---
title: "Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services Fiduciary Liability Insurance"
description: "Heffernan places fiduciary for family offices and businesses; USI brokers it for business-services firms and reviews gaps through ExecuSafe."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-usi/fiduciary"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-23"
---

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# Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services Fiduciary Liability Insurance

Heffernan places fiduciary for family offices and businesses; USI brokers it for business-services firms and reviews gaps through ExecuSafe.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate Heffernan Insurance Brokers and USI Insurance Services for Fiduciary Liability 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

Heffernan brokers fiduciary liability for general business clients and family offices, trusts and similar firms, with a Risk Management Assessment. USI brokers the line for business-services companies and reviews existing fiduciary policies for gaps under ExecuSafe. [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage") [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services") [9](https://www.usi.com/executive-insights/executive-series-articles/supplemental/emerging-business/q3-2023/protect-against-management-liability-risks/ "Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks")

## What Is Heffernan Insurance Brokers?

Heffernan Insurance Brokers is an independent, Walnut Creek–headquartered retail brokerage that arranges business insurance, employee benefits, and related services. Its technology practice markets to mid- and late-stage companies, including venture-funded and pre-IPO firms. [1](https://www.heffins.com/about-us/our-story/ "Our Story") [2](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/technology/ "Technology Company Insurance") [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage")

[Heffernan Insurance Brokers profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/heffernan)

## What Is USI Insurance Services?

USI Insurance Services is a U.S. insurance brokerage and consulting firm that arranges property and casualty, employee benefits, personal risk, and retirement programs. Its Technology practice says it works with software, hardware, and related companies from early seed stage through IPO, using a consultative process rather than a published self-serve quote. [5](https://www.usi.com/about-usi "The Power of ONE") [6](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/technology/ "Technology Insurance") [7](https://www.usi.com/commissions-fees/ "Commissions and Fees")

[USI Insurance Services profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/usi)

## What Is Fiduciary Liability Insurance?

Fiduciary liability insurance addresses covered claims alleging breaches of duties in managing employee benefit plans. [10](https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ebsa/employers-and-advisers/guidance/field-assistance-bulletins/erisa-fidelity-bonding-requirements.pdf "Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2008-04: Guidance Regarding ERISA Fidelity Bonding Requirements") [11](https://www.travelers.com/business-insurance/professional-liability-insurance/fiduciary-liability "Fiduciary Liability Insurance")

## Key Differences in Fiduciary Liability Insurance

### Family Offices Versus Business-Services Trades

Heffernan and USI both broker fiduciary liability. Heffernan aims one book at family offices, trustees, private equity, foundations and financial institutions, and another at general business clients. USI’s Business Services practice targets building and maintenance, repair, janitorial, staffing and printing companies for a catalogue that includes fiduciary, while ExecuSafe separately addresses small- and medium-sized businesses generally. [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage") [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services") [9](https://www.usi.com/executive-insights/executive-series-articles/supplemental/emerging-business/q3-2023/protect-against-management-liability-risks/ "Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks")

### Assessment of Structures Versus ExecuSafe Gap Review

Heffernan’s family-office practice describes itemizing structures, assets and exposures, then closing coverage gaps with insurance and risk-management strategies. USI describes classification and exposure reviews, claim advocacy and risk control across lines, and ExecuSafe specifically reviews existing fiduciary liability policies for gaps inside a management-liability program. [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services") [9](https://www.usi.com/executive-insights/executive-series-articles/supplemental/emerging-business/q3-2023/protect-against-management-liability-risks/ "Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks")

### Contact Paths

Heffernan family-office fiduciary goes through a Private Client Group specialist; general business uses Contact Us. USI splits inbound mail between a business-services inbox or local office and a Select Business address for ExecuSafe. [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services") [9](https://www.usi.com/executive-insights/executive-series-articles/supplemental/emerging-business/q3-2023/protect-against-management-liability-risks/ "Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks")

Heffernan’s business and family-office pages, like USI’s catalogue, do not list a carrier name or a fiduciary limit figure. [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage") [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services")

