Marsh vs 
The Hartford Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance
The Hartford underwrites E&O directly with published average premiums by profession; Marsh brokers the line without naming an insurer or price.
What Is Marsh?
Marsh is a global insurance broker and risk advisor. In the United States it places coverage through core Marsh teams and through Marsh McLennan Agency for many middle-market buyers, including technology, cyber, property, casualty and benefits programs. 1,2,3,4
What Is The Hartford?
The Hartford is the brand of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc., whose subsidiaries underwrite property-and-casualty insurance and employee benefits. Small-business buyers can start online or by phone or work through independent agents, while the issuing company and state eligibility still have to be confirmed on a quote. 7,8,9
What Is Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance?
Professional errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, also called professional liability insurance, addresses claims that professional services or advice caused a client financial loss. What's covered depends on the services actually scheduled in the policy, not the product label alone. 11,12,13,14
Key Differences in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance
Underwriter Versus Broker
The Hartford's page describes underwriting professional liability directly, protecting businesses for mistakes in the professional services provided to clients, including claims that turn out to be baseless. 10 Marsh instead brokers the coverage through its financial and professional liability practice, placing policies with insurers on a client's behalf across named enterprise industries. 5 6
Pricing Transparency
The Hartford's page breaks pricing out by product, a level of detail Marsh's pages don't include:
The Hartford publishes average minimum monthly premiums by product: Misc. Professional Liability Standalone $62, Misc. Professional Liability Endorsement $41, Architects and Engineers Professional Liability $239, Healthcare Professionals Professional Liability $38, and Errors & Omissions Insurance for Technology Companies $146. The page does not publish standard coverage limits or retentions; cost and limits are set at quote. 10Company-reported. Company-reported pricing as of 2026-09-23 (page last updated by The Hartford May 4, 2026); premiums are not coverage limits.
Marsh's page instead describes a specialist team of attorneys, economists and actuaries assessing exposure, without a comparable published price list. 5
Who Each Page Names as a Target
The Hartford lists industries it covers: accountants, consultants, interior designers, advertising agencies, graphic designers, technology professionals and healthcare professionals. 10 Marsh names a broader enterprise set instead: banking and broker/dealers, insurance companies and asset managers, venture capital, media and entertainment, and healthcare and biotechnology alongside similar professional categories. 5
What to Confirm in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes
- Ask The Hartford whether your profession falls under one of its published pricing categories or a different underwriting tier. 10
- Ask Marsh which insurer it intends to place your policy with, since its pages don't name one. 5
- Confirm the extended-reporting-period length and cost on any claims-made quote from The Hartford. 10
- Neither page publishes standard coverage limits; get them in writing before binding. 10 5
Offering Details
Marsh vs The Hartford Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Marsh Professional Liability Insurance Brokerage | The Hartford Professional Liability Insurance (Errors & Omissions) |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Marsh's financial and professional liability practice places professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance; MMA also places E&O coverage within its executive and professional liability practice for middle-market clients. 5,6Company-reported. Marsh professional liability page and MMA executive and professional liability page. | The Hartford's professional liability insurance, also called errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, protects businesses when they make mistakes in the professional services provided to clients, including claims that turn out to be baseless. 10Company-reported. Professional liability product page as read 2026-09-23. |
| Issuing Insurer | The reviewed pages do not name a specific professional liability insurer. 5,6Not publicly disclosed. Marsh professional liability page and MMA executive and professional liability page as read on 2026-09-23. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| Who It’s For | Marsh names specialized industries its professional liability experts serve, including banking and broker/dealers, insurance companies and asset managers, merchant banking and venture capital, accountants, attorneys, architects and engineers, media and entertainment, technology, and healthcare and biotechnology. 5Company-reported. Marsh professional liability page, What We Offer section. | The Hartford targets professional liability at businesses that sign contracts requiring coverage, offer professional services directly to customers, or regularly give advice to clients, and lists industries it covers: accountants, consultants, interior designers, advertising agencies, graphic designers, technology professionals and healthcare professionals. 10Company-reported. Professional liability product page as read 2026-09-23. |
