What Is Founder Shield Insurance?
Founder Shield is a broker for venture-backed startups: you apply online in under 15 minutes, and an advisor shops its 200+ carrier markets to build a program that changes as your products and locations change. It doesn't insure you itself, so ask which insurer carries each policy. 1,2,3,4,5
What is Insureon?
Insureon describes a small-business insurance agency and broker route with online quote entry and agent support. Its pages market several coverage types, but do not establish which insurer, policy form, state availability, or eligibility applies to a particular buyer. 8,9
What Are Fidelity Bonds?
Fidelity coverage can reimburse certain losses when employees steal money or property they handle. If employees manage company funds, customer property or benefit-plan assets, identify each owner and compare the required protection for each interest. 11,12,13
Key Differences in Fidelity Bonds
ERISA Plan Scope and Bond Amounts
Founder Shield frames its fidelity bond around benefit plans: it describes sponsors, fiduciaries and administrators as buyers, and cites an ERISA minimum of 10% of plan funds handled, generally $1,000 to $500,000 (up to $1 million for plans holding employer securities). Those figures are statutory requirements, not a quoted Founder Shield limit. Insureon instead describes employee-dishonesty losses involving a client or another party and positions the product for small businesses; its overview supplies no bond amount. Plan sponsors should ask Insureon which ERISA form and amount its quote addresses. 6 10
Placement and What the Quote Identifies
Founder Shield says a buyer requests an ERISA Fidelity Bond through its website or an advisor, after which its placement team approaches carriers; it also says it selects A- or better AM Best rated carriers without naming the carrier for an individual bond. Insureon offers an online request path from its bond catalog, but that route likewise does not identify the issuer or promise a bind. Compare the form and issuing surety in writing before relying on the listing. 7 3 10
What to Confirm in Fidelity Bonds Quotes
- Ask Founder Shield to show the plan asset calculation, applicable statutory cap and issuing carrier on its proposal; ask Insureon for the bond form and specific amount quoted. 6 10
- If the bond protects a benefit plan, confirm that the Insureon quote is an ERISA fidelity bond and covers the people handling plan funds, rather than a general employee-dishonesty bond. 6 10
Review Scores
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.
Founder Shield
Review Score
1 rated source
Founder Shield has too little independent customer feedback for a reliable verdict. One positive Trustpilot review does not establish a service track record.[1][4]
Read Founder Shield reviewsInsureon
Review Score
4 rated sources
Insureon's ratings are split. Trustpilot shows 4.5 out of 5 from 2,401 reviews, while ConsumerAffairs shows 1.0 from 344.[1][2]
Read Insureon reviewsOffering Details
Founder Shield vs Insureon: Fidelity Bonds: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Founder Shield ERISA Fidelity Bond | Insureon Fidelity Bonds |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | 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. 7Company-reported. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line. | Insureon lists fidelity bonds in its small-business bonds catalog; this is a broker/marketplace listing, not an identified issuing insurer. 10Company-reported. Insureon’s public marketing page and quote route documents this description. It does not establish the issuing insurer for an individual quote, exact state or provincial availability, the policy form, complete exclusions, or terms offered to a particular buyer; confirm those in the quote and policy documents. |
| Issuing Insurer | 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. 3Company-reported. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements. | Confirm in your quote. |
| Who It’s For | 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). 6Company-reported. ERISA Fidelity Bond product page. | The page positions bonds for small businesses and names example trades; it does not identify which applicants or jurisdictions qualify for a quote. 10Company-reported. Insureon’s public marketing page and quote route documents this description. It does not establish the issuing insurer for an individual quote, exact state or provincial availability, the policy form, complete exclusions, or terms offered to a particular buyer; confirm those in the quote and policy documents. |
| Coverage Features | 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. 6Company-reported. Product page; the issued bond and its terms control actual coverage. | The page distinguishes fidelity bonds from ordinary surety bonds and describes employee-dishonesty losses involving a client or other party; the issued bond or policy wording is not supplied. 10Company-reported. Insureon’s public marketing page and quote route documents this description. It does not establish the issuing insurer for an individual quote, exact state or provincial availability, the policy form, complete exclusions, or terms offered to a particular buyer; confirm those in the quote and policy documents. |
| Limits and Retentions | 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. 6Company-reported. Product page describing the ERISA statutory bonding requirement. | The cited public overview does not establish the limits, deductibles, exclusions or form terms that would apply to a specific buyer. 10Not publicly disclosed. Ask for the quote and specimen or issued policy forms before treating a listed feature as covered. |
| How to Apply | 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. 7,3Company-reported. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form. | The cited Insureon product page provides an online quote request path; that route does not identify the insurer or guarantee that a quote will be offered or bound. 10Company-reported. Insureon’s public marketing page and quote route documents this description. It does not establish the issuing insurer for an individual quote, exact state or provincial availability, the policy form, complete exclusions, or terms offered to a particular buyer; confirm those in the quote and policy documents. |
Full Comparison
More Founder Shield vs Insureon Comparisons
Other Fidelity Bonds Comparisons
Sources
Founder Shield
- Founder Shield. Founder Shield; Opening broker description; Specialized Practices; Smart Tech, Smarter People; quote and sign-in links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Startup Insurance. Founder Shield; What Coverage Does your Startup Need?; Why Startups Choose Founder Shield; Industries We Serve; Essential Policies to Consider section. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach? Founder Shield; FAQ answer on carrier selection: works exclusively with A-rated (AM Best) carriers, matched by industry appetite. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year? Founder Shield; Carl Niedbala answer, November 25, 2024: operational changes and coverage adjustments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Terms of Service. Founder Shield; Opening agreement; License Status; Representations and Disclaimers Related to Products or Services; Fees and Charges; Void Where Prohibited. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- ERISA Fidelity Bond. Founder Shield; What Is ERISA Fidelity Bond Insurance?; Who Needs ERISA Fidelity Bond Insurance Coverage?; What Does ERISA Fidelity Bond Insurance Cover? Accessed 2026-09-23.
- About Us. Founder Shield; “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Insureon
- How Insureon Works. Insureon; Agent/broker and carrier roles (L82-88); application and advertised quote/payment route (L89-97); human support (L98-101). Accessed 2026-09-28.
- General Liability Insurance - Get Online Quotes. Insureon; Coverage/product overview; illustrative third-party claims; quote CTA. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Small Business Bonds and Insurance: What You Need to Know. Insureon; Fidelity bond definition/examples L86-L97; quote CTA; bonds/insurance distinction L65-L67. Accessed 2026-09-29.
Fidelity Bonds Guide
- Glossary of Insurance Terms. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Fidelity; Surety Bond. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2008-04: Guidance Regarding ERISA Fidelity Bonding Requirements. U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration; Q1–Q3 pp.2–3; Q2 pp.2–3. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Crime Terms and Conditions. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America; I.A.1–3 p.1; III.S pp.8–9; V.B.1–2 pp.18–20; CRI consideration p.1; III.P p.8; V.A.3 pp.16–17; V.A.4 p.17; V.B.3 p.20; IV.L p.15. Accessed 2026-09-16.
