CFC vs 
Markel Insurance: How Do They Compare for Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?
CFC says its excess layer can sit over primary professional liability, general liability, cyber, or any combination, including policies placed with other insurers. Markel describes additional limits beyond primary policies but makes placement dependent on underlying coverage and risk review. That makes the scheduled lines and carrier compatibility central to a like-for-like comparison. <OfferingCite provider="cfc" id="umbrella-product" /> <OfferingCite provider="markel" id="markel-official-product" /> 5,8
What Is CFC Insurance?
CFC fits technology businesses seeking one eligible package for E&O, cyber, media/IP and general liability; buyers wanting to bind directly online should compare other routes. Its cyber policies may also include 24/7 incident support. 1,2,3,4
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
Read the Markel Insurance Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance page
What Is Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?
Umbrella or excess insurance adds liability limits above the policies named in the quote after a covered claim exhausts their limits. It may fit if a contract sets higher limits; check which primary policies are listed and any gaps between them. 9,10,11,12,13
Key Differences in Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance
Underlying Lines and Carrier Flexibility
CFC says its excess layer can sit over primary professional liability, general liability, cyber, or any combination, including policies placed with other insurers. Markel describes additional limits beyond primary policies but makes placement dependent on underlying coverage and risk review. That makes the scheduled lines and carrier compatibility central to a like-for-like comparison. 5 8
Business Appetite
CFC targets small and micro businesses and says it considers a wide range of professions. Markel’s cited page describes small-business risks within its casualty appetite, subject to review; it does not list professions in the offering claim. If your operation is specialized, ask both to confirm appetite against the same description and underlying policies. 5 8
How to Start a Submission
CFC directs interested businesses to contact it and says its layer can remain in place when the primary policy is with another insurer. Markel invites customers or brokers to contact its underwriting team. Neither reviewed overview sets a universal limit, so the submissions may require different coordination even where both quotes respond above primary coverage. 5 8
What to Confirm in Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Quotes
- Ask CFC which insurer carries the quoted layer, which primary lines it will follow, and the required underlying limits; its product page does not identify the insurer or amounts. 5 4
- Ask Markel for the issuing insurer, attachment point, limit and retention for the specific underlying schedule, since its overview publishes no universal figures. 8
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.
CFC
Review Score
No reviews found
The reviewed sources did not yield customer reviews of CFC; the available survey concerns UK brokers. The one rating we found is from UK brokers: 4.76 out of 5 in Insurance Times’ 2024/25 survey.[4][11]
Read CFC reviewsMarkel Insurance
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 reviewsOffering Details
CFC vs Markel Insurance: Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | CFC Umbrella Cover | Markel umbrella excess (official overview) |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | CFC sells an umbrella (excess) policy that sits above a business's primary professional liability, general liability, or cyber policy, or any combination of the three, in a single excess policy. 5Company-reported. Umbrella cover product page description of what the policy tops up. | Markel describes offering umbrella excess for the audience stated on the cited product page. 8Company-reported. umbrella excess marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Issuing Insurer | The reviewed umbrella cover page does not name the insurer or Lloyd's syndicate carrying this excess risk. CFC's regulatory page lists CFC-affiliated underwriting entities, including its own Lloyd's Syndicate 1988, but does not tie one specifically to this product. 5,4Not publicly disclosed. Checked the umbrella cover page and CFC's regulatory information page; neither names a carrier for this product. | Confirm in your quote. |
| Who It’s For | CFC targets this excess cover at small and micro businesses and says it will consider a wide range of professions. 5Company-reported. Umbrella cover product page; specific eligibility for a given business depends on underwriting. | Small-business risks within the page's casualty appetite; an umbrella placement depends on underlying coverage and risk review. 8Company-reported. umbrella excess marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Coverage Features | CFC says it will provide this excess layer regardless of whether the underlying primary policy is placed with CFC or with another insurer. 5Company-reported. Umbrella cover product page. | The cited product page describes excess umbrella liability providing additional limits beyond primary policies, subject to the underlying coverage and policy terms. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. 8Company-reported. umbrella excess marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Limits and Retentions | The reviewed umbrella cover page does not publish maximum excess limit amounts or the underlying primary limits it requires; those would appear on a quote. 5Not found in reviewed sources. Umbrella cover page checked on 2026-09-23 has no product brochure content extracted beyond the page text; no numeric limit figures appear on the page itself. | The cited overview does not set a universal limit or retention for this line. Ask for the proposed policy form, limits, retentions, exclusions, and conditions in the quote. 8Not publicly disclosed. Only the cited marketing page was reviewed for published limit and retention information; no policy-form entitlement is inferred. |
| How to Apply | The umbrella cover page directs interested businesses to contact CFC directly rather than describing an online quote or indication tool. 5Company-reported. Umbrella cover product page call to action. | The page invites prospective customers or brokers to contact Markel or the named underwriting team. The page does not establish a quote, bind, or coverage-effective timeline. 8Company-reported. umbrella excess marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
Full Comparison
More CFC vs Markel Insurance Comparisons
Other Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Comparisons
Sources
CFC
- About CFC. CFC; Matt Taylor biography: independent MGA and Syndicate 1988. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Technology. CFC; Introduction; Technology key features; Digitally traded. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- 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.
- Regulatory information. CFC; CFC Underwriting Limited; CFC Lloyd's Syndicate 1988. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Excess umbrella insurance cover | CFC. CFC; Umbrella cover description; 'We offer additional insurance for small and micro businesses...'. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Markel Insurance
- About us. Markel; Markel at a glance; description of Markel Insurance within Markel Group Inc. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- 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.
- Small Business Casualty and Property Insurance. Markel; Excess umbrella section; added liability limits beyond primary policies. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Guide
- Liability Insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Heading Umbrella Liability Insurance; sentence Umbrella Liability—also known as Excess Liability Insurance; underlying policies listed with limits; typically GL, auto and employers’ liability; starts when a covered loss exhausts the primary per occurrence limit; Most umbrella policies exclude EPL, professional liability, product recall, workers compensation, asbestos, pollution, war and terrorism. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Commercial Umbrella; excess over a basic liability policy; auto/CGL/WC or any liability policy can be covered; may respond if basic policy not in force or for gaps; SIR when no underlying. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Lines of Insurance. California Department of Insurance; Umbrella or Excess Liability Policy: excess limits over existing liability; may provide additional coverages not provided by underlying policies. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Coverage Hub. Coverdash; Excess & Specialty: Umbrella; Excess Liability. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Products. Kinro; 09 Umbrella/Excess: additional limits above scheduled underlying policies; when to review; reviewed with. Accessed 2026-09-16.
