---
title: "Founder Shield vs The Hartford Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance"
description: "The Hartford publishes average minimum monthly premiums across five professional liability products; Founder Shield names no pricing for its E&O line."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-the-hartford/professional-errors-omissions"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-23"
---

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# Founder Shield vs The Hartford Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance

The Hartford publishes average minimum monthly premiums across five professional liability products; Founder Shield names no pricing for its E&O line.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate Founder Shield and The Hartford for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance against the same documented criteria. It identifies differences and questions to confirm; it does not select a winner for a particular business. Offering claims are what each provider publishes about this line unless marked otherwise. “Not found” describes the evidence reviewed, not proof that a feature is unavailable. Confirm the insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and cost in an actual quote.

## Summary

The Hartford publishes average minimum monthly premiums for five named professional liability products, ranging from $38 to $239, while Founder Shield's E&O page names no pricing and instead states a carrier-rating requirement. [11](https://www.thehartford.com/professional-liability-insurance "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?")

## 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](https://foundershield.com/ "Founder Shield") [2](https://apx.foundershield.com/ "Quote Portal") [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") [4](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/what-if-our-company-grows-a-lot-or-things-change-during-the-year/ "What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year?") [5](https://foundershield.com/claims/ "Claims")

[Founder Shield profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/foundershield)

## What Is The Hartford?

The Hartford is the brand of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc., whose subsidiaries underwrite property-and-casualty insurance and employee benefits. Small-business buyers can start online or by phone or work through independent agents, while the issuing company and state eligibility still have to be confirmed on a quote. [8](https://www.thehartford.com/legal-notice "Legal Notice") [9](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/saas-insurance "SaaS Insurance for Your Business") [10](https://www.thehartford.com/find-an-agent "Find a Local Insurance Agent")

[The Hartford profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/the-hartford)

## What Is Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance?

Professional errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, also called professional liability insurance, addresses claims that professional services or advice caused a client financial loss. What's covered depends on the services actually scheduled in the policy, not the product label alone. [12](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/commercial/pl-faq.html "FAQ: Professional liability insurance") [13](https://www.iii.org/article/professional-liability-insurance "Professional liability insurance") [14](https://www.sba.gov/counseling/launch-your-business/#business-insurance "Get business insurance") [15](https://www.hiscox.com/documents/pl-sample-policy-wording.pdf "Professional Liability – US Direct Errors and Omissions Insurance")

## Key Differences in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance

### Published Pricing

The Hartford publishes average minimum monthly premiums broken out by product:

The Hartford publishes average minimum monthly premiums by product: Misc. Professional Liability Standalone $62, Misc. Professional Liability Endorsement $41, Architects and Engineers Professional Liability $239, Healthcare Professionals Professional Liability $38, and Errors & Omissions Insurance for Technology Companies $146. The page does not publish standard coverage limits or retentions; cost and limits are set at quote. [11](https://www.thehartford.com/professional-liability-insurance "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Company-reported pricing as of 2026-09-23 (page last updated by The Hartford May 4, 2026); premiums are not coverage limits..)

Founder Shield's E&O page does not publish comparable pricing; it names a carrier-selection standard instead, placing policies only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best. [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?")

### Policy Trigger and Reporting Period

The Hartford says many of its professional liability policies are written on a claims-made basis with a retroactive date and an extended reporting period, typically 30 to 60 days and extendable to a year or more for an added cost, though some are written on an occurrence basis. [11](https://www.thehartford.com/professional-liability-insurance "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") Founder Shield's E&O page does not state whether the policies it places are claims-made or occurrence, or describe a reporting-period option. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/ "Errors & Omissions Insurance")

### Who Each Page Names as a Fit

The Hartford targets professional liability at businesses that sign contracts requiring coverage, offer professional services directly to customers, or regularly give advice to clients, naming accountants, consultants, interior designers, advertising agencies, graphic designers, technology professionals and healthcare professionals. [11](https://www.thehartford.com/professional-liability-insurance "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") Founder Shield instead names venture capital firms, consultants, media and advertising agencies, SaaS marketplaces, and software developers who perform services for other parties. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/ "Errors & Omissions Insurance")

