Coverdash vs Founder Shield Fidelity Bonds

Coverdash arranges fidelity bonds as a broker rather than an insurer, placing coverage with a carrier under its standard brokerage terms. ^3,4Company-reported. General brokerage terms applied to the fidelity-bonds card on the surety-bond page; not specific to any one carrier or state.

Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield ERISA Fidelity Bond 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.

The surety-bond page does not name the insurer that issues fidelity bonds. ⁴Not publicly disclosed. Reviewed surety-bond page as of 2026-09-23; the page describes coverage without naming a specific carrier.

Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield ERISA Fidelity Bond, 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.

The surety-bond page's eligibility description (contractors, licensed trades and businesses bidding on contracts) is written for surety bonds generally and does not separately describe who needs a fidelity bond specifically. ⁴Not found in reviewed sources. Page-level eligibility text is shared across all four bond types on the page; it was not written specifically for employee-dishonesty coverage.

Founder Shield says this bond is required for plan sponsors offering a retirement plan, the fiduciaries who manage it, third-party administrators, and even small businesses with a simple 401(k). ¹⁰Company-reported. ERISA Fidelity Bond product page.

Coverdash's surety-bond page describes fidelity bonds in a single line as protecting clients against loss from employee dishonesty; it does not have a dedicated fidelity-bond product page. ⁴Company-reported. One catalog card on the surety-bond page, not a full product description. Fidelity bonds are a distinct crime-type coverage rather than a three-party surety guarantee, even though Coverdash lists them on the same page as its surety bonds.

Founder Shield lists theft and embezzlement of plan assets, forgery, misappropriation and larceny by those who handle a benefit plan's funds as what an ERISA fidelity bond covers. ¹⁰Company-reported. Product page; the issued bond and its terms control actual coverage.

The surety-bond page does not publish specific limit or bond-amount figures for fidelity bonds. ⁴Not publicly disclosed. Reviewed surety-bond page as of 2026-09-23; figures are quote-specific and not shown on the public page.

Founder Shield's page states the federal ERISA bonding requirement: at least 10% of plan funds handled, with a minimum bond of $1,000 and a maximum of $500,000 (up to $1 million for plans holding employer securities). This is the statutory minimum, not a Founder Shield-specific limit. ¹⁰Company-reported. Product page describing the ERISA statutory bonding requirement.

Coverdash describes a fully digital quote-to-purchase process on its surety-bond page, which includes the fidelity-bond option among its four bond types. ⁴Company-reported. Product-page company information and cross-sell section.

You request Founder Shield ERISA Fidelity Bond 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.