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 Nationwide?
Nationwide’s commercial catalogue includes common small-business policies and separate specialty products. A catalogue listing does not establish eligibility or policy terms; confirm the issuing company and coverage for your state and business. 5,6,7
Read the Nationwide 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
Form Features and Underwriting Information
CNA lists key-employee replacement, crisis management, waiver of subrogation and most-favorable venue as built-in features. Nationwide describes umbrella as an additional liability layer above underlying policies, including general liability or business auto, and says quote terms depend on the business and existing coverage. A buyer can use those stated underlying lines to check whether the proposed attachment fits its schedule, while confirming CNA’s enhancement wording in the issued form. 4 8
Limits and Attachment
Neither overview gives this applicant a confirmed limit or attachment point. Nationwide explicitly ties terms to the underlying coverage, and CNA says its forms align with most underlying terms. A policy schedule and loss history can support a meaningful proposal comparison; catalogue language alone cannot establish whether the carriers will accept matching underlying limits. 8 4
What to Confirm in Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Quotes
CNA and Nationwide 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 reviewsNationwide Review Score
Review Score
4 rated sources
Experts like Nationwide more than customers do. NerdWallet gives it 4.5 out of 5 for business insurance, while small-business customers on ConsumerAffairs give it 2.5 out of 5 from 19 reviews.[1][10]
Read Nationwide reviewsCNA vs Nationwide Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Compared
CNA vs Nationwide: Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | CNA Commercial Umbrella and Excess Liability | Nationwide umbrella excess (official overview) |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Confirm in your quote. | Nationwide describes offering umbrella excess for the audience stated on the cited product page. 8Company-reported. umbrella excess marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Who It’s For | Confirm in your quote. | Businesses with underlying liability coverage; Nationwide requests business, policy, loss, and payroll information for a quote. 8Company-reported. umbrella excess marketed by nationwide; 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 | CNA says its umbrella forms are designed to align with most underlying terms and conditions. 4Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing CNA subsidiary may vary by product/state Product: United States commercial insurance Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: US commercial umbrella/excess Claim limitation: Company-reported; policy wording, underwriting and jurisdiction-specific availability control. CNA lists key-employee replacement, crisis management, waiver of subrogation and most-favorable venue as built-in enhancements. 4Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing CNA subsidiary may vary by product/state Product: United States commercial insurance Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: US commercial umbrella/excess Claim limitation: Company-reported; policy wording, underwriting and jurisdiction-specific availability control. | The cited product page describes an added liability layer above underlying policies such as general liability or business auto; the page says terms and quote depend on the insured's business and underlying coverage. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. 8Company-reported. umbrella excess marketed by nationwide; 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 | Confirm in your quote. | 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. |
| Risk Services | CNA says its commercial umbrella/excess underwriting draws on more than 50 years of experience and offers flexible underwriting. 4Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing CNA subsidiary may vary by product/state Product: United States commercial insurance Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: US commercial umbrella/excess Claim limitation: Company-reported; policy wording, underwriting and jurisdiction-specific availability control. | Confirm in your quote. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | The page directs prospective customers to contact an agent or request a quote. The page does not establish a quote, bind, or coverage-effective timeline. 8Company-reported. umbrella excess marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
Related Pages for CNA vs Nationwide Umbrella and Excess Liability
Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Pages for CNA and Nationwide
Other Coverage Lines Compared for CNA vs Nationwide
Other Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Provider Comparisons
Sources for CNA vs Nationwide Umbrella and Excess Liability 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.
- Umbrella Insurance and Excess Liability Insurance | CNA Insurance. CNA; Forms, enhancements, underwriting. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Sources About Nationwide
- Small Business Insurance. Nationwide; Small business products and solutions, lines 185–214: BOP, workers’ compensation, commercial auto, umbrella, EPLI, cyber and surety; purchase guidance lines 235–247. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Small Business Insurance Solutions for Agents. Nationwide; Specialized small commercial solutions: BOP, auto, workers’ compensation, cyber, EPLI, umbrella, inland marine and professional liability; page states appetite varies by state, lines 129–163, 191–193. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Terms and Conditions for Nationwide.com. Nationwide; P&C products not offered by all companies/states; policy/declarations control; NMI and affiliates may underwrite; each underwriter responsible for own products, lines 358–368 and 391–394. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Commercial Umbrella Liability Insurance from Nationwide. Nationwide; How commercial umbrella works; underlying policies and additional-liability layer. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Sources for the 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.