## What to Confirm in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes

- Ask The Hartford which of its five named products, and which average premium, applies to your specific profession. [11](https://www.thehartford.com/professional-liability-insurance "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage")
- Ask Founder Shield to identify the actual carrier behind its A- or better AM Best rating standard for your placement. [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?")
- Ask The Hartford whether your policy would be written claims-made or occurrence, and what extended reporting period would cost. [11](https://www.thehartford.com/professional-liability-insurance "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage")
- Neither page publishes standard coverage limits or retentions; request both directly. [11](https://www.thehartford.com/professional-liability-insurance "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/ "Errors & Omissions Insurance")

## Offering Details

| Criteria | Founder Shield Errors & Omissions Insurance | The Hartford Professional Liability Insurance (Errors & Omissions) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 Errors & Omissions Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. [7](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line..)<br><br>Founder Shield says E&O (professional liability) is often packaged with technology E&O and cyber coverage since the two types of claims tend to intertwine. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/ "Errors & Omissions Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Errors & Omissions Insurance product page..) | The Hartford's professional liability insurance, also called errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, protects businesses when they make mistakes in the professional services provided to clients, including claims that turn out to be baseless. [11](https://www.thehartford.com/professional-liability-insurance "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Professional liability product page as read 2026-09-23..) |
| Issuing Insurer | Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Errors & Omissions 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. [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| Who It’s For | Founder Shield markets E&O to venture capital firms, consultants, media and advertising agencies, SaaS marketplaces, and software developers who perform services for other parties. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/ "Errors & Omissions Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Errors & Omissions Insurance product page..) | The Hartford targets professional liability at businesses that sign contracts requiring coverage, offer professional services directly to customers, or regularly give advice to clients, and lists industries it covers: accountants, consultants, interior designers, advertising agencies, graphic designers, technology professionals and healthcare professionals. [11](https://www.thehartford.com/professional-liability-insurance "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Professional liability product page as read 2026-09-23..) |
| Coverage Features | Founder Shield lists defense costs, defense against disciplinary or regulatory proceedings, lost-earnings coverage, and claims from errors by employees or contractors as what E&O responds to. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/ "Errors & Omissions Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage..) | The Hartford says the policy can cover claims of negligence, misrepresentation, inaccurate advice, personal injury (libel/slander) and copyright infringement, plus defense costs. Many of its professional liability policies are written on a claims-made basis with a retroactive date and an extended reporting period (typically 30-60 days, extendable to a year or more for an added cost), though some are written on an occurrence basis. [11](https://www.thehartford.com/professional-liability-insurance "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Professional liability product page as read 2026-09-23. General coverage and policy-form description; the issued policy controls..) |
| Limits and Retentions | Not described in the reviewed sources. | The Hartford publishes average minimum monthly premiums by product: Misc. Professional Liability Standalone $62, Misc. Professional Liability Endorsement $41, Architects and Engineers Professional Liability $239, Healthcare Professionals Professional Liability $38, and Errors & Omissions Insurance for Technology Companies $146. The page does not publish standard coverage limits or retentions; cost and limits are set at quote. [11](https://www.thehartford.com/professional-liability-insurance "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Company-reported pricing as of 2026-09-23 (page last updated by The Hartford May 4, 2026); premiums are not coverage limits..) |
| How to Apply | You request Founder Shield Errors & Omissions 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](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us") [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |

## Full Comparison

- [Founder Shield vs The Hartford](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-the-hartford): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims.
- [What Is Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/professional-errors-omissions): Professional E&O insurance addresses claims that a mistake in your advice or services caused a client financial loss.
- [Founder Shield vs The Hartford Commercial Property Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-the-hartford/commercial-property)
- [Founder Shield vs The Hartford Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-the-hartford/crime)
- [Founder Shield vs The Hartford Cyber Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-the-hartford/cyber)
- [Founder Shield vs The Hartford D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-the-hartford/directors-officers)
- [Founder Shield vs The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-the-hartford/employment-practices)
- [Founder Shield vs The Hartford Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-the-hartford/fiduciary)
- [Founder Shield vs The Hartford General Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-the-hartford/general-liability)
- [Founder Shield vs The Hartford Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-the-hartford/hired-non-owned-auto)
- [Founder Shield vs The Hartford Workers’ Compensation Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-the-hartford/workers-compensation)
- [Alliance Risk vs Founder Shield Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-foundershield/professional-errors-omissions)
- [Alliance Risk vs The Hartford Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-the-hartford/professional-errors-omissions)
- [At-Bay vs Founder Shield Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/at-bay-vs-foundershield/professional-errors-omissions)
- [At-Bay vs The Hartford Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/at-bay-vs-the-hartford/professional-errors-omissions)
- [Beazley vs Founder Shield Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-foundershield/professional-errors-omissions)
- [Beazley vs The Hartford Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-the-hartford/professional-errors-omissions)

