---
title: "Cowbell vs The Hartford Crime Insurance"
description: "Cowbell distributes Zurich Select Plus crime via wholesalers; The Hartford includes crime in Private Choice Premier and a financial-institutions fidelity track."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford/crime"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-23"
---

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# Cowbell vs The Hartford Crime Insurance

Cowbell distributes Zurich Select Plus crime via wholesalers; The Hartford includes crime in Private Choice Premier and a financial-institutions fidelity track.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate Cowbell and The Hartford for Crime Insurance against the same documented criteria. It identifies differences and questions to confirm; it does not select a winner for a particular business. Offering claims are what each provider publishes about this line unless marked otherwise. “Not found” describes the evidence reviewed, not proof that a feature is unavailable. Confirm the insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and cost in an actual quote.

## Summary

Cowbell’s crime coverage is a Zurich Select Plus module on admitted paper, sold only through appointed E&S wholesalers to private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets. The Hartford offers crime as one of five options in Private Choice Premier and separately as bond and commercial crime (fidelity) for financial institutions, for nonprofits, public companies and privately held firms. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") [8](https://www.thehartford.com/management-liability-insurance "Management Liability Insurance | Get a Quote")

## What Is Cowbell Insurance?

Cowbell is a specialty-insurance platform and agency focused on cyber risk for small and midsize businesses. Its U.S. catalogue also includes combined Technology E&O and cyber products and a Zurich management-liability offering distributed through appointed wholesalers. [1](https://cowbell.insure/ "Cowbell") [2](https://cowbell.insure/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/CB-US-PrimeTech-Overview-1.pdf "Prime Tech Product Overview") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")

[Cowbell profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cowbell)

## What Is The Hartford?

The Hartford is the brand of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc., whose subsidiaries underwrite property-and-casualty insurance and employee benefits. Small-business buyers can start online or by phone or work through independent agents, while the issuing company and state eligibility still have to be confirmed on a quote. [5](https://www.thehartford.com/legal-notice "Legal Notice") [6](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/saas-insurance "SaaS Insurance for Your Business") [7](https://www.thehartford.com/find-an-agent "Find a Local Insurance Agent")

[The Hartford profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/the-hartford)

## What Is Crime Insurance?

Crime insurance addresses business losses from specified theft and fraud risks, such as robbery, forgery and embezzlement. [9](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/09-comm/commercialguide.cfm "Commercial Insurance Guide")

## Key Differences in Crime Insurance

### Two Management-Liability Packages

Cowbell distributes Zurich’s Select Plus product, where crime is one of four modules Zurich underwrites. The Hartford’s crime insurance is one of five options in Private Choice Premier and is also offered as bond and commercial crime (fidelity) within its financial-institutions product track. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") [8](https://www.thehartford.com/management-liability-insurance "Management Liability Insurance | Get a Quote")

Cowbell and Zurich say Select Plus modules including crime sit on Zurich admitted paper. The Hartford describes crime inside those two Hartford product tracks. [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") [8](https://www.thehartford.com/management-liability-insurance "Management Liability Insurance | Get a Quote")

### How Each Describes the Perils

Cowbell’s FAQ describes theft, fraud and embezzlement by employees or third parties. The Hartford says crime insurance helps cover business-related crimes like employee theft, forgery or robbery, giving as an example an employee stealing money from a cash register. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [8](https://www.thehartford.com/management-liability-insurance "Management Liability Insurance | Get a Quote")

## What to Confirm in Crime Insurance Quotes

- Ask The Hartford whether crime is inside Private Choice Premier or the financial-institutions fidelity track. [8](https://www.thehartford.com/management-liability-insurance "Management Liability Insurance | Get a Quote")
- Confirm Cowbell access through an appointed Zurich E&S wholesaler and your employee and asset figures. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")
- Match employee theft, forgery and robbery on the bound forms to each company’s public description. [8](https://www.thehartford.com/management-liability-insurance "Management Liability Insurance | Get a Quote") [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")

