Founder Shield vs Marsh Fidelity Bonds

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.

Marsh does not sell fidelity coverage as a separate product line in the pages reviewed. It bundles fidelity with commercial crime insurance, and MMA lists "commercial crime/fidelity" together as one item in its executive and professional liability practice. ^13,12Company-reported. MMA executive and professional liability page and Marsh's commercial crime page.

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.

The reviewed pages do not name a specific insurer for fidelity or crime/fidelity coverage. ^12,13Not publicly disclosed. Commercial crime insurance and MMA executive and professional liability pages as read on 2026-09-23.

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.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

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.

Marsh describes employee white-collar fraud, meaning fidelity losses caused by trusted employees who exploit systems for personal gain, as one of the risks a commercial crime policy addresses; it says these losses make up about half of the crime-policy notifications in its data. ¹²Company-reported. Commercial crime insurance page; a fidelity-specific policy form was not identified as a distinct product from crime coverage.

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.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

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.

You would engage a Marsh or MMA crime and fidelity specialist directly, since fidelity is placed together with commercial crime rather than through a separate application path in the reviewed pages. ^12,13Company-reported. Commercial crime insurance and MMA executive and professional liability pages.