Nationwide vs 
Travelers: How Do They Compare for Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?
Travelers describes three routes: A/B umbrella, excess liability, and Northfield excess and surplus lines for hard-to-place risks. It says umbrella can broaden some coverage beyond underlying policies; Nationwide describes an added liability layer above general liability or business auto without detailing forms. 4,8
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. 1,2,3
Read the Nationwide Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance page
What Is Travelers Insurance?
Travelers suits technology companies that want CyberRisk Tech and can work through an independent agent; buyers seeking a direct online technology quote should compare digital providers. Many small accounts can be quoted in agent platforms, while specialty risks need underwriting. 5,6,7
Read the Travelers 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
Coverage and Eligibility
Travelers describes three routes: A/B umbrella, excess liability, and Northfield excess and surplus lines for hard-to-place risks. It says umbrella can broaden some coverage beyond underlying policies; Nationwide describes an added liability layer above general liability or business auto without detailing forms. Ask Travelers which route fits your loss history and ask Nationwide what form its agent is quoting. 4 8
Services and Claims
Travelers says umbrella typically starts at $1 million increments and can reach $25 million for unsupported monoline policies; the page does not publish a maximum for its excess or Northfield placements. Nationwide gives no universal limit. Request matching limits and underlying requirements from both, and confirm any Travelers requirement to keep primary policies with Travelers. 4 8
Application and Terms
Travelers underwrites this supplemental coverage and sells through independent agents, while Nationwide offers agent or quote contact. Ask Travelers whether your primary policies must move with the umbrella and ask Nationwide which underlying policies qualify. Compare the quote’s exclusions and how each handles exhausted primary limits. 4 8
What to Confirm in Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Quotes
Nationwide and Travelers 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.
Nationwide Review Score
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 reviewsTravelers Review Score
Review Score
3 rated sources
Travelers earns 4.5/5 from NerdWallet, but customer feedback is poor: 1.4/5 on Trustpilot and 1.3/5 for homeowners on ConsumerAffairs. Those reviews mostly concern personal insurance.[1][2][4][5][6][7]
Read Travelers reviewsNationwide vs Travelers Umbrella and Excess Liability Compared
Nationwide vs Travelers: Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Nationwide umbrella excess (official overview) | Travelers Commercial Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Nationwide describes offering umbrella excess for the audience stated on the cited product page. 4Company-reported. umbrella excess 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. | Travelers underwrites commercial umbrella and excess liability coverage as a supplemental policy layered on top of a buyer's existing general liability, auto liability and employer's liability policies, sold through three product options rather than one single form. 8Company-reported. Commercial-umbrella product page, as read on 2026-09-23. |
| Issuing Insurer | Confirm in your quote. | The reviewed commercial-umbrella page does not name the specific underwriting entity for A/B umbrella, excess liability or the Northfield excess-and-surplus-lines option. 8Not publicly disclosed. Commercial-umbrella page as read on 2026-09-23. |
| Who It’s For | Businesses with underlying liability coverage; Nationwide requests business, policy, loss, and payroll information for a quote. 4Company-reported. umbrella excess 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. | Travelers says commercial umbrella and excess coverage is available across all industries, and separately markets its A/B Umbrella product to small businesses as part of its small-business insurance solutions. 8Company-reported. Commercial-umbrella page, including its small-business FAQ answer. |
| Coverage Features | The cited product page describes an added liability layer above underlying policies such as general liability or business auto; the page says terms and quote depend on the insured's business and underlying coverage. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. 4Company-reported. umbrella excess 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. | Travelers describes three coverage paths: A/B umbrella, excess liability, and Northfield excess-and-surplus-lines coverage for hard-to-place risks such as businesses with multiple prior claims, limited loss history or an unusual classification. 8Company-reported. Commercial-umbrella page's solutions list and Northfield FAQ answer. Travelers says the policy increases limits above standard primary policies, can replace exhausted primary limits, and can offer broader coverage than the underlying policies for certain losses, but that it does not cover all legal risk, such as some instances of uninsured-motorist exposure. 8Company-reported. Umbrella benefits section and FAQ; specific exclusions depend on the policy as issued. |
| 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. 4Not publicly disclosed. Only the cited marketing page was reviewed for published limit and retention information; no policy-form entitlement is inferred. | Travelers says umbrella coverage typically starts at $1 million and increases in $1 million increments, and that it can write unsupported (monoline) policies with limits up to $25 million for small, midsized and large organizations. It does not publish a maximum limit for excess liability or Northfield placements. 8Company-reported. Commercial-umbrella cost section and benefits list. |
| How to Apply | 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. 4Company-reported. umbrella excess 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. | Travelers says an umbrella policy is usually purchased from the same insurer holding a buyer's primary coverage, which may require maintaining certain primary liability limits with Travelers first, and directs buyers to a Travelers independent agent to get started. 8Company-reported. Umbrella FAQ 'How do I buy umbrella insurance?' and video transcript. |
Related Pages for Nationwide vs Travelers
Umbrella and Excess Liability Pages for Nationwide and Travelers
Other Coverage Lines Compared for Nationwide vs Travelers
Other Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Provider Comparisons
Sources for Nationwide vs Travelers
Sources About 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.
- Commercial Umbrella Liability Insurance from Nationwide. Nationwide; How commercial umbrella works; underlying policies and additional-liability layer. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Sources About Travelers
- Technology Insurance. Travelers; Technology insurance products we offer: CyberRisk Tech, Global Companion Plus+, general liability, commercial property, workers compensation, commercial auto, umbrella; startup-to-established-leader audience. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Travelers Producer Compensation Disclosure (United States). Travelers; Independent producers; seven compensation types; Simply Business, Inc. and InsuraMatch, LLC ownership; The Travelers Indemnity Company footer; Northfield Excess & Surplus Lines product list. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Contact Us. Travelers; Business insurance sold through independent agents; business claims 1.800.238.6225; MyTravelers for business features. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Commercial Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance. Travelers; What are the benefits of commercial umbrella insurance?; Our commercial umbrella and excess liability solutions include: A/B umbrella, Excess liability, Excess and surplus lines: Northfield; Commercial umbrella liability insurance cost; small business FAQ answer. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Sources for the 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.
