Founder Shield vs
Lockton Crime Insurance
Founder Shield places crime with A-rated carriers; Lockton brokers Crime and Fidelity with a Professional & Executive Risk claims team and flags FI bonds.
What Is Founder Shield Insurance?
Founder Shield is a commercial insurance broker for venture-backed and growing businesses. Buyers can request coverage through its online portal and work with advisors on insurer selection, policy changes and claims reporting. 1,2,3,4,5
What Is Lockton?
Lockton is a privately held insurance brokerage that arranges commercial risk, employee benefits and retirement programs. US pages describe a technology practice and intermediary placement with insurers, not Lockton as the policy’s insurer. 8,9,10
What Is Crime Insurance?
Crime insurance addresses business losses from specified theft and fraud risks, such as robbery, forgery and embezzlement. 12
Key Differences in Crime Insurance
Retail Placement Versus Claims-Integrated Broking
Founder Shield places crime with third-party A-rated carriers rather than underwriting. Lockton places Crime and Fidelity as a brokered program and says its Professional & Executive Risk Claims team, which keeps insurance and claims counsel inside the broking team, handles those claims. Founder Shield’s reviewed pages do not describe a crime-specific claims team. 7 3 11
FI Bonds and Small-Business Exposure
Lockton notes financial institutions are frequently required to carry a financial institution bond, distinct from general crime, and calls small businesses particularly exposed because they often lack fraud-prevention and auditing resources. Founder Shield’s crime page does not discuss financial institution bonds; it names healthcare, financial services, non-profits and manufacturing/retail as priority buyers because of theft exposure. 11 6
Coverage Types and Carrier Names
Founder Shield lists employee dishonesty by an identified employee, forgery or alteration, computer fraud, and funds-transfer fraud from social engineering. Lockton lists employee theft, forgery or alteration of negotiable instruments, theft on or off premises, computer fraud, counterfeit currency, and social-engineering impersonation involving customers, vendors or employees. Founder Shield states an A-rated carrier screen. Lockton’s page does not name the insurers it uses. 6 3 11
What to Confirm in Crime Insurance Quotes
- Ask Lockton whether you need a financial institution bond or general crime and fidelity. 11
- Ask Founder Shield which A-rated carrier it is placing. 3
- Ask how Lockton’s claims team would handle a crime loss versus Founder Shield’s issuer. 11 7
- Compare on-or-off-premises theft and counterfeit currency on Lockton’s list with Founder Shield’s four branches. 11 6
Offering Details
Founder Shield vs Lockton Crime Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Founder Shield Crime Insurance | Lockton Crime and Fidelity Insurance Brokerage |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Crime Insurance 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. | Lockton places Crime and Fidelity insurance to protect businesses against financial losses from theft, fraud, forgery and embezzlement by employees or third parties; it describes this as a brokered program, not a policy Lockton underwrites. 11Company-reported. Crime and Fidelity product page as read 2026-09-23. |
| Issuing Insurer | Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Crime Insurance, 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. | The page does not name the insurers Lockton places crime and fidelity coverage with. 11Not publicly disclosed. Crime and Fidelity page checked 2026-09-23. |
| Who It’s For | Founder Shield calls this coverage a priority for healthcare, financial services, non-profit and manufacturing/retail companies because of their exposure to internal or external theft. 6Company-reported. Crime Insurance product page. | Lockton says crime coverage is relevant to nonprofit, private and public organizations of any sector, and calls out small businesses as particularly exposed because they often lack fraud-prevention and auditing resources. It also notes financial institutions are frequently required to carry a financial institution bond, distinct from general crime coverage. 11Company-reported. Crime and Fidelity product page as read 2026-09-23. |
| Coverage Features | Founder Shield lists employee dishonesty (theft or embezzlement by an identified employee), forgery or alteration of financial instruments, computer fraud, and funds-transfer fraud from social engineering as the branches of crime coverage it places. 6Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage. | Lockton lists the claim types a crime and fidelity program is meant to address: employee theft, forgery or alteration of negotiable instruments, theft on or off premises, computer fraud, counterfeit currency, and social engineering (impersonation) fraud involving customers, vendors or employees. 11Company-reported. Product page as read 2026-09-23; a capability/claim-type list, not a specimen policy. |
| How to Apply | You request Founder Shield Crime Insurance 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. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| Claims Support | Not described in the reviewed sources. | Lockton says its Professional & Executive Risk Claims team, which integrates insurance and claims counsel within the broking team rather than treating claims advocacy as a separate profit center, handles Crime and Fidelity claims. 11Company-reported. Product page as read 2026-09-23. Describes Lockton's advocacy role, not an insurer's claim-paying obligation. |
Full Comparison
More Founder Shield vs Lockton Comparisons
Other Crime Insurance 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.
- Quote Portal. Founder Shield; Public landing screen, Create Account and Sign In links. 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.
- Claims. Founder Shield; Our Approach; How We Support Claims Management, steps 1–5; Make a claim link. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Crime Insurance. Founder Shield; What Is Crime Insurance?; Who Needs Crime Insurance Coverage?; What Does Crime 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.
Lockton
- Lockton United States. Lockton; Opening description of independent insurance brokerage for risk, benefits and retirement; Ask an Expert link to contact-us. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Technology. Lockton; Industry introduction; cyber liability heading; dedicated technology team; listed services including claims advocacy, contract review, directors and officers liability, and international program design; 24/7 service model. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- US Terms of Business. Lockton; Opening entity definition; Surplus Lines; Use of a Particular Insurer; Compensation Disclosure; servicing, claims handling and renewal language in Confidentiality section; Intermediaries. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Crime and Fidelity Insurance. Lockton; What is Crime and Fidelity Insurance?; Who needs to purchase Crime and Fidelity Insurance?; Types of Crime and Fidelity claims; Claims management. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Crime Insurance Guide
- Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Crime. Accessed 2026-09-16.




