Founder Shield vs Travelers 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.

Travelers lists ERISA fidelity as one of its Management & Professional Liability products, and separately lists ERISA Fidelity among the bond types it provides on its surety bond page. ^11,12Company-reported. Management & Professional Liability product list and Surety Bonds product list.

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.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

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.

Travelers offers ERISA fidelity coverage as part of a product suite that also covers private companies, public companies, nonprofit organizations and financial institutions, but the reviewed pages do not name specific eligible business sizes or industries for the ERISA fidelity product itself. ¹¹Not publicly disclosed. Management & Professional Liability Insurance page general eligibility statement.

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.

Travelers describes ERISA fidelity insurance as covering an employee benefit plan against losses caused by acts of fraud or dishonesty, such as theft, embezzlement or forgery, by the people who handle plan funds. ¹¹Company-reported. Management & Professional Liability Insurance page, ERISA fidelity insurance entry; exact terms and required minimum bond amounts are set by ERISA and the issued bond.

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.

Neither reviewed page publishes bond amounts, premiums or terms for ERISA fidelity coverage; federal ERISA rules set minimum bonding requirements, but Travelers' specific offer would appear on a quote. ^11,12Not found in reviewed sources. Management & Professional Liability and Surety Bonds pages as read on 2026-09-23.

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.

ERISA fidelity coverage is bought through a Travelers independent agent. ¹²Company-reported. Surety Bonds page "Find an insurance agent" call to action.