Founder Shield vs TechInsurance 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.

TechInsurance arranges fidelity bonds, describing them as a type of commercial crime insurance and a type of surety bond, distinct from a traditional insurance policy in that the bonding company can seek repayment from the employee responsible for a dishonest act. ¹⁰Company-reported. Fidelity bonds product 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 page does not name a specific surety or insurer for a standard fidelity bond, though it says an ERISA fidelity bond specifically must be purchased from a surety company authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. ¹⁰Company-reported. Fidelity bonds product page 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.

TechInsurance targets fidelity bonds at businesses whose employees handle sensitive financial information or access client property unsupervised, naming web hosting, project management, cleaning, healthcare and security-guard companies as example segments. ¹⁰Company-reported. Fidelity bonds product page, Who should get fidelity bonds? section.

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.

TechInsurance says fidelity bonds cover employee fraud, theft, forgery and embezzlement against the business or its clients, and distinguishes first-party bonds (protecting the business itself) from third-party bonds (protecting clients), plus employee dishonesty, business service, janitorial and ERISA bond variants. ¹⁰Company-reported. Fidelity bonds product page; general policy description, not a specific bond form.

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.

TechInsurance says fidelity bond costs vary widely and are typically calculated based on the total bond amount, with underwriting factors including bond type and size, industry risk, number of employees with sensitive-data access, and credit score; it does not publish a median premium for this line as it does for some other policies. ¹⁰Company-reported. Fidelity bonds product page, How much do fidelity bonds cost? section.

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 request fidelity bond quotes online through a short application; TechInsurance says its licensed agents can help add fidelity bonds to a broader coverage package. ¹⁰Company-reported. Fidelity bonds product page.