## Sources

### Founder Shield

1. [Founder Shield](https://foundershield.com/). Founder Shield; Opening broker description; Specialized Practices; Smart Tech, Smarter People; quote and sign-in links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
2. [Quote Portal](https://apx.foundershield.com/). Founder Shield; Public landing screen, Create Account and Sign In links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
3. [How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/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.
4. [What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year?](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/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.
5. [Claims](https://foundershield.com/claims/). Founder Shield; Our Approach; How We Support Claims Management, steps 1–5; Make a claim link. Accessed 2026-09-15.
6. [Errors & Omissions Insurance](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/). Founder Shield; What Is Errors & Omissions Insurance?; Who Needs Errors & Omissions Insurance Coverage?; What Does Errors and Omissions Insurance Cover?. Accessed 2026-09-23.
7. [About Us](https://foundershield.com/about-us/). Founder Shield; “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### The Hartford

8. [Legal Notice](https://www.thehartford.com/legal-notice). The Hartford; The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. holding-company description; no representation that all products are available in all locations; P&C writing-company table as of December 31, 2025 including Hartford Fire (NAIC 19682) and Hartford Underwriters (NAIC 30104); life writing companies including Hartford Life and Accident (NAIC 70815). Accessed 2026-09-16.
9. [SaaS Insurance for Your Business](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/saas-insurance). The Hartford; Audience list (software startups, SaaS, IT consulting); Get a Business Owner’s Policy; What Is Business Owner’s Policy Insurance?; general liability introduction and Get a Quote; Get Commercial Property Insurance; Commercial Property Insurance for Your Business; Benefits of The Hartford’s WC Insurance for Employers and Employees; cyber insurance and data breach descriptions; Get a quote for cyber insurance; EPLI introduction and Private Choice Premier; add-ons (workers’ compensation, data breach, commercial auto); technology professional liability mention; small-business availability banner; industry-average premium footnote; footnote 2 state restrictions; footer product-availability disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-16.
10. [Find a Local Insurance Agent](https://www.thehartford.com/find-an-agent). The Hartford; Small-business and midsize agent locators; FAQ that buyers can purchase without an agent by calling or quoting online; statement that agents may charge fees. Accessed 2026-09-16.
11. [Professional Liability Insurance Coverage](https://www.thehartford.com/professional-liability-insurance). The Hartford; What Is Professional Liability Insurance Coverage?; What Does Professional Liability Insurance Cover?; Who Needs Professional Liability Insurance Coverage?; How Much Does Professional Liability Insurance Cost?; How Does Professional Liability Insurance Work? (claims-made vs. occurrence). Accessed 2026-09-23.

### Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Guide

12. [FAQ: Professional liability insurance](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/commercial/pl-faq.html). Texas Department of Insurance; What’s professional liability coverage?; What types of damages…; What’s general liability insurance?; Do I need professional liability… if I have general liability…?; Is professional liability insurance required?; Can a client require…?; What’s the difference between occurrence policies and claims-made policies. Accessed 2026-09-16.
13. [Professional liability insurance](https://www.iii.org/article/professional-liability-insurance). Insurance Information Institute; Opening paragraphs (professional services/advice and E&O name); Claims not covered by general liability; What types of businesses need professional liability insurance?; What’s covered… and what’s not (claims-made versus occurrence, defense and judgments, non-financial/intentional limits, BOP/in-home exclusion). Accessed 2026-09-16.
14. [Get business insurance](https://www.sba.gov/counseling/launch-your-business/#business-insurance). U.S. Small Business Administration; Six common types of business insurance table. Accessed 2026-09-16.
15. [Professional Liability – US Direct Errors and Omissions Insurance](https://www.hiscox.com/documents/pl-sample-policy-wording.pdf). Hiscox Inc. specimen; About this Policy / Coverage for Claims Made Against You; I.A Insuring Agreement; I.B Defense; I.C Settlement; II.A Notice of Claims; II.C Optional Extended Reporting Period; III.A, III.K, III.M, III.R, III.S Exclusions; IV.A–B Limits and Deductible; VI.O Professional Services; VI.U Wrongful Act. Accessed 2026-09-16.

Updated 2026-09-23. Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. The comparison applies the same criteria to both providers. [Editorial policy](https://spot.insure/editorial-policy). To suggest a correction, [contact Spot](https://spot.insure/contact) with the page URL and supporting source.

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