CFC vs USI Insurance Services Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance

USI names CNA as the underwriter of its CPA-focused E&O program while CFC's materials name no insurer at all.

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 USI Insurance Services?

USI Insurance Services is a U.S. insurance brokerage and consulting firm that arranges property and casualty, employee benefits, personal risk, and retirement programs. Its Technology practice says it works with software, hardware, and related companies from early seed stage through IPO, using a consultative process rather than a published self-serve quote. 8,9,10

Read the USI Insurance Services profile

What Is Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance?

Professional errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, also called professional liability insurance, addresses claims that professional services or advice caused a client financial loss. What's covered depends on the services actually scheduled in the policy, not the product label alone. 14,15,16,17

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance

One Named Underwriter Against None

USI says its AICPA Professional Liability Program is underwritten by CNA, naming a specific carrier for that program. 11 CFC's materials describe CFC as the designer of its own Professional services package but do not name any underwriting insurer for it. 5

Risk-Management Extras Against a Dedicated Claims Team

USI says AICPA program enrollees get supportive claims handling and exclusive risk-management resources, including engagement-letter templates. 11 CFC instead routes claims to a named Claims Manager on a dedicated professions unit, without describing comparable risk-management templates. 7

How You Reach Each One

USI directs CPA firms to a dedicated Affinity program email address specifically for the AICPA program. 11 CFC instead offers a dedicated application form plus digital trading through its Connect platform or API partners, alongside standard broker submissions. 5

What to Confirm in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes

  • Ask USI whether your firm qualifies for the CNA-underwritten AICPA program or would instead be placed through its Business Services practice with an unnamed insurer. 11 13
  • Confirm whether your profession appears on CFC's declined list before relying on a quote. 6
  • Get USI's actual limit figures for the AICPA program, since the reviewed page doesn't disclose them, and compare against CFC's published maximum E&O limit of $10,000,000. 11 6
  • Ask USI what the engagement-letter and risk-management resources actually include beyond the coverage itself. 11

Offering Details

CFC vs USI Insurance Services Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaCFC Professional ServicesAICPA Professional Liability Program (USI Affinity)
Role in This Line

CFC sells professional errors & omissions as a modular package policy it calls "Professional services" (branded on the brochure as "Miscellaneous professional liability"), which pairs E&O with optional general liability, property and cyber add-ons rather than selling E&O alone. 5,6Company-reported. Professional liability product page's "Professional services" tile and the miscellaneous professional liability brochure.

For CPA firms, USI runs the AICPA Professional Liability Program through its USI Affinity division as the endorsed producer, rather than underwriting the policy itself. USI's general Business Services practice separately brokers errors and omissions/professional liability coverage for other business types. 11,13Company-reported. AICPA program page and Business Services practice page.

Issuing Insurer

The reviewed professional liability page and brochure describe CFC as the policy designer and point of contact but do not name the insurer that carries the risk for this product. 5,6Not publicly disclosed. Professional liability product page and professions brochure as read on 2026-09-23. CFC's own materials describe it as an underwriting manager rather than a risk-bearing insurer, so a specific carrier for this product would need to come from the quote or declarations.

USI's own page states that the AICPA Professional Liability Program is "underwritten by CNA," naming the carrier for that specific program. USI's general Business Services E&O placements do not name an insurer. 11Company-reported. Direct quote from the AICPA program page; CNA underwrites only this named program, not USI's other professional-liability placements.

Who It’s For

CFC says it favors business, educational, environmental, food, HR, market-research, quality-assurance, security and traffic consultants, event organisers, freight brokers, loss adjusters, private investigators and trade associations, and ordinarily declines debt collectors, financial advisors, health and safety consultants, insurance agents, lawyers, mortgage brokers, pre-purchase home inspectors, stockbrokers, tour operators and valuers. 6Company-reported. Brochure's "What we love" and "What we ordinarily decline" lists; actual acceptance depends on individual underwriting.

USI markets the AICPA program to sole practitioners and regional CPA firms. It has offered CPA coverage since 1967 and has been the endorsed AICPA Program provider since 1994. 11Company-reported. Program page description.

Coverage Features

CFC says the E&O cover includes breach of contract, bodily injury, property damage, vicarious liability of subcontractors, IP infringement, pollution liability, libel, slander, defamation, document loss and withheld fees, with worldwide legal cover. 6Company-reported. Brochure's "Comprehensive errors & omissions cover" and "Comprehensive legal cover" sections; exact wording and exclusions are set by the policy as issued.

Businesses can add a separate commercial general liability limit, property, and cyber and privacy liability to the E&O policy, plus optional umbrella liability that sits over the E&O and CGL layers. 6Company-reported. Brochure's "Modular package policy" and "Umbrella liability" sections; availability depends on underwriting.

USI describes the policy as insuring a CPA and their practice against third-party claims that professional services caused financial harm, providing a defense and paying damages for covered claims arising from high-risk situations tied to new clients, changing business plans, or new laws and regulations. 11Company-reported. Program page description; actual insuring agreements, exclusions and conditions are set by the issued CNA policy form.

