CNA Small Business Insurance: Products, Agents and Service
CNA directs small-business buyers to independent agents and describes CNA Connect as a businessowners policy for more than 600 small-business classes. Issuer and availability vary by policy and state, so confirm both in a quote. 1,2,3
What Is Founder Shield Insurance?
Founder Shield is a broker for venture-backed startups: you apply online in under 15 minutes, and an advisor shops its 200+ carrier markets to build a program that changes as your products and locations change. It doesn't insure you itself, so ask which insurer carries each policy. 5,6,7,8,9
What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?
D&O insurance can help pay covered defense costs and losses from claims against company leaders over management decisions. If your organization has a board or executives, check whether the company itself is insured and whether legal bills reduce the limit. 12,13,14
Key Differences in D&O Insurance
Funding and organization profile
Founder Shield specifically calls out institutional funding and creditor debt as reasons to consider D&O. CNA’s stated scope is private companies, including small ones, without those trigger conditions. If a funding round or debt covenant is driving the purchase, ask Founder Shield how placement fits the deadline and compare CNA eligibility for your company. 4 10
How the Difference Affects Your Placement
Founder Shield places D&O with third-party carriers and says carriers are selected by industry; CNA names an Epack 3 form with Side A, B and C. Ask Founder Shield to identify the proposed insurer and compare the named CNA issuer, policy definitions and claims contacts before binding. 4 7
What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes
CNA and Founder Shield Review Scores for 2026
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.
CNA Review Score
Review Score
1 rated source
Customer feedback on CNA is mixed and hard to compare. NerdWallet gave it 4.5 out of 5 for manufacturers, while Trustpilot shows about 1.4 out of 5 from 49 mostly self-selected reviews.[1][5]
Read CNA reviewsFounder Shield Review Score
Review Score
1 rated source
Founder Shield has too little independent customer feedback for a reliable verdict. One positive Trustpilot review does not establish a service track record.[1][4]
Read Founder Shield reviewsCNA vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance Compared
CNA vs Founder Shield: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | CNA Epack 3 Private Company D&O | Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Confirm in your quote. | Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. 11Company-reported. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line. |
| Issuing Insurer | Confirm in your quote. | Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance, only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, chosen for the client's industry. It does not name the issuing insurer for this line; that depends on which carrier the policy is placed with. 7Company-reported. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements. |
| Who It’s For | CNA states this D&O product is designed for private companies, including small private companies. 4Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing company varies by form/state Product: Private-company D&O in Epack 3 Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: U.S. private-company D&O under Epack 3; issuer/state terms vary Claim limitation: Company marketing summary only; issued policy forms, underwriting, jurisdictional availability, limits, exclusions and definitions control. Source/date qualification: Source is CNA’s 2025 private-company D&O marketing summary; it is not an issued policy form. | Founder Shield targets D&O at public and private businesses, venture-backed companies (it says almost every institutional term sheet requires the coverage), and businesses owing more than $1 million to creditors. 10Company-reported. Directors & Officers Insurance product page. |
| Coverage Features | CNA’s private-company D&O summary describes coverage for covered company and individual claims and identifies Side A, Side B and Side C protection. 4Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing company varies by form/state Product: Private-company D&O in Epack 3 Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: U.S. private-company D&O under Epack 3; issuer/state terms vary Claim limitation: Company marketing summary only; issued policy forms, underwriting, jurisdictional availability, limits, exclusions and definitions control. Source/date qualification: Source is CNA’s 2025 private-company D&O marketing summary; it is not an issued policy form. | Founder Shield describes a three-part structure: Side A pays individual directors/officers directly when the company cannot or will not indemnify them, Side B reimburses the company for indemnification it pays, and Side C provides entity coverage for the company itself. 10Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage. |
