Lockton vs Marsh Surety Bonds

Lockton lists data-driven surety analysis without naming bond types; Marsh McLennan Agency names contract, commercial and international surety.

What Is Lockton?

Lockton is a privately held insurance brokerage that arranges commercial risk, employee benefits and retirement programs. US pages describe a technology practice and intermediary placement with insurers, not Lockton as the policy’s insurer. 1,2,3

Read the Lockton profile

What Is Marsh?

Marsh is a global insurance broker and risk advisor. In the United States it places coverage through core Marsh teams and through Marsh McLennan Agency for many middle-market buyers, including technology, cyber, property, casualty and benefits programs. 5,6,7,8

Read the Marsh profile

What Are Surety Bonds?

A surety bond is a three-party agreement: a surety guarantees an obligation your business (the principal) owes to a customer or other party (the obligee) if your business defaults. It isn't insurance that pays your business for its own losses. 10,11

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Surety Bonds

Analytics Practice Versus Named Coverage Buckets

Lockton and Marsh McLennan Agency both broker. Lockton's page does not list bond types; it describes representing more than 2,000 clients and a data-driven list: financial statement analysis, weighted backlog, peer comparisons, profit trends and safety-record review. MMA names contract surety, commercial surety for nationwide license and permit bonds, and international surety. 4 9

Client-Tailored Model Versus a 50-State Bench

Lockton says it tailors the service model to each client rather than one standard approach. MMA reports more than 150 surety professionals across all 50 states, $353 million in premium for nearly 10,000 clients, and indemnity negotiation, joint-venture prequalification and continuity consulting. 4 9

How You Buy

Lockton's reviewed page does not describe an application path. MMA names a Surety Department Supervisor and describes advisor-led placement rather than an online bond application. Neither page names the issuing surety. 4 9

What to Confirm in Surety Bonds Quotes

  • Ask Lockton which analysis services apply and which bond types it will actually place. 4
  • Ask MMA whether the need is contract, commercial or international. 9
  • Get the issuing surety from both. 4 9
  • Confirm penal sum, rate and indemnity; neither page publishes them. 4 9

Offering Details

Lockton vs Marsh Surety Bonds: documented features by provider

CriteriaLockton Surety BrokerageMarsh McLennan Agency Surety Bonds
Role in This Line

Lockton Surety brokers surety bonds and says it has become one of the largest surety brokers in the world, representing more than 2,000 clients across industries. Lockton is the broker facilitating the bond relationship, not the surety. 4Company-reported. Surety product page as read 2026-09-23. Client count and market-size claims are company-reported.

Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA), Marsh's middle-market subsidiary, arranges surety bonds through a dedicated surety practice rather than underwriting them itself. 9Company-reported. MMA surety insurance page.

Issuing Insurer

The surety page does not name the surety companies Lockton places bonds with. 4Not publicly disclosed. Surety page checked 2026-09-23.

The reviewed page does not name a specific surety insurer for a standard bond; MMA says it offers national market representation, implying the issuing surety varies by placement. 9Not publicly disclosed. MMA surety insurance page as read on 2026-09-23.

Who It’s For

Lockton says it represents clients across a wide range of industries and tailors its surety service model to each client rather than a single standard approach. 4Company-reported. Surety product page as read 2026-09-23. No named industries or minimum bond size were published.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Coverage Features

Not described in the reviewed sources.

MMA offers Contract Surety for construction and similar projects, Commercial Surety issuing license and permit bonds nationwide (in lieu of or alongside letters of credit and other banking obligations), and International Surety for global operations facing varied regulatory requirements. 9Company-reported. MMA surety insurance page, Surety Coverage section.

Limits and Retentions

Not described in the reviewed sources.

MMA says it has more than 150 surety professionals across all 50 states, placed $353 million in surety premium for nearly 10,000 clients, and that its markets write 95% of all contract bonds in the U.S., according to the company. 9Company-reported. MMA surety insurance page; company-reported statistics, not independently verified, and do not indicate bond size or capacity for an individual client.

Risk Services

Lockton lists data-driven surety services it provides: financial statement analysis and credit rating, weighted backlog analysis, financial and rate peer comparisons and benchmarking, individual project and composite profit trend analysis, and detailed safety record review. 4Company-reported. Surety product page as read 2026-09-23.

MMA lists competitive indemnity package negotiation, industry benchmarking, joint-venture and teaming-agreement prequalification support, continuity and ownership-transfer consulting, and competitive program design review as services tied to its surety practice. 9Company-reported. MMA surety insurance page, Benefits of Surety and Surety Coverage sections.

How to Apply

Not described in the reviewed sources.

You work with an MMA surety specialist directly; the page names a Surety Department Supervisor and describes advisor-led placement rather than an online bond application. 9Company-reported. MMA surety insurance page.

Full Comparison

More Lockton vs Marsh Comparisons

Other Surety Bonds Comparisons

Sources

Lockton

  1. Lockton United States. Lockton; Opening description of independent insurance brokerage for risk, benefits and retirement; Ask an Expert link to contact-us. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Technology. Lockton; Industry introduction; cyber liability heading; dedicated technology team; listed services including claims advocacy, contract review, directors and officers liability, and international program design; 24/7 service model. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. US Terms of Business. Lockton; Opening entity definition; Surplus Lines; Use of a Particular Insurer; Compensation Disclosure; servicing, claims handling and renewal language in Confidentiality section; Intermediaries. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Surety. Lockton; Disrupting surety brokerage since 1966; Consultative services; An unparalleled level of service; Data-driven solutions tools and services list. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Marsh

  1. Marsh | Leader in risk, strategy, people, and investments. Marsh; Hero and capability tiles; FAQ: What does Marsh do?; industries served; Is Marsh the same as Marsh McLennan? January 2026 brand change. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Compensation guide for US clients. Marsh; US broking segments; broker role; retail commissions, client fees, wholesale, insurer consulting, contingent and supplemental commissions; Marsh LLC and Marsh USA LLC; page 3: broker role and Marsh & McLennan Agency segment; page 7: copyright © 2024 Marsh LLC. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA). Marsh; Middle-market US organizations; wholly-owned subsidiary; business insurance, employee health and benefits, retirement, private client. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Technology | Insurance Broking & Risk Management. Marsh; Opening Technology Practice description; practice links including data center insurance, fintech and Stratus; Talk to us. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  5. Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk. Marsh McLennan Agency; Opening positioning and stats (150+ surety professionals across all 50 states; $353 million in surety premium for nearly 10,000 clients; 95% of all contract bonds in the U.S. written in our markets); Surety Coverage: Contract Surety, Commercial Surety, Joint ventures and teaming agreements, International Surety; Benefits of Surety. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Surety Bonds Guide

  1. Glossary of Insurance Terms. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Surety Bond; Fidelity. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Surety bonds. U.S. Small Business Administration; Opening guarantee of work completion; Contract or commercial bonds; Bid, Payment, Performance, Ancillary; Eligibility > credit, capacity, and character. Accessed 2026-09-16.

Updated . 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. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

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