## Offering Details

| Criteria | Cowbell / Zurich Select Plus Crime Coverage | The Hartford Crime Insurance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Role in This Line | Crime coverage is one module within Cowbell's distribution of Zurich's Select Plus management liability product; Cowbell operates the platform, Zurich underwrites the module. Zurich's own page lists 'Crime Insurance' as one of the four modules a buyer can combine. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section..) | The Hartford's crime insurance is one of five options in its Private Choice Premier management-liability package, and is offered separately as bond and commercial crime (fidelity) coverage within its financial-institutions product track. [8](https://www.thehartford.com/management-liability-insurance "Management Liability Insurance | Get a Quote") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management liability product page as read 2026-09-23..) |
| Issuing Insurer | Cowbell and Zurich both say the Select Plus modules, including crime, are written on Zurich admitted paper. Zurich's site footer names 'Zurich American Insurance Company' in its copyright notice, but neither page states that entity is the specific policy issuer for this module. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| Who It’s For | Cowbell targets this crime module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50M in assets, across the same target industries listed for the broader Select Plus product. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list..) | The Hartford's crime coverage is available to nonprofit organizations, publicly traded companies and privately-held companies as part of its management-liability lineup. [8](https://www.thehartford.com/management-liability-insurance "Management Liability Insurance | Get a Quote") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management liability product page as read 2026-09-23..) |
| Coverage Features | Cowbell describes crime coverage as protecting against losses resulting from criminal acts such as theft, fraud, and embezzlement committed by employees or third parties. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'..) | The Hartford says crime insurance helps cover business-related crimes like employee theft, forgery or robbery, giving as an example an employee stealing money from a cash register. [8](https://www.thehartford.com/management-liability-insurance "Management Liability Insurance | Get a Quote") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management liability product page as read 2026-09-23. General coverage description; the issued policy controls..) |
| Limits and Retentions | Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes crime-coverage limit or retention amounts. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| Risk Services | Neither reviewed page describes crime-specific risk-control services such as employee-dishonesty prevention programs; both describe the Select Plus product's claims backing only at the whole-product level. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Management liability page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| How to Apply | This crime module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through the Cowbell platform's API; it is not sold directly to businesses. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |

## Full Comparison

- [Cowbell vs The Hartford](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims.
- [What Is Crime Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/crime): Crime insurance can help recover business losses from specified theft and fraud, including employee theft, forgery and payment fraud.
- [Cowbell vs The Hartford Cyber Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford/cyber)
- [Cowbell vs The Hartford D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford/directors-officers)
- [Cowbell vs The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford/employment-practices)
- [Cowbell vs The Hartford Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford/fiduciary)
- [Cowbell vs The Hartford Management Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford/management-liability)
- [Cowbell vs The Hartford Tech E&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford/technology-errors-omissions)
- [Alliance Risk vs Cowbell Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-cowbell/crime)
- [Alliance Risk vs The Hartford Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-the-hartford/crime)
- [Beazley vs Cowbell Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-cowbell/crime)
- [Beazley vs The Hartford Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-the-hartford/crime)
- [CFC vs Cowbell Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-cowbell/crime)
- [CFC vs The Hartford Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-the-hartford/crime)

## Sources

### Cowbell

1. [Cowbell](https://cowbell.insure/). Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
2. [Prime Tech Product Overview](https://cowbell.insure/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/CB-US-PrimeTech-Overview-1.pdf). Cowbell; PDF pp. 1–4: non-admitted combined Technology E&O and cyber for technology businesses up to $1 billion; up to $5 million; surplus lines in 50 states; edition PRIME TECH US0001 1025. Accessed 2026-09-16.
3. [Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability). Zurich North America; Intro on the Zurich/Cowbell collaboration; module name 'Crime Insurance'; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (identical to Cowbell's page); Targeted industries list; footer copyright. Accessed 2026-09-23.
4. [Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/). Cowbell; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (Crime Coverage definition); Target industries list; FAQ on access and account size. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### The Hartford

5. [Legal Notice](https://www.thehartford.com/legal-notice). The Hartford; The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. holding-company description; no representation that all products are available in all locations; P&C writing-company table as of December 31, 2025 including Hartford Fire (NAIC 19682) and Hartford Underwriters (NAIC 30104); life writing companies including Hartford Life and Accident (NAIC 70815). Accessed 2026-09-16.
6. [SaaS Insurance for Your Business](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/saas-insurance). The Hartford; Audience list (software startups, SaaS, IT consulting); Get a Business Owner’s Policy; What Is Business Owner’s Policy Insurance?; general liability introduction and Get a Quote; Get Commercial Property Insurance; Commercial Property Insurance for Your Business; Benefits of The Hartford’s WC Insurance for Employers and Employees; cyber insurance and data breach descriptions; Get a quote for cyber insurance; EPLI introduction and Private Choice Premier; add-ons (workers’ compensation, data breach, commercial auto); technology professional liability mention; small-business availability banner; industry-average premium footnote; footnote 2 state restrictions; footer product-availability disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-16.
7. [Find a Local Insurance Agent](https://www.thehartford.com/find-an-agent). The Hartford; Small-business and midsize agent locators; FAQ that buyers can purchase without an agent by calling or quoting online; statement that agents may charge fees. Accessed 2026-09-16.
8. [Management Liability Insurance | Get a Quote](https://www.thehartford.com/management-liability-insurance). The Hartford; Crime Insurance section; Who Does Management Liability Insurance Protect?; Management and Professional Liability Insurance for Financial Institutions (Bond and commercial crime (fidelity)). Accessed 2026-09-23.

### Crime Insurance Guide

9. [Commercial Insurance Guide](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/09-comm/commercialguide.cfm). California Department of Insurance; Crime. Accessed 2026-09-16.

Updated 2026-09-23. 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](https://spot.insure/editorial-policy). To suggest a correction, [contact Spot](https://spot.insure/contact) with the page URL and supporting source.

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