| Limits and Retentions | CNA says Epack 3 D&O can use shared or separate limits and offers an embedded Side A limit option. 4Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing company varies by form/state Product: Private-company D&O in Epack 3 Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: U.S. private-company D&O under Epack 3; issuer/state terms vary Claim limitation: Availability of options is subject to underwriting and policy wording. Source/date qualification: Source is CNA’s 2025 private-company D&O marketing summary; it is not an issued policy form. | Founder Shield's page describes a typical market base layer of $5 million to $10 million in combined A-B-C coverage, but does not publish a specific limit Founder Shield itself offers; actual limits are set on the quote. 10Company-reported. General market description on the product page, not a stated Founder Shield minimum or maximum. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | You request Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance through Founder Shield's website or an insurance advisor rather than binding coverage directly; Founder Shield says its placement team then approaches carriers on the client's behalf. 11,7Company-reported. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form. |
| Claims Support | CNA says an experienced claims team supports policyholders with D&O claims. 4Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing company varies by form/state Product: Private-company D&O in Epack 3 Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: U.S. private-company D&O under Epack 3; issuer/state terms vary Claim limitation: Company-reported service description; not an outcome guarantee. Source/date qualification: Source is CNA’s 2025 private-company D&O marketing summary; it is not an issued policy form. | Confirm in your quote. |
Related Pages for CNA vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance
D&O Insurance Pages for CNA and Founder Shield
Other Coverage Lines Compared for CNA vs Founder Shield
Other D&O Insurance Provider Comparisons
Sources for CNA vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance
Sources About CNA
- Insurance for Small Businesses. CNA; Insurance for Small Businesses, lines 38-50 and 65-67 (CNA Central and agent route); lines 79-106 (product and stated appetite lists); page footer line 132 (CNA registered service mark). Accessed 2026-09-28.
- CNA Connect Small Businessowners Policy (BOP) | CNA Insurance. CNA; CNA Connect; coverages, product range, services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- General Disclaimer. CNA; General Disclaimer paragraphs 1 and 5 (HTML lines 24 and 28): CNA describes Continental Casualty Company and its relevant affiliates; references to CNA may include one or more CCC affiliates; each particular policy/product/service is the responsibility only of the specific CNA company that issues or supplies it. Footer line 57 identifies CNA Financial Corporation as trademark registrant. Re-read 2026-09-29. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Private Company Directors & Officers Liability | CNA. CNA; pp. 1–2: covered claims, Side A/B/C, limits, eligibility and claims. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Sources About Founder Shield
- Founder Shield. Founder Shield; Opening broker description; Specialized Practices; Smart Tech, Smarter People; quote and sign-in links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Startup Insurance. Founder Shield; What Coverage Does your Startup Need?; Why Startups Choose Founder Shield; Industries We Serve; Essential Policies to Consider section. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach? Founder Shield; FAQ answer on carrier selection: works exclusively with A-rated (AM Best) carriers, matched by industry appetite. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year? Founder Shield; Carl Niedbala answer, November 25, 2024: operational changes and coverage adjustments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Terms of Service. Founder Shield; Opening agreement; License Status; Representations and Disclaimers Related to Products or Services; Fees and Charges; Void Where Prohibited. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Directors & Officers Insurance. Founder Shield; What Is D&O Insurance; Who Needs D&O Insurance Coverage; What Does D&O Insurance Cover? Accessed 2026-09-23.
- About Us. Founder Shield; “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Sources for the D&O Insurance Guide
- Glossary of Business Insurance Terms. The Hartford; Directors and Officers Liability Insurance; Errors and Omissions Insurance; Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- The Chubb Primary Directors & Officers and Entity Securities Liability Insurance. Chubb Group of Insurance Companies; hosted by eperils; I.A–C p.1; I.C p.1; I and III.A–B pp.1–2; VI Reporting pp.3–4. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Private Company Directors and Officers Liability Coverage. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America; I.A–C p.1; I.C p.1; Header p.1 and VI.A pp.6–7. Accessed 2026-09-16.
