Markel Insurance vs 
Newfront: How Do They Compare for Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?
Newfront places umbrella and excess through carriers and says its casualty practice includes claims advocacy, predictive analytics, and risk control. Markel’s reviewed page describes excess limits for small-business risks after underwriting review. <OfferingCite provider="markel" id="markel-official-product" /> <OfferingCite provider="newfront" id="casualty" /> 3,8
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 Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance page
What Is Newfront?
Newfront suits growing and enterprise businesses seeking specialist insurance and benefits teams plus Navigator policy tools; small firms wanting an instant direct quote should compare online carriers. Its Partner Management tool is included in client service agreements. 4,5,6,7
Read the Newfront Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance page
What Is Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?
Umbrella or excess insurance adds liability limits above the policies named in the quote after a covered claim exhausts their limits. It may fit if a contract sets higher limits; check which primary policies are listed and any gaps between them. 9,10,11,12,13
Key Differences in Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance
Placement and Market Role
Newfront says it negotiates umbrella/excess structure and terms with carriers rather than underwriting policies. Markel describes offering excess umbrella through its small-business casualty business and invites customers or brokers to contact its underwriting team. The quote identifies the actual insurer and role for the account. 3 8
Industry and Account Fit
Newfront names construction, manufacturing, technology, and life science among its casualty verticals and says it serves companies of varied sizes. Markel describes small-business classes within its casualty appetite, with underlying coverage and risk review affecting placement. Confirm the fit of your specific operation with both. 3 8
Services Around the Policy
Newfront says its casualty practice provides predictive analytics, benchmarking, claims advocacy, and integrated risk control across lines that include umbrella/excess. Markel’s overview describes added limits and an underwriting contact path, without naming comparable umbrella services. Ask what help continues after placement and at renewal. 3 8
What to Confirm in Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance 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.
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 reviewsNewfront
Review Score
1 rated source
Newfront has too little firmwide customer feedback for a reliable review verdict. An individual agent’s BBB grade does not establish the wider company’s service quality.[6]
Read Newfront reviewsOffering Details
Markel Insurance vs Newfront: Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Markel umbrella excess (official overview) | Newfront Umbrella/Excess Liability |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Markel describes offering umbrella excess for the audience stated on the cited product page. 3Company-reported. umbrella excess 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. | Newfront places umbrella and excess liability coverage through its Casualty practice rather than underwriting it; the practice negotiates placement structure and terms with carriers on the client's behalf. 8Company-reported. Casualty page Our Approach and Key Coverages sections. |
| Issuing Insurer | Confirm in your quote. | The reviewed Casualty page does not name an insurer for umbrella or excess placements; it describes 'strong carrier relationships' generally without naming a carrier. 8Not publicly disclosed. Casualty page as read on 2026-09-23; carrier depends on the specific placement. |
| Who It’s For | Small-business risks within the page's casualty appetite; an umbrella placement depends on underlying coverage and risk review. 3Company-reported. umbrella excess 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. | Newfront says its Casualty team protects companies of every size and scope, and lists industry verticals it serves, including construction, manufacturing, technology, and life science, without a stated minimum size or premium threshold for umbrella/excess placements specifically. 8Company-reported. Casualty page intro and Areas of Expertise list. |
| Coverage Features | The cited product page describes excess umbrella liability providing additional limits beyond primary policies, subject to the underlying coverage and policy terms. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. 3Company-reported. umbrella excess 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. | Umbrella/Excess Liability is listed as one of the Key Coverages within Newfront's Casualty practice, alongside general liability, product liability, auto liability, and workers' compensation, but the page does not describe specific attachment points or underlying-policy requirements. 8Company-reported. Casualty page Key Coverages list; no policy form reviewed. |
| Limits and Retentions | 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. 3Not publicly disclosed. Only the cited marketing page was reviewed for published limit and retention information; no policy-form entitlement is inferred. | Newfront's Casualty page does not publish umbrella or excess limit options; it describes program structuring (guaranteed cost, large deductible, self-insurance, captive) as a service rather than stating specific limit tiers. 8Not publicly disclosed. Placement Expertise section; no limits schedule available. |
| Risk Services | Confirm in your quote. | Newfront says its Casualty team provides predictive analytics and benchmarking, claims advocacy, and integrated risk control to reduce claim frequency and total cost of risk, which the page frames as relevant across the casualty coverages it places, including umbrella/excess. 8Company-reported. Our Approach and The Newfront Difference sections. |
| 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. umbrella excess 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. | You engage Newfront for umbrella/excess placement by requesting a consultation through the Casualty page, led by Frannie Epps, Head of the Casualty Practice; the page does not describe an online quote or bind flow. 8Company-reported. Casualty page call-to-action and Leadership section. |
Full Comparison
More Markel Insurance vs Newfront Comparisons
Other Umbrella and Excess Liability 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.
- Small Business Casualty and Property Insurance. Markel; Excess umbrella section; added liability limits beyond primary policies. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Newfront
- Business Insurance. Newfront; Purpose-Built Team; Full Transparency; Streamlined Program Management. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Employee Benefits. Newfront; Employee Benefits heading; Tailored Solutions; Comprehensive Expertise: Benefits, Global Benefits, Compensation and Retirement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- WTW Completes Acquisition Of Newfront. WTW; 27 January 2026 release; completion announcement and allocation of Business Insurance and Total Rewards to WTW segments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Casualty. Newfront; Key Coverages to Protect Your Business: Umbrella/Excess Liability; Our Approach: Market Intelligence, Placement Expertise, Risk Quantification & Optimization; Leadership: Frannie Epps. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Guide
- Liability Insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Heading Umbrella Liability Insurance; sentence Umbrella Liability—also known as Excess Liability Insurance; underlying policies listed with limits; typically GL, auto and employers’ liability; starts when a covered loss exhausts the primary per occurrence limit; Most umbrella policies exclude EPL, professional liability, product recall, workers compensation, asbestos, pollution, war and terrorism. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Commercial Umbrella; excess over a basic liability policy; auto/CGL/WC or any liability policy can be covered; may respond if basic policy not in force or for gaps; SIR when no underlying. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Lines of Insurance. California Department of Insurance; Umbrella or Excess Liability Policy: excess limits over existing liability; may provide additional coverages not provided by underlying policies. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Coverage Hub. Coverdash; Excess & Specialty: Umbrella; Excess Liability. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Products. Kinro; 09 Umbrella/Excess: additional limits above scheduled underlying policies; when to review; reviewed with. Accessed 2026-09-16.