## What to Confirm in Fiduciary Liability Insurance Quotes

- Match your entity type to Heffernan’s family-office list or USI’s trade list before you assume either practice will place the line the same way. [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services")
- Ask USI whether you need a new placement or an ExecuSafe review of a policy you already have. [9](https://www.usi.com/executive-insights/executive-series-articles/supplemental/emerging-business/q3-2023/protect-against-management-liability-risks/ "Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks")
- Ask Heffernan what written recommendations the Risk Management Assessment produces for fiduciary. [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office")
- Get both issuing carriers and whether trustee liability is a separate placement from fiduciary. [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services")

## Offering Details

| Criteria | Heffernan Fiduciary Liability Insurance | USI Fiduciary Liability Brokerage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Role in This Line | Heffernan places fiduciary liability coverage within its general corporate/executive-protection lineup and again within a dedicated family-office and financial-institution practice. It shops and places the coverage with insurers rather than underwriting it. [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage") [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Business Insurance and Family Office page listings; no dedicated fiduciary-liability product page was found..) | USI brokers fiduciary liability coverage, which protects a company and its plan fiduciaries against claims of mismanaging an employee benefit plan; USI places it individually or reviews it as part of a management liability program under its ExecuSafe endorsement package. [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services") [9](https://www.usi.com/executive-insights/executive-series-articles/supplemental/emerging-business/q3-2023/protect-against-management-liability-risks/ "Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Business Services catalogue and ExecuSafe article..) |
| Issuing Insurer | The reviewed pages do not name the insurer or insurers that issue fiduciary liability policies Heffernan places for either business clients or family offices. [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage") [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Business Insurance and Family Office pages as read on 2026-09-23..) | Neither page names the insurer USI uses for fiduciary liability placements. [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Pages as read on 2026-09-23..) |
| Who It’s For | Heffernan offers fiduciary liability to two named segments: general business clients through its business-insurance brokerage, and family offices, trust companies, trustees, financial advisors, private equity firms, foundations, and other financial institutions through its family-office practice. [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage") [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Direct practice-page listings; no minimum size or asset-under-management threshold was published for the coverage specifically..) | USI's Business Services practice targets building and maintenance, repair service, janitorial, staffing and printing companies for its broader coverage catalogue, which includes fiduciary liability; the ExecuSafe article separately targets small- and medium-sized businesses generally for management liability review. [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services") [9](https://www.usi.com/executive-insights/executive-series-articles/supplemental/emerging-business/q3-2023/protect-against-management-liability-risks/ "Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Company description of client segments for each source..) |
| Coverage Features | On the family-office page, fiduciary liability insurance is listed alongside directors and officers, professional liability, employment practices liability, trustee liability, and other management-liability-adjacent lines as coverage the practice can arrange, without describing the policy's insuring agreement or exclusions. [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Family Office page as read on 2026-09-23..) | USI lists fiduciary liability among the coverages it places for business-services clients, and separately says its ExecuSafe review looks for gaps in a client's existing fiduciary liability coverage as part of a management liability review. [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services") [9](https://www.usi.com/executive-insights/executive-series-articles/supplemental/emerging-business/q3-2023/protect-against-management-liability-risks/ "Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Catalogue listing plus the ExecuSafe review description; actual insuring agreements and exclusions are set by the issued policy..) |
| Limits and Retentions | Neither page publishes a fiduciary-liability limit, retention, or premium range. [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage") [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") (Evidence: Not found in reviewed sources; scope: Business Insurance and Family Office pages as read on 2026-09-23..) | Neither page publishes fiduciary liability limit or retention figures. [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Pages as read on 2026-09-23..) |
| Risk Services | Heffernan's family-office practice describes a Risk Management Assessment: itemizing a client's structures, assets, and exposures; crafting insurance and risk-management strategies to close coverage gaps; and helping navigate claims, for its fiduciary and financial-institution client base. [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Family Office page as read on 2026-09-23; a company-described service, not a measured outcome..) | USI's Business Services practice says it offers classification and exposure reviews, claim advocacy and risk control across its coverage lines, including fiduciary liability, and its ExecuSafe process specifically reviews existing fiduciary liability policies for coverage gaps. [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services") [9](https://www.usi.com/executive-insights/executive-series-articles/supplemental/emerging-business/q3-2023/protect-against-management-liability-risks/ "Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Combines the general Business Services service list with the ExecuSafe-specific review step..) |
| How to Apply | The family-office practice's fiduciary-liability coverage is reached through a named Private Client Group specialist contact rather than a self-service online quote flow. [4](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Family Office page as read on 2026-09-23; the general business-insurance page's fiduciary listing routes through Heffernan's general Contact Us form instead..) | USI directs business-services inquiries to pcinquiries@usi.com or a local office, and ExecuSafe/management-liability inquiries to Select.Business@usi.com. [8](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/ "Business Services") [9](https://www.usi.com/executive-insights/executive-series-articles/supplemental/emerging-business/q3-2023/protect-against-management-liability-risks/ "Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Contact instructions on each page..) |

