Newfront vs Relm Insurance Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance

Newfront negotiates casualty umbrella inside guaranteed-cost or captive structures; Relm markets excess for brokers serving fleets, energy and large contracts.

What Is Newfront?

Newfront is a business-insurance and employee-benefits brokerage that combines specialist teams with online policy-management tools. It is now part of WTW. 1,2,3,4

Read the Newfront profile

What Is Relm Insurance?

Relm is a specialty insurance business serving emerging industries. Its AI range distinguishes developer liability, gaps in existing liability insurance and losses from third-party AI failures. 6,7

Read the Relm Insurance profile

What Is Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?

Commercial umbrella insurance can provide additional liability limits above scheduled underlying policies for covered claims. Don't assume umbrella and excess liability are the same coverage — the labels aren't proven synonyms. 9,10

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance

Negotiating Structure Versus Marketing Excess to Brokers

Newfront places umbrella and excess through its Casualty practice rather than underwriting, and that practice negotiates placement structure and terms with carriers on the client’s behalf. Relm markets excess liability insurance as a casualty line brokers can place for clients whose underlying liability limits may not be sufficient. 5 8

Newfront lists umbrella/excess as a key coverage beside general liability, product liability, auto liability and workers’ compensation, without describing specific attachment points. Relm says excess adds protection once the limits of a company’s underlying liability policies are exhausted. 5 8

Verticals and Funding Options

Newfront says its Casualty team protects companies of every size and lists construction, manufacturing, technology and life science. Relm points to large vehicle fleets, significant public interaction or large contracts, and calls excess especially important for energy, manufacturing or transportation. Technology and life science appear on Newfront’s list; energy, fleets and public-interaction exposure appear on Relm’s. Both name manufacturing. 5 8

Newfront describes guaranteed cost, large deductible, self-insurance and captive structuring as a service rather than stating limit tiers. Relm says brokers will always advise on the exact excess limits a client needs, framing the product as broker-guided rather than self-service, without those four funding structures. 5 8

You engage Newfront by requesting a consultation led by Frannie Epps, Head of the Casualty Practice; the page does not describe an online bind flow. Relm’s page assumes a placing broker will set the limit. Newfront also cites predictive analytics, claims advocacy and integrated risk control across casualty coverages including umbrella. Neither page names an issuing insurer. 5 8

What to Confirm in Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Quotes

  • Ask Newfront whether the umbrella sits in a guaranteed-cost, deductible, self-insured or captive structure. 5
  • Ask Relm which placing broker and energy or fleet market would write the excess. 8
  • Confirm the exact limit each side recommends. 5 8
  • Get issuing carrier names. 5 8

Offering Details

Newfront vs Relm Insurance Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaNewfront Umbrella/Excess LiabilityRelm Excess Liability Insurance
Role in This Line

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. 5Company-reported. Casualty page Our Approach and Key Coverages sections.

Relm markets Excess Liability Insurance as a casualty line brokers can place for clients whose underlying liability limits may not be sufficient. 8Company-reported. Relm line-of-business page (Relm sells through brokers); not a statement identifying the issuing insurer for a given placement.

Issuing Insurer

The reviewed Casualty page does not name an insurer for umbrella or excess placements; it describes 'strong carrier relationships' generally without naming a carrier. 5Not publicly disclosed. Casualty page as read on 2026-09-23; carrier depends on the specific placement.

The reviewed page does not name a specific issuing insurer for excess liability placements. 8Not publicly disclosed. Line-of-business page as read on 2026-09-23; a specific placement's insurer is product- and jurisdiction-specific.

Who It’s For

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. 5Company-reported. Casualty page intro and Areas of Expertise list.

Relm says excess liability benefits companies with higher-than-average liability exposure, such as those with large vehicle fleets, significant public interaction or large contracts, and calls it especially important for high-risk industries like energy, manufacturing or transportation. 8Company-reported. Casualty page 'What is Excess Liability Insurance?' section; not a guarantee of eligibility for a particular company.

Coverage Features

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. 5Company-reported. Casualty page Key Coverages list; no policy form reviewed.

Relm says excess liability adds protection once the limits of a company's underlying liability policies are exhausted. 8Company-reported. Casualty page 'What is Excess Liability Insurance?' section; the issued policy and declarations control.

Limits and Retentions

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. 5Not publicly disclosed. Placement Expertise section; no limits schedule available.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Risk Services

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. 5Company-reported. Our Approach and The Newfront Difference sections.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

How to Apply

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. 5Company-reported. Casualty page call-to-action and Leadership section.

Relm says brokers will always advise on the exact excess liability limits a client needs, framing the product as broker-guided rather than self-service. 8Company-reported. Casualty page 'What is Excess Liability Insurance?' section; no quote was requested during this research.

Full Comparison

More Newfront vs Relm Insurance Comparisons

Other Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Comparisons

Sources

Newfront

  1. Business Insurance. Newfront; Purpose-Built Team; Full Transparency; Streamlined Program Management. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  2. Employee Benefits. Newfront; Employee Benefits heading; Tailored Solutions; Comprehensive Expertise: Benefits, Global Benefits, Compensation and Retirement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Newfront Navigator. Newfront; Total Access. Real Confidence; Explore What You Can Do in Navigator; product demonstration image. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

Relm Insurance

  1. Relm Launches US MGA. Relm Insurance; Opening paragraphs describing US MGA and distribution partners. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Relm Launches AI Liability Solutions. Relm Insurance; NOVAAI, PONTAAI and RESCAAI: Applicable Users and Coverage Highlights. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Casualty Insurance. Relm Insurance; What is Excess Liability Insurance? Accessed 2026-09-23.

Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Guide

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Updated . Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. The comparison applies the same criteria to both providers. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

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