Cowbell vs WTW: How Do They Compare for Crime Insurance?

Cowbell operates the platform for Zurich-underwritten Select Plus crime and limits access to appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through its API. WTW's FY2024 crime reference is historical; its North American terms describe an intermediary and binding process only for engagements they govern. 4,3,9,10

What Is Cowbell Insurance?

Cowbell suits small and midsize businesses seeking cyber options by company size, with technology E&O and Zurich management-liability options also available; firms needing broad commercial coverage should compare a full-service broker. Some security services cost extra. 1,2,3

Read the Cowbell profile

Read the Cowbell Crime Insurance page

What Is WTW?

WTW is an insurance broker whose documented services include manufacturing risk-program design and specialist property and cargo programs. Its marketed property scope includes residential real-estate stakeholders and a separate integrated data-center program; other named capabilities vary in date and geography. 5,6,7,8,9

Read the WTW profile

Read the WTW Crime Insurance page

What Is Crime Insurance?

Crime insurance can help reimburse specified business losses from theft and fraud, including employee theft and forgery. Compare those protections separately and ask whether a payment sent after an impersonation scam is covered. 11,12,13,14,15

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Crime Insurance

Risk carrier and intermediary roles

Cowbell operates the platform for Zurich's Select Plus product, and Zurich underwrites its crime module. WTW's North American Corporate Risk & Broking terms describe WTW normally acting as the client's intermediary for engagements governed by those terms. That separates a named product underwriter from a broker's client-side role; the terms do not identify a WTW crime insurer. WTW's FY2024 report lists crime in global FINEX but does not establish a current U.S. crime product. 4 3 10 9

Access and binding instructions

Cowbell says access to its crime module is limited to appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers using the Cowbell platform API. WTW's terms instead describe the client ordering binding and WTW seeking a formal insurer commitment, typically a binder. These are different documented access and transaction steps: a designated wholesaler enters Cowbell's platform, while a WTW client gives binding instructions under an applicable engagement. Ask WTW whether it currently places U.S. crime before relying on that process. 4 10

What to Confirm in Crime Insurance Quotes

  • Can an appointed Zurich E&S wholesaler access the Cowbell module for this applicant, and which Zurich entity will issue it? 4
  • Does WTW currently handle U.S. crime placements under these terms, and which insurer will provide the binder? 10

Cowbell and WTW 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.

Cowbell Review Score

2.0/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

Cowbell has one public rating we could find: 1.0 out of 5 on SourceForge from three reviews in 2023. That's too few and too old to say much.[8]

Read Cowbell reviews

WTW Review Score

8.1/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

WTW has little useful review evidence for a business buyer. Its one counted score is 807 out of 1,000 from a 2017 J.D. Power study of large commercial brokers, and Trustpilot's 2.1 from 9 reviews isn't counted.[4][2]

Read WTW reviews

Cowbell vs WTW Crime Insurance Compared

Cowbell vs WTW: Crime Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaCowbell / Zurich Select Plus Crime CoverageWTW Crime Insurance Brokerage
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. 4,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section.

Under WTW's North American Corporate Risk & Broking terms, WTW normally acts as the client's insurance intermediary for engagements governed by those terms. 10Company-reported. Terms for applicable North American Corporate Risk & Broking engagements. WTW also discloses separate insurer-side services in some arrangements; this does not determine the role in a specific engagement.

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. 4,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer.

The reviewed WTW sources do not identify an issuing insurer for a specific crime placement. 10,9Not publicly disclosed. This is a gap in the cited marketing, annual-report, and brokerage materials; it does not mean WTW lacks insurer markets. Confirm the carrier on the quote and issued policy.

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. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list.

Confirm in your quote.

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. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'.

WTW's FY2024 annual report lists crime insurance solutions within its global Financial, Executive and Professional Risks (FINEX) practice. 9Company-reported. Historical group-level service description only; it does not establish current U.S. availability, insurer, policy form, or a buyer's eligibility.

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. 4,3Not publicly disclosed. Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.

The reviewed sources do not state a buyer-specific crime limit, retention, or deductible. 10,9Not publicly disclosed. No limit or deductible is inferred from general marketing or WTW's brokerage role; the insurer's quote and issued forms control.

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. 4,3Not publicly disclosed. Management liability page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.

WTW's North American terms describe reviewing binders, policies, and endorsements against the terms negotiated with the insurer. 10Company-reported. Broker document-review process under the cited terms, when WTW handles this line's placement. It does not certify that a policy covers a claim or replace the issued wording.

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. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'.

WTW's North American terms say an insurer quote is not confirmation of coverage; if the client orders binding, WTW seeks a formal insurer commitment, typically a binder. 10Company-reported. Applies to placements governed by the cited North American Corporate Risk & Broking terms. It does not establish a self-service quote route or promise coverage availability for this line.

Related Pages for Cowbell vs WTW Crime Insurance

Crime Insurance Pages for Cowbell and WTW

Other Coverage Lines Compared for Cowbell vs WTW

Other Crime Insurance Provider Comparisons

Sources for Cowbell vs WTW Crime Insurance

Sources About Cowbell

  1. Cowbell. Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  2. Prime Tech Product Overview. 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. 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. 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.

Sources About WTW

  1. Manufacturing. WTW; “How WTW can help manufacturers”; “How we serve our clients”; North America licensed-entity disclaimer. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Digital Infrastructure Protector. WTW; Integrated policy coverage for building, operational property, marine and cargo under one policy; integrated data-center construction/operations; cyber and liability protection in broader solution; separate-policy preference caveat; capacity and North America licensed-entity disclaimer. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. Marine. WTW; “Our solutions” cargo brokerage; marine specialist count; claims advice and average-adjuster service; North America licensed-entity disclaimer. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Residential | WTW. WTW; “Specialized insurance products”: lists property insurance and financial lines, including errors and omissions; inspected official indexed text 2026-09-29. Direct reader access failed; indexed page crawl was about five months old. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  5. WTW 2024 Form 10-K. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission / Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company; Part I, Item 1, FINEX and Surety business descriptions: the 2024 annual report identifies management and professional liability, employment practices, crime, cyber and M&A insurance solutions, and a global bond-placement team; indexed passages rechecked 2026-09-29. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  6. Corporate Risk & Broking Brokerage Terms, Conditions & Disclosures (Canada & US). WTW; Document dated 2025-06-01; pp. 4–6: broker/intermediary role, quote versus binding process, review of binders/policies/endorsements, claims reporting and affiliate disclosures. Reused from the current WTW provider source record after direct PDF retrieval was blocked. Accessed 2026-09-28.

Sources for the Crime Insurance Guide

  1. Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Crime. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Crime Non-Financial Applications and Forms. Travelers; Opening paragraph; Sample Policy Forms. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Crime Terms and Conditions. The Travelers Companies, Inc.; I.A–G, printed/PDF pages 1–4; III.RR, printed/PDF p.13; V.B.1–2, printed/PDF pp.18–20; Consideration, printed/PDF p.1; III.P p.8; V.A.3 pp.16–17; V.A.4 p.17; V.B.3 p.20; I.A.3 p.1; III.C p.7; III.S pp.8–9; III.II and III.KK p.12; III.QQ p.13; V.A.5 pp.17–18 (printed/PDF pages); IV.J–O, printed/PDF pages 14–15. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Social Engineering Fraud Insurance. Chubb; Opening; coverage highlights. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  5. Commercial Crime Coverage Application. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America; I–III pages 1–2; IX–XI pages 3–4; V–VII, printed/PDF pages 2–3. 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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