Lockton vs Travelers

Lockton’s US site describes the firm as an independent insurance brokerage that arranges customized risk, employee benefits and retirement solutions. US Terms of Business treat Lockton Companies, LLC and affiliated Lockton companies as intermediaries that market, place and service insurance, not as the risk-bearing insurer on a placed policy. ^1,13,20

Public US terms name Lockton Companies, LLC (and Series, subsidiaries and affiliates) as the brokerage group and Lockton, Inc. as the website operator. Certificates produced by Lockton also use the California DBA Lockton Insurance Brokers, LLC. Confirm the legal name on any broker-of-record or services agreement; these pages do not by themselves establish which entity would be appointed for a California company. ^13,14,21

Lockton-produced certificates print California license number 0F15767 for Lockton Companies, LLC DBA Lockton Insurance Brokers, LLC. Current license status, classes and expiration remain independently unverified. Treat California producer authority as unresolved until a regulator record or the proposed engagement papers are checked. ^21,22

Travelers is a property-casualty insurance group. The Travelers Companies, Inc. is the public holding company; policies are issued by subsidiaries such as The Travelers Indemnity Company and affiliates, not by the holding company itself. ^50,51,43,29

Travelers says it primarily sells U.S. insurance through independent agents and brokers, whom it calls producers and who are not Travelers employees. It also owns Simply Business, Inc. and InsuraMatch, LLC, licensed digital independent agencies it says operate nationwide. ^29,28,51

Public US application starts as an inquiry: the US contact form (Ask an Expert) and industry pages invite buyers to connect with a team. The privacy notice refers to soliciting an insurance policy quote. The Cyber & Technology page publishes cyber@lockton.com. Reviewed pages do not describe a self-serve bind flow, published quote turnaround, or an unauthenticated online application that issues a policy without a Lockton representative. ^12,1,15,3,14

Travelers tells business buyers to get a quote through an independent agent, using a public agency locator. Its 2025 Form 10-K says Select Accounts uses an automated underwriting platform so agents can quote, bind and issue a substantial amount of small-business risks, while more complex risks are underwritten with company personnel. Technology and CyberRisk Tech pages likewise tell buyers to consult an agent or Travelers representative; a direct public bind path for technology packages was not found on the reviewed pages. ^{28,45,23,25,51,44}

Lockton says it is not obligated to use any particular insurer, is generally not authorized to bind insurers except in circumstances it says it will try to disclose, and does not guarantee placement on acceptable terms. Cyber pages refer to insurer partners without naming them. The workers’ compensation page claims access to more than 100 regional, global and program markets without listing those markets. Surplus-lines insurers may appear in a proposal when admitted markets cannot meet requested terms. Named issuing companies for a buyer’s policies were not disclosed on the reviewed pages. ^13,3,7

Travelers is the brand. Product footers name The Travelers Indemnity Company and its property-casualty affiliates, and Bond & Specialty pages name Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America and affiliates. Umbrella materials also describe Northfield excess-and-surplus coverage for some hard-to-place risks. The issuing company, admitted or surplus status, and any fronting or network partner remain quote-specific. ^{29,47,31,48,41}

US Terms of Business say Lockton may be paid insurer commissions (a percentage of premium), negotiated client fees in lieu of or in addition to commissions, additional compensation such as contingent or supplemental commissions, insurer service fees (including for some managing-general-agency or analytics work), compensation involving affiliate Lockton Re, LLC on reinsurance placements, and interest or premium-finance related income. Commissions are described as fully earned at inception unless law or insurer contracts say otherwise. The terms tell clients to ask their Lockton representative for account-specific compensation. No public fee schedule, commission percentages or typical startup pricing appears on the reviewed pages. ¹³

Travelers discloses that it generally pays independent producers a base commission as a percentage of premium, and may also pay contingent compensation, value-based amounts, production incentives, promotional reimbursements, strategic-relationship amounts or service fees. It might not pay all, or any, of those types on a given placement. Percentages vary by business, risk and state. Account-specific amounts are directed to the buyer’s agent or broker. ²⁹

The reviewed public pages do not publish a standard premium, deductible schedule or buyer-paid broker fee for technology insurance. Travelers states that cost depends on coverage types, limits and the business’s risks, location and size, and tells buyers to work with an insurance professional. ^27,47,29

Lockton describes claims advocacy as a service, not as the insurer paying claims. Technology, D&O and fiduciary pages say a Professional & Executive Risk Claims team, including insurance and claims counsel, is integrated with the broking team and that claims advocacy is not treated as a profit center. Loss-prevention pages describe claims consulting: investigations, mapping facts to policies, preparing presentations, and discussions with insurer lawyers and loss adjusters. Workers’ compensation pages mention claims service advocates. Terms of Business include claims handling and claims processing among Lockton’s intermediary services and state Lockton is not responsible for an insurer’s solvency or willingness to pay. These descriptions do not establish claims outcomes or handling quality. ^{2,4,9,11,7,13}

Travelers says business-insurance losses can be reported 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by contacting the agent, using the online claim system or MyTravelers for Business, or calling 800-238-6225. It describes a dedicated Technology claim unit staffed since 1998 with claim attorneys and insurance professionals. Those statements describe access paths and an internal unit; they do not establish claim outcomes or coverage decisions. ^38,39,28