| Coverage Features | Marsh says professional liability coverage can protect a company against liability and defense costs from a claim alleging an error, omission or negligence in performing professional services, and that many policies also cover privacy violations and computer security breaches. 5Company-reported. Marsh professional liability page opening description; illustrative policy description, not a specific policy form. | The Hartford says the policy can cover claims of negligence, misrepresentation, inaccurate advice, personal injury (libel/slander) and copyright infringement, plus defense costs. Many of its professional liability policies are written on a claims-made basis with a retroactive date and an extended reporting period (typically 30-60 days, extendable to a year or more for an added cost), though some are written on an occurrence basis. 10Company-reported. Professional liability product page as read 2026-09-23. General coverage and policy-form description; the issued policy controls. |
| Limits and Retentions | Not described in the reviewed sources. | The Hartford publishes average minimum monthly premiums by product: Misc. Professional Liability Standalone $62, Misc. Professional Liability Endorsement $41, Architects and Engineers Professional Liability $239, Healthcare Professionals Professional Liability $38, and Errors & Omissions Insurance for Technology Companies $146. The page does not publish standard coverage limits or retentions; cost and limits are set at quote. 10Company-reported. Company-reported pricing as of 2026-09-23 (page last updated by The Hartford May 4, 2026); premiums are not coverage limits. |
| Risk Services | Marsh says it employs attorneys, economists and actuaries alongside coverage specialists to assess a client's professional liability exposure from multiple angles, given the complexity of these risks. 5Company-reported. Marsh professional liability page. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
Full Comparison
More Marsh vs The Hartford Comparisons
Other Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Marsh
- Marsh | Leader in risk, strategy, people, and investments. Marsh; Hero and capability tiles; FAQ: What does Marsh do?; industries served; Is Marsh the same as Marsh McLennan? January 2026 brand change. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Compensation guide for US clients. Marsh; US broking segments; broker role; retail commissions, client fees, wholesale, insurer consulting, contingent and supplemental commissions; Marsh LLC and Marsh USA LLC; page 3: broker role and Marsh & McLennan Agency segment; page 7: copyright © 2024 Marsh LLC. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA). Marsh; Middle-market US organizations; wholly-owned subsidiary; business insurance, employee health and benefits, retirement, private client. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Technology | Insurance Broking & Risk Management. Marsh; Opening Technology Practice description; practice links including data center insurance, fintech and Stratus; Talk to us. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional liability. Marsh; Opening description; What We Offer: specialized industries served (banking, insurance/asset managers, merchant banking/venture capital, accountants/attorneys/architects/engineers, media/communications/entertainment, technology, healthcare/biotechnology). Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Expert Executive and Professional Liability Insurance. Marsh McLennan Agency; Our policies include D&O, E&O, EPL, commercial crime/fidelity, network security privacy risk/cyber, fiduciary, media liability, IP, architects and engineers, lawyers professional, and kidnap and ransom. Accessed 2026-09-23.
The Hartford
- Legal Notice. The Hartford; The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. holding-company description; no representation that all products are available in all locations; P&C writing-company table as of December 31, 2025 including Hartford Fire (NAIC 19682) and Hartford Underwriters (NAIC 30104); life writing companies including Hartford Life and Accident (NAIC 70815). Accessed 2026-09-16.
- SaaS Insurance for Your Business. The Hartford; Audience list (software startups, SaaS, IT consulting); Get a Business Owner’s Policy; What Is Business Owner’s Policy Insurance?; general liability introduction and Get a Quote; Get Commercial Property Insurance; Commercial Property Insurance for Your Business; Benefits of The Hartford’s WC Insurance for Employers and Employees; cyber insurance and data breach descriptions; Get a quote for cyber insurance; EPLI introduction and Private Choice Premier; add-ons (workers’ compensation, data breach, commercial auto); technology professional liability mention; small-business availability banner; industry-average premium footnote; footnote 2 state restrictions; footer product-availability disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Find a Local Insurance Agent. The Hartford; Small-business and midsize agent locators; FAQ that buyers can purchase without an agent by calling or quoting online; statement that agents may charge fees. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional Liability Insurance Coverage. The Hartford; What Is Professional Liability Insurance Coverage?; What Does Professional Liability Insurance Cover?; Who Needs Professional Liability Insurance Coverage?; How Much Does Professional Liability Insurance Cost?; How Does Professional Liability Insurance Work? (claims-made vs. occurrence). Accessed 2026-09-23.
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.