Limits and Retentions

CFC's brochure lists maximum limits of $10,000,000 for E&O, $6,000,000 for CGL and $5,000,000 for umbrella, with a $0 minimum deductible, minimum premiums starting at $475-$500 depending on the coverage part, and no revenue threshold for eligibility. 6Company-reported. Brochure's "Limits, deductibles, premiums, revenue threshold" section; the terms actually issued depend on underwriting.

The AICPA program page does not publish limit, retention or premium figures; it says coverage plans allow a firm to tailor coverage to its risk profile. 11Not publicly disclosed. Page as read on 2026-09-23.

Risk Services

Not described in the reviewed sources.

USI says firms enrolled in the program get supportive claims handling and exclusive access to risk-management resources, including engagement-letter templates, in addition to the coverage itself. 11Company-reported. Program page description.

How to Apply

CFC publishes a dedicated application form for this policy and also says its professional liability class can be traded directly through its Connect platform or through named API partners, in addition to the standard broker-submitted application. 5Company-reported. Professional liability product page's downloads and "Digitally traded" sections; not confirmed specifically for the professions/miscellaneous professional liability product versus the class as a whole.

USI directs CPA firms seeking a quote or renewal to contact USI Affinity, with a dedicated Affinity_APL@usi.com address for the AICPA program specifically. 11Company-reported. Contact instructions on the AICPA program page.

Claims Support

CFC lists a named Claims Manager for Professions on its claims team, indicating professional-liability claims are routed to a dedicated professions unit rather than a generalist adjuster. 7Company-reported. CFC's claims page team listing; the page does not publish claim volumes or turnaround times specific to this product.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Full Comparison

More CFC vs USI Insurance Services Comparisons

Other Professional Liability (E&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 USA Inc.; CFC Underwriting Limited; CFC Lloyd’s Syndicate 1988. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  5. Professional liability. CFC; Professional services tile description; Digitally traded Connect section; downloads (brochure, application form). Accessed 2026-09-23.
  6. Miscellaneous professional liability | Product brochure | United States. CFC; Comprehensive errors & omissions cover; Modular package policy; Umbrella liability; At a glance: What we love / What we ordinarily decline; Optional extras; Limits, deductibles, premiums, revenue threshold. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  7. Claims. CFC; Our claims team: Professions team, led by Laura Bennett, Claims Manager, Professions Claims & Kidnap, War & Piracy (KWP). Accessed 2026-09-23.

USI Insurance Services

  1. The Power of ONE. USI Insurance Services; History, client-count, nationwide office, and P&C / benefits / personal risk / retirement description. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Technology Insurance. USI Insurance Services; Technology practice client types, seed-to-IPO range, and listed insurance placement lines including PrivaSafe. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Commissions and Fees. USI Insurance Services; Licensed-producer authority, insurer-paid commission default, contingent compensation, and client request right. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Accountants Professional Liability — USI Affinity. USI Insurance Services; Quality Professional Liability Insurance Exclusively for CPA Firms; "The AICPA Professional Liability Program, underwritten by CNA, has been offering coverage to CPAs since 1967 and has been the endorsed provider of the AICPA Program since 1994."; supportive claims handling and exclusive access to extensive risk management resources, including engagement letter templates; Email Affinity_APL@usi.com. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  5. USI Specialty Program Solutions. USI Insurance Services; USI Affinity delivers high-quality insurance and financial solutions to members of affinity organizations and targeted industry segments...for professional associations, law firms, alumni and collegiate organizations, travel groups, and insurance administrators. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  6. Business Services. USI Insurance Services; USI advises clients...and provides solutions for...Errors & Omissions/Professional Liability... Accessed 2026-09-23.

Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Guide

  1. FAQ: Professional liability insurance. Texas Department of Insurance; What’s professional liability coverage?; What types of damages…; What’s general liability insurance?; Do I need professional liability… if I have general liability…?; Is professional liability insurance required?; Can a client require…?; What’s the difference between occurrence policies and claims-made policies. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Professional liability insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Opening paragraphs (professional services/advice and E&O name); Claims not covered by general liability; What types of businesses need professional liability insurance?; What’s covered… and what’s not (claims-made versus occurrence, defense and judgments, non-financial/intentional limits, BOP/in-home exclusion). Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Get business insurance. U.S. Small Business Administration; Six common types of business insurance table. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Professional Liability – US Direct Errors and Omissions Insurance. Hiscox Inc. specimen; About this Policy / Coverage for Claims Made Against You; I.A Insuring Agreement; I.B Defense; I.C Settlement; II.A Notice of Claims; II.C Optional Extended Reporting Period; III.A, III.K, III.M, III.R, III.S Exclusions; IV.A–B Limits and Deductible; VI.O Professional Services; VI.U Wrongful Act. 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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