## Full Comparison

- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-usi): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims.
- [What Is Fiduciary Liability Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/fiduciary): Fiduciary liability insurance can help with covered claims alleging that your business or its people breached duties in managing an employee benefit plan.
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services Commercial Property Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-usi/commercial-property)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-usi/crime)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services Cyber Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-usi/cyber)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services Employee Health Benefits](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-usi/employee-health-benefits)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-usi/employment-practices)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services Medical Malpractice Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-usi/medical-malpractice)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-usi/professional-errors-omissions)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services Representations and Warranties Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-usi/representations-warranties)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services Surety Bonds](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-usi/surety-bonds)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs USI Insurance Services Workers’ Compensation Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-usi/workers-compensation)
- [Alliance Risk vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-heffernan/fiduciary)
- [Alliance Risk vs USI Insurance Services Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-usi/fiduciary)
- [Beazley vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-heffernan/fiduciary)
- [Beazley vs USI Insurance Services Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-usi/fiduciary)
- [Chubb vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/chubb-vs-heffernan/fiduciary)
- [Chubb vs USI Insurance Services Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/chubb-vs-usi/fiduciary)

## Sources

### Heffernan Insurance Brokers

1. [Our Story](https://www.heffins.com/about-us/our-story/). Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Headquartered in Walnut Creek; nationwide presence; founded 1988; employee owned; niche practices including technology. Accessed 2026-09-16.
2. [Technology Company Insurance](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/technology/). Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Pre-IPO and venture-funded heading; mid to late stage specialization; global expansion copy; self-insurance strategies; Key Markets list; Why Heffernan broker history; Joseph Talmadge practice leader; FAQ. Accessed 2026-09-16.
3. [Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/). Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Corporate and executive protection, such as employment practices liability, directors and officers liability, fiduciary responsibility, cyber liability, and kidnap and ransom are also available through our comprehensive business insurance programs.. Accessed 2026-09-23.
4. [Family Office](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/). Heffernan Insurance Brokers; We serve: Family offices, Trust companies, Individual and professional trustees, Financial advisors/CPAs/attorneys, Private equity firms, Foundations, Financial institutions; Coverage for Family Offices, Trustees & Financial Firms: ... Fiduciary liability insurance ...; Risk Management Assessment section; contact Lacey Garrison. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### USI Insurance Services

5. [The Power of ONE](https://www.usi.com/about-usi). USI Insurance Services; History, client-count, nationwide office, and P&C / benefits / personal risk / retirement description. Accessed 2026-09-16.
6. [Technology Insurance](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/technology/). USI Insurance Services; Technology practice client types, seed-to-IPO range, and listed insurance placement lines including PrivaSafe. Accessed 2026-09-16.
7. [Commissions and Fees](https://www.usi.com/commissions-fees/). USI Insurance Services; Licensed-producer authority, insurer-paid commission default, contingent compensation, and client request right. Accessed 2026-09-16.
8. [Business Services](https://www.usi.com/property-casualty/business-services/). USI Insurance Services; USI advises clients...and provides solutions for...Fiduciary Liability.... Accessed 2026-09-23.
9. [Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks](https://www.usi.com/executive-insights/executive-series-articles/supplemental/emerging-business/q3-2023/protect-against-management-liability-risks/). USI Insurance Services; Review existing management liability policies (if any) to uncover gaps in coverage...(including employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, and crime).. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### Fiduciary Liability Insurance Guide

10. [Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2008-04: Guidance Regarding ERISA Fidelity Bonding Requirements](https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ebsa/employers-and-advisers/guidance/field-assistance-bulletins/erisa-fidelity-bonding-requirements.pdf). U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration; Q2 pp.2–3. Accessed 2026-09-16.
11. [Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://www.travelers.com/business-insurance/professional-liability-insurance/fiduciary-liability). Travelers; What Is Fiduciary Liability Insurance?. 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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