,9,10

Read the Cowbell profile

What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?

Directors and officers liability insurance addresses covered claims alleging wrongful acts in managing an organization. 12

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in D&O Insurance

CFC Package Versus Zurich Module

CFC’s directors and officers cover sits in CFC’s US Management Liability package. Cowbell’s Private Company D&O is a module in Zurich’s Select Plus product, which Zurich underwrites and Cowbell distributes to appointed E&S wholesalers. 5 11

You are either in CFC’s package or in a Zurich Select Plus module accessed through Cowbell. Those are different underwriters and different wrappers. 5 11 10

California and Public-Company Declines Versus Headcount and Asset Caps

CFC lists California-domiciled business and US publicly traded companies among declined package risks. Cowbell aims the module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets. 6 11

A California-domiciled or US-public buyer may be outside CFC’s package. A company over those headcount or asset figures may be outside Cowbell’s Select Plus gate. Check both screens before you spend time on a quote. 6 11

Who Can Shop Directly

The Cowbell D&O module is not sold direct to businesses; appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers access it through Cowbell’s API. CFC’s reviewed materials do not describe that wholesale-only API path. 11 5

What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes

  • Confirm whether you fail CFC’s California or US-public decline list, or Cowbell’s under-250 / under-$50 million gates. 6 11
  • Ask which entity would issue: unnamed CFC US D&O paper versus Zurich admitted Select Plus. 4 10
  • Ask CFC for the additional insured-persons amount and whether Side A DIC applies. 6
  • Ask a Zurich E&S wholesaler for Select Plus D&O limits, which the reviewed materials do not publish. 11

Offering Details

CFC vs Cowbell D&O Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaCFC Directors & Officers LiabilityCowbell / Zurich Select Plus Private Company 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. 5,6Company-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.' 11,10Company-reported. 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 D&O policy. 4,6Not publicly disclosed. Regulatory information page and brochure as read on 2026-09-23.

Cowbell and Zurich both say the Select Plus modules, including D&O, are offered 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 D&O module. 11,10Company-reported. 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 D&O coverage. 6Company-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. 11Company-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. 6Company-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. 6Company-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. 5Company-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. 11Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'.

Limits and Retentions

The reviewed brochure does not publish a specific dollar limit, retention, or the size of the additional insured-persons limit for D&O. Those figures appear only on the quote and declarations. 6Not publicly disclosed. Brochure as read on 2026-09-23.

Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes D&O limit or retention amounts. 11,10Not publicly disclosed. Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.

Risk Services

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Cowbell frames D&O coverage as a way to help attract and retain directors and officers by giving them personal-asset protection, and says the product covers legal fees, settlements, and other defense costs for the company and its management. 11Company-reported. FAQ 'Why does my company need management liability coverage?'.

How to Apply

Not described in the reviewed sources.

This D&O module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through the Cowbell platform's API; it is not sold directly to businesses. 11Company-reported. 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. 7Company-reported. Claims page as read on 2026-09-23; not specific to D&O claim outcomes or timing.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Full Comparison

More CFC vs Cowbell Comparisons

Other D&O Insurance Comparisons

Sources

CFC

  1. About CFC. CFC; Matt Taylor biography: independent MGA and Syndicate 1988. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Technology. CFC; Introduction; Technology key features; Digitally traded. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Technology — United States product brochure. CFC; Page 1: coverage sections, including Products and services liability; Response app highlights; Limits and deductibles. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Regulatory information. CFC; CFC Underwriting Limited; CFC Lloyd's Syndicate 1988. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  5. Management liability. CFC; Our management liability products: Management liability, Side A DIC. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  6. Management liability — United States product brochure. CFC; Directors and officers cover; At a glance: What we like; What we decline; What else is in the policy? Accessed 2026-09-23.
  7. Claims. CFC; Notify a claim or cyber incident; We're in it with you. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Cowbell

  1. Cowbell. Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  2. Prime Tech Product Overview. 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.
  3. Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus. Zurich North America; Intro on the Zurich/Cowbell collaboration; module name 'Private Management and Company Liability'; 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.
  4. Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises. Cowbell; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (D&O definition); FAQ 'Why does my company need management liability coverage?' (Protection for Directors and Officers, Legal Expense Coverage, Attracting and Retaining Talent bullets); Target industries list. Accessed 2026-09-23.

D&O Insurance Guide

  1. Glossary of Business Insurance Terms. The Hartford; Directors and Officers Liability Insurance; Errors and Omissions Insurance; Employment Practices Liability Insurance. 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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