Founder Shield vs Newfront 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.

Newfront brokers fidelity bond coverage as part of its Executive Risk practice, which it groups with crime coverage under one Key Coverages entry. It negotiates placement rather than underwriting the risk. ¹²Company-reported. Executive Risk offering page; fidelity and crime are listed together, not as separately described products.

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 Executive Risk page does not name the insurer or insurers that would issue a fidelity bond placed through Newfront. ¹²Not publicly disclosed. Executive Risk page as read on 2026-09-23; carrier depends on the specific placement.

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.

Newfront says its Executive Risk practice services private companies from seed round through every series of funding, and describes work with over 500 publicly traded companies, without a fidelity-specific eligibility threshold. ¹²Company-reported. Here for the Long Run section; figures describe the executive-risk practice broadly, not fidelity bonds specifically.

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.

Newfront lists "Fidelity and Crime" among the Key Coverages of its Executive Risk program. The page does not separately describe fidelity-specific insuring agreements such as employee-dishonesty bond limits or covered positions. ¹²Company-reported. Executive Risk page Key Coverages list; fidelity and crime are bundled in one line item.

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.

Newfront's Executive Risk page does not publish limits or retentions for fidelity bond coverage. ¹²Not publicly disclosed. Executive Risk page as read on 2026-09-23.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Newfront says clients get 24/7 access to their insurance program, including policies, certificates of insurance and billing, through its connected dashboard, and that renewal submissions use pre-populated historical data. ¹²Company-reported. Industry-Leading Technology section; described across Executive Risk lines, not fidelity-specific.

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 start a fidelity bond placement by requesting a consultation through Newfront's Executive Risk page. ¹²Company-reported. Executive Risk page call-to-action; no online quoting or binding described.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Newfront says it provides "integrated claims and coverage negotiation" for its Executive Risk lines, which would apply to a fidelity bond claim. ¹²Company-reported. The Newfront Difference section; described across Executive Risk lines, not a fidelity-specific claims workflow.