What Is Lockton?
Lockton suits technology companies and larger businesses seeking a broker across cyber, D&O, property, liability and benefits; small firms wanting an instant standard quote should compare digital agencies. 1,2,3
What Is WTW?
WTW is an insurance broker whose documented services include manufacturing risk-program design and specialist property and cargo programs. Its marketed property scope includes residential real-estate stakeholders and a separate integrated data-center program; other named capabilities vary in date and geography. 5,6,7,8,9
What Are Surety Bonds?
A surety bond guarantees that your business meets a specific obligation to a customer, contracting party or government agency. If a contract, license or permit requires one, get its exact form and amount; a bond is not insurance for your own losses. 11,12,13,14,15
Key Differences in Surety Bonds
Financial and project analysis
Lockton lists a data-driven service model for surety clients: financial-statement and credit analysis, weighted backlog review, peer benchmarking, project and composite profit trends, and safety-record review. WTW's annual report describes a Global Surety team placing bonds across industries and around the world, but does not list those analysis steps. If you need help preparing a contractor's financial presentation, ask Lockton what reports it produces and ask WTW what analytics its team will provide. 4 9
Client scale and tailored service
Lockton says it represents more than 2,000 surety clients across industries and tailors its model to each client rather than using one standard approach. WTW describes an international surety practice but its reviewed report does not give a client count. Ask Lockton what service model fits your operation and ask WTW which regional and industry specialists would work on your account. 4 9
What to Confirm in Surety Bonds Quotes
Review Scores
These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.
Lockton
Review Score
3 rated sources
Lockton’s reviews vary by office and entity. Local Google-derived ratings provide some service feedback, but no reliable firmwide verdict.[2][6][7][8]
Read Lockton reviewsWTW
Review Score
1 rated source
WTW has little useful review evidence for a business buyer. Its one counted score is 807 out of 1,000 from a 2017 J.D. Power study of large commercial brokers, and Trustpilot's 2.1 from 9 reviews isn't counted.[4][2]
Read WTW reviewsOffering Details
Lockton vs WTW: Surety Bonds: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Lockton Surety Brokerage | WTW Surety Bond Placement |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Under WTW's North American Corporate Risk & Broking terms, WTW normally acts as the client's insurance intermediary for engagements governed by those terms. 10Company-reported. Terms for applicable North American Corporate Risk & Broking engagements. WTW also discloses separate insurer-side services in some arrangements; this does not determine the role in a specific engagement. |
| 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 WTW sources do not identify an issuing insurer for a specific surety bonds placement. 10,9Not publicly disclosed. This is a gap in the cited marketing, annual-report, and brokerage materials; it does not mean WTW lacks insurer markets. Confirm the carrier on the quote and issued policy. |
| 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. | Confirm in your quote. |
| Coverage Features | Confirm in your quote. | WTW's FY2024 annual report describes its Global Surety team as placing bonds across industries and around the globe. 9Company-reported. Historical group-level broking capability; the report does not establish a current U.S. bond facility, bond form, obligee acceptance, capacity, or a specific applicant's eligibility. |
| Limits and Retentions | Confirm in your quote. | The reviewed sources do not state a buyer-specific surety bonds limit, retention, or deductible. 10,9Not publicly disclosed. No limit or deductible is inferred from general marketing or WTW's brokerage role; the insurer's quote and issued forms control. |
| 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. | WTW's North American terms describe reviewing binders, policies, and endorsements against the terms negotiated with the insurer. 10Company-reported. Broker document-review process under the cited terms, when WTW handles this line's placement. It does not certify that a policy covers a claim or replace the issued wording. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | WTW's North American terms say an insurer quote is not confirmation of coverage; if the client orders binding, WTW seeks a formal insurer commitment, typically a binder. 10Company-reported. Applies to placements governed by the cited North American Corporate Risk & Broking terms. It does not establish a self-service quote route or promise coverage availability for this line. |
Full Comparison
More Lockton vs WTW Comparisons
Other Surety Bonds Comparisons
Sources
Lockton
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
WTW
- Manufacturing. WTW; “How WTW can help manufacturers”; “How we serve our clients”; North America licensed-entity disclaimer. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Digital Infrastructure Protector. WTW; Integrated policy coverage for building, operational property, marine and cargo under one policy; integrated data-center construction/operations; cyber and liability protection in broader solution; separate-policy preference caveat; capacity and North America licensed-entity disclaimer. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Marine. WTW; “Our solutions” cargo brokerage; marine specialist count; claims advice and average-adjuster service; North America licensed-entity disclaimer. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Residential | WTW. WTW; “Specialized insurance products”: lists property insurance and financial lines, including errors and omissions; inspected official indexed text 2026-09-29. Direct reader access failed; indexed page crawl was about five months old. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- WTW 2024 Form 10-K. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission / Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company; Part I, Item 1, FINEX and Surety business descriptions: the 2024 annual report identifies management and professional liability, employment practices, crime, cyber and M&A insurance solutions, and a global bond-placement team; indexed passages rechecked 2026-09-29. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Corporate Risk & Broking Brokerage Terms, Conditions & Disclosures (Canada & US). WTW; Document dated 2025-06-01; pp. 4–6: broker/intermediary role, quote versus binding process, review of binders/policies/endorsements, claims reporting and affiliate disclosures. Reused from the current WTW provider source record after direct PDF retrieval was blocked. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Surety Bonds Guide
- Glossary of Insurance Terms. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Surety Bond; Fidelity. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- 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.
- 40 U.S. Code § 3131 — Bonds of contractors of public buildings or works. Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, reproducing 40 U.S.C. § 3131; §3131(b) Type of Bonds Required — performance bond and payment bond. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Surety Bonds. Chubb; Construction Surety Bonds (performance, payment, maintenance); Commercial Surety Bonds (license and permit, court, commercial contract). Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Surety Bonds Insurance. Harper; What is Surety Bonds insurance?; A bond is not insurance; License & permit bonds; Contract bonds — bid, performance, and payment; Is a bond the same as insurance? Accessed 2026-09-16.
