Markel Insurance: Specialty Business and Products
Markel Insurance is Markel Group's specialty and small-business insurance business, with offerings across packages, workers' compensation, cyber, professional and management liability, property, marine, and surety. Products use different insurers and distribution routes, so compare the issuer and terms shown on the specific quote. 1,2
Read the Markel Insurance profile
Read the Markel Insurance Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance page
What Is Nationwide?
Nationwide’s commercial catalogue includes common small-business policies and separate specialty products. A catalogue listing does not establish eligibility or policy terms; confirm the issuing company and coverage for your state and business. 4,5,6
Read the Nationwide Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance page
What Is Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance?
Professional liability can help pay defense costs and covered losses when a client says your advice or service caused financial harm. If customers rely on your work, list every service you provide and check the claims-made reporting and prior-work terms. 8,9,10,11
Key Differences in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance
Product scope and published limit
Markel describes miscellaneous E&O for professional-services claims in selected small-business industries, with a revenue scope up to $5 million and a product-page maximum of $2 million. Nationwide describes E&O for claims alleging errors or omissions in professional services and says exact eligible classes depend on underwriting; it does not publish a comparable limit in the reviewed claim. A buyer should compare the actual offered limits and verify that the profession is eligible with both providers. 3 7
Quote route
Nationwide directs buyers to contact an agent or request a quote, while Markel invites prospective customers or brokers to contact its team. Neither overview establishes bind timing, so provide identical services, revenue and claims details to both before comparing terms. 7 3
Nationwide describes program tailoring through research and financial analysis, whereas Markel publishes a target revenue range and cap for its product. 7 3
What to Confirm in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes
- Ask Nationwide which professional classes, limits and exclusions apply to your service.
- Ask Markel whether your revenue and industry qualify and what limit, trigger and quote timeline it offers.
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.
Markel Insurance
Review Score
2 rated sources
There is little public customer feedback on Markel. Trustpilot shows 2.5 out of 5 from just 5 reviews, and BBB lists 12 complaints closed in the last three years.[4][3]
Read Markel Insurance reviewsNationwide
Review Score
4 rated sources
Experts like Nationwide more than customers do. NerdWallet gives it 4.5 out of 5 for business insurance, while small-business customers on ConsumerAffairs give it 2.5 out of 5 from 19 reviews.[1][10]
Read Nationwide reviewsOffering Details
Markel Insurance vs Nationwide: Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Markel professional errors omissions (official overview) | Nationwide professional errors omissions (official overview) |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Markel describes offering professional errors omissions for the audience stated on the cited product page. 3Company-reported. professional errors omissions marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. | Nationwide describes offering professional errors omissions for the audience stated on the cited product page. 7Company-reported. professional errors omissions marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Who It’s For | Small businesses in ProBiz's targeted industries; source describes businesses up to $5 million revenue for the miscellaneous E&O product. 3Company-reported. professional errors omissions marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. | Professionals and businesses providing services to others as described by Nationwide; exact eligible classes depend on underwriting. 7Company-reported. professional errors omissions marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Coverage Features | The cited product page describes miscellaneous E&O for covered claims arising from professional services, with the page describing separate E&O and management-liability products. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. 3Company-reported. professional errors omissions marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. | The cited product page describes E&O insurance for claims alleging errors or omissions in professional services, as described on Nationwide's product page. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. 7Company-reported. professional errors omissions marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Limits and Retentions | For its miscellaneous E&O product, Markel states coverage up to $2 million; this is a product-page maximum, not a promise that every applicant or quote receives that amount. 3Company-reported. Markel ProBiz miscellaneous E&O marketing page; class, underwriting, policy terms, and actual quoted limit control. | The cited overview does not set a universal limit or retention for this line. Ask for the proposed policy form, limits, retentions, exclusions, and conditions in the quote. 7Not publicly disclosed. Only the cited marketing page was reviewed for published limit and retention information; no policy-form entitlement is inferred. |
| How to Apply | The page invites prospective customers or brokers to contact Markel or the named underwriting team. The page does not establish a quote, bind, or coverage-effective timeline. 3Company-reported. professional errors omissions marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. | The page directs prospective customers to contact an agent or request a quote. The page does not establish a quote, bind, or coverage-effective timeline. 7Company-reported. professional errors omissions marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
Full Comparison
More Markel Insurance vs Nationwide Comparisons
Other Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Markel Insurance
- About us. Markel; Markel at a glance; description of Markel Insurance within Markel Group Inc. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Markel Group Inc. 2025 Form 10-K. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; filed by Markel Group Inc.; Cover page; Part I, Item 1 Business—Markel Insurance, U.S. Wholesale and Specialty, Programs and Solutions; Part II, Item 7/8 for group and segment risks. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- ProBiz | Professional Liability Coverage. Markel; Miscellaneous E&O; types of covered professional-service errors; ProBiz target classes and process. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Nationwide
- Small Business Insurance. Nationwide; Small business products and solutions, lines 185–214: BOP, workers’ compensation, commercial auto, umbrella, EPLI, cyber and surety; purchase guidance lines 235–247. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Small Business Insurance Solutions for Agents. Nationwide; Specialized small commercial solutions: BOP, auto, workers’ compensation, cyber, EPLI, umbrella, inland marine and professional liability; page states appetite varies by state, lines 129–163, 191–193. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Terms and Conditions for Nationwide.com. Nationwide; P&C products not offered by all companies/states; policy/declarations control; NMI and affiliates may underwrite; each underwriter responsible for own products, lines 358–368 and 391–394. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Errors and Omissions Insurance. Nationwide; E&O page; professional-services liability and coverage overview. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Guide
- FAQ: Professional liability insurance. Texas Department of Insurance; What’s professional liability coverage?; What types of damages…; What’s general liability insurance?; Do I need professional liability… if I have general liability…?; Is professional liability insurance required?; Can a client require…?; What’s the difference between occurrence policies and claims-made policies. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional liability insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Opening paragraphs (professional services/advice and E&O name); Claims not covered by general liability; What types of businesses need professional liability insurance?; What’s covered… and what’s not (claims-made versus occurrence, defense and judgments, non-financial/intentional limits, BOP/in-home exclusion). Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Get business insurance. U.S. Small Business Administration; Six common types of business insurance table. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional Liability – US Direct Errors and Omissions Insurance. Hiscox Inc. specimen; About this Policy / Coverage for Claims Made Against You; I.A Insuring Agreement; I.B Defense; I.C Settlement; II.A Notice of Claims; II.C Optional Extended Reporting Period; III.A, III.K, III.M, III.R, III.S Exclusions; IV.A–B Limits and Deductible; VI.O Professional Services; VI.U Wrongful Act. Accessed 2026-09-16.
