Markel Insurance vs 
Simply Business: How Do They Compare for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?
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
Simply Business: Online Small-Business Insurance Marketplace
Simply Business describes a digital marketplace and licensed-producer service for small businesses. The policy and selected insurer determine coverage, fees, servicing and claims responsibilities. 4,5
Read the Simply Business profile
Read the Simply Business 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. 7,8,9,10
Key Differences in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance
A Stated Product Ceiling Versus Online Quote Shopping
Markel states a $2 million maximum for its miscellaneous E&O product and describes a target of small businesses up to $5 million in revenue. Simply Business focuses on process: answer business questions online, compare quotes, and select a policy. For a buyer, Markel's published maximum offers an initial limit reference, while Simply Business's workflow is the documented route for seeing panel options; its terms say an online quote is not guaranteed and binding requires panel-member approval. 3 6 5
Which Work the Pages Address
Markel calls its product miscellaneous E&O for professional-services claims and identifies targeted small-business industries. Simply Business names consultants, IT professionals, real-estate agents, and bookkeepers as examples of businesses it can help find coverage for. These examples can guide an initial inquiry, but Simply Business says they do not guarantee eligibility; compare the exact services and revenue on the application rather than relying on an industry label. 3 6
Covered Claim Costs
Simply Business lists attorney fees, court costs, settlements, and judgments among costs its E&O policies may cover, subject to policy wording. Markel's product page describes miscellaneous E&O for claims arising from professional services but does not provide the same itemized cost list in its offering record. Ask both to show how defense expenses affect the limit and which contract or service disputes are covered. 6 3
What to Confirm in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes
Markel Insurance and Simply Business Review Scores for 2026
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
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 reviewsSimply Business Review Score
Review Score
4 rated sources
Customers disagree about Simply Business. Trustpilot shows 4.3 out of 5 from 1,901 reviews, but BBB customers give it 1.95 from 20 reviews and ConsumerAffairs shows 1.0.[6][10][7]
Read Simply Business reviewsMarkel Insurance vs Simply Business Professional Liability (E&O) Compared
Markel Insurance vs Simply Business: Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Markel professional errors omissions (official overview) | Professional liability (E&O) insurance through Simply Business |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Confirm in your quote. |
| 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. | Simply Business lists consultants, IT professionals, real-estate agents and bookkeepers among the business examples for which it can help find E&O coverage. The examples do not guarantee eligibility. 6Company-reported. Company-published professional-errors-omissions information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer. |
| 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 page describes protection for claims tied to professional work and lists attorney fees, court costs, settlements and judgments as costs that may be covered; policy wording controls. 6Company-reported. Company-published professional-errors-omissions information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer. |
| 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. | Confirm in your quote. |
| 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 company describes an online flow to answer business questions, compare quotes and select a policy. Its Terms say an online quote is not guaranteed and binding requires panel-member approval. 6,5Company-reported. Company-published professional-errors-omissions information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer. |
Related Pages for Markel Insurance vs Simply Business
Professional Liability (E&O) Pages for Markel Insurance and Simply Business
Other Coverage Lines Compared for Markel Insurance vs Simply Business
Other Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Provider Comparisons
Sources for Markel Insurance vs Simply Business
Sources About 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.
Sources About Simply Business
- Our Small Business Insurance Story. Simply Business; Opening description and audience; digital marketplace, business types and U.S. service. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Terms of Service. Simply Business; Dated June 30, 2026; §1 lines 22–28; §8 lines 87–113; §10 lines 143–149; §19 line 211. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Professional Liability Insurance Coverage. Simply Business; Coverage lines 45–100; buyer examples lines 101–158; online quote steps lines 237–260. Accessed 2026-09-29.
Sources for the 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.
