CNA vs Travelers: How Do They Compare for Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?

Travelers describes A/B umbrella, excess liability and Northfield excess-and-surplus-lines options, with the latter aimed at hard-to-place risks. CNA lists four built-in enhancements. 4,8

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

Read the CNA profile

Read the CNA Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance page

What Is Travelers Insurance?

Travelers suits technology companies that want CyberRisk Tech and can work through an independent agent; buyers seeking a direct online technology quote should compare digital providers. Many small accounts can be quoted in agent platforms, while specialty risks need underwriting. 5,6,7

Read the Travelers profile

Read the Travelers 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

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance

Options for Different Risk Profiles

Travelers describes three paths: A/B umbrella, excess liability, and Northfield excess-and-surplus-lines coverage for risks such as multiple prior claims, limited loss history or unusual classifications. CNA’s record describes flexible umbrella underwriting without comparable named paths. That makes Travelers’ segmentation a useful question for a risk that has struggled to find capacity; the underwriter still must confirm whether a specific option fits and what terms apply. 8 4

Coverage Features

CNA names four built-in enhancements: key-employee replacement, crisis management, waiver of subrogation and most-favorable venue. Travelers says its options can increase limits, replace exhausted primary limits and sometimes broaden coverage for certain losses, while identifying uninsured-motorist exposure as an example of legal risk not always covered. Buyers should compare these distinct wording details rather than assuming either description applies identically to every option. 4 8

What to Confirm in Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Quotes

  • Ask Travelers which of its three paths applies and whether your primary limits must be with Travelers. 8
  • Ask CNA for offered limits and full wording for each enhancement. 4
  • Review uninsured-motorist, attachment and exhaustion terms in both forms. 8 4

CNA and Travelers 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

9.0/ 10

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 reviews

Travelers Review Score

4.8/ 10

Review Score

3 rated sources

Travelers earns 4.5/5 from NerdWallet, but customer feedback is poor: 1.4/5 on Trustpilot and 1.3/5 for homeowners on ConsumerAffairs. Those reviews mostly concern personal insurance.[1][2][4][5][6][7]

Read Travelers reviews

CNA vs Travelers Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Compared

CNA vs Travelers: Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaCNA Commercial Umbrella and Excess LiabilityTravelers Commercial Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance
Role in This Line

Confirm in your quote.

Travelers underwrites commercial umbrella and excess liability coverage as a supplemental policy layered on top of a buyer's existing general liability, auto liability and employer's liability policies, sold through three product options rather than one single form. 8Company-reported. Commercial-umbrella product page, as read on 2026-09-23.

Issuing Insurer

Confirm in your quote.

The reviewed commercial-umbrella page does not name the specific underwriting entity for A/B umbrella, excess liability or the Northfield excess-and-surplus-lines option. 8Not publicly disclosed. Commercial-umbrella page as read on 2026-09-23.

Who It’s For

Confirm in your quote.

Travelers says commercial umbrella and excess coverage is available across all industries, and separately markets its A/B Umbrella product to small businesses as part of its small-business insurance solutions. 8Company-reported. Commercial-umbrella page, including its small-business FAQ answer.

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.

Travelers describes three coverage paths: A/B umbrella, excess liability, and Northfield excess-and-surplus-lines coverage for hard-to-place risks such as businesses with multiple prior claims, limited loss history or an unusual classification. 8Company-reported. Commercial-umbrella page's solutions list and Northfield FAQ answer.

Travelers says the policy increases limits above standard primary policies, can replace exhausted primary limits, and can offer broader coverage than the underlying policies for certain losses, but that it does not cover all legal risk, such as some instances of uninsured-motorist exposure. 8Company-reported. Umbrella benefits section and FAQ; specific exclusions depend on the policy as issued.

Limits and Retentions

Confirm in your quote.

Travelers says umbrella coverage typically starts at $1 million and increases in $1 million increments, and that it can write unsupported (monoline) policies with limits up to $25 million for small, midsized and large organizations. It does not publish a maximum limit for excess liability or Northfield placements. 8Company-reported. Commercial-umbrella cost section and benefits list.

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.

Travelers says an umbrella policy is usually purchased from the same insurer holding a buyer's primary coverage, which may require maintaining certain primary liability limits with Travelers first, and directs buyers to a Travelers independent agent to get started. 8Company-reported. Umbrella FAQ 'How do I buy umbrella insurance?' and video transcript.

Related Pages for CNA vs Travelers Umbrella and Excess Liability

Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Pages for CNA and Travelers

Other Coverage Lines Compared for CNA vs Travelers

Other Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Provider Comparisons

Sources for CNA vs Travelers Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance

Sources About CNA

  1. 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.
  2. CNA Connect Small Businessowners Policy (BOP) | CNA Insurance. CNA; CNA Connect; coverages, product range, services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. 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.
  4. Umbrella Insurance and Excess Liability Insurance | CNA Insurance. CNA; Forms, enhancements, underwriting. Accessed 2026-09-28.

Sources About Travelers

  1. Technology Insurance. Travelers; Technology insurance products we offer: CyberRisk Tech, Global Companion Plus+, general liability, commercial property, workers compensation, commercial auto, umbrella; startup-to-established-leader audience. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Travelers Producer Compensation Disclosure (United States). Travelers; Independent producers; seven compensation types; Simply Business, Inc. and InsuraMatch, LLC ownership; The Travelers Indemnity Company footer; Northfield Excess & Surplus Lines product list. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Contact Us. Travelers; Business insurance sold through independent agents; business claims 1.800.238.6225; MyTravelers for business features. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Commercial Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance. Travelers; What are the benefits of commercial umbrella insurance?; Our commercial umbrella and excess liability solutions include: A/B umbrella, Excess liability, Excess and surplus lines: Northfield; Commercial umbrella liability insurance cost; small business FAQ answer. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Sources for the Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Guide

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Coverage Hub. Coverdash; Excess & Specialty: Umbrella; Excess Liability. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  5. Products. Kinro; 09 Umbrella/Excess: additional limits above scheduled underlying policies; when to review; reviewed with. 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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