ERGO NEXT Insurance vs
THREE by Berkshire Hathaway
ERGO NEXT Insurance offers a staged online quote-and-purchase flow with advisor and agency options; THREE offers online quotes with advisor support. Both address small businesses, so compare the particular class eligibility, purchase steps and forms rather than assuming similar labels mean equivalent cover. 23,4,8,31,40
Introduction
Coverage Comparison
| Coverage | ERGO NEXT Insurance | THREE by Berkshire Hathaway |
|---|---|---|
| Business owner’s policy | Listed 12ERGO NEXT markets a business owner’s policy. | Listed 40,32Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection. |
| Commercial auto | Not listed | Listed 40,32Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection. |
| Commercial property | Listed 11ERGO NEXT sells commercial property insurance as an agency; the issuing insurer is responsible for policy obligations. | Listed 40,32Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection. |
| Cyber liability | Not listed | Listed 40,32Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection. |
| Directors and officers | Not listed | Listed 40Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection. |
| Employment practices liability | Not listed | Listed 40Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection. |
| Equipment breakdown | Not listed | Listed 40,32THREE lists equipment breakdown within the package; its displayed sample excludes machinery, equipment or listed vehicles that stop without an accident. Check the quoted form for the actual protection. |
| Fiduciary liability | Not listed | Listed 40Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection. |
| General liability | Listed 8ERGO NEXT offers online general liability quotes and purchasing for eligible businesses. | Listed 40,32Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection. |
| Liquor liability | Not listed | Listed 40Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy if required; the quote and issued form determine availability and protection. |
| Professional errors and omissions (E&O) | Listed 9ERGO NEXT lists professional liability insurance, also called errors and omissions insurance. | Listed 40Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection. |
| Tools, equipment and inland marine | Not listed | Listed 40Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection. |
| Workers’ compensation | Listed 10ERGO NEXT offers workers’ compensation insurance for small businesses. | Listed 40,32Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection. |
A listing may be arranged through an insurer or partner. “Not listed” means this catalogue has no separate offering recorded; ask the provider whether it can quote the coverage and request the policy terms.
Current Spot Scores
Each score uses the rubric for that provider’s documented role. Providers with more than one role may have a score for each.
ERGO NEXT Insurance
Hybrid providerBroker
5.0/ 10Assessed provider: ERGO NEXT Insurance. Scope: ERGO NEXT Insurance brand and the named carrier and agency entities in its current terms and license disclosures, including Next Insurance US Company, State National Insurance Company, National Specialty Insurance Company, Next Insurance, Inc. and Next First Insurance Agency, Inc.; Mississippi authority is limited to Next Insurance US Company, and AM Best ratings are recorded for Next Insurance US Company and State National Insurance Company only.
Carrier & MGA
6.7/ 10Assessed provider: ERGO NEXT Insurance. Scope: ERGO NEXT Insurance brand and the named carrier and agency entities in its current terms and license disclosures, including Next Insurance US Company, State National Insurance Company, National Specialty Insurance Company, Next Insurance, Inc. and Next First Insurance Agency, Inc.; Mississippi authority is limited to Next Insurance US Company, and AM Best ratings are recorded for Next Insurance US Company and State National Insurance Company only.
THREE by Berkshire Hathaway
CarrierCarrier & MGA
No Spot Score
Assessed entity: Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company. Scope: Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), the insurer named on the displayed THREE sample policy. THREE is the commercial product/DBA label. This assessment uses BHDIC-specific evidence only; information about parent companies, affiliates, brokers and other Berkshire insurers is not transferred to BHDIC.
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.
ERGO NEXT Insurance
Review Score
5 rated sources
NEXT’s favorable ratings come with a warning: NerdWallet reports more commercial liability complaints than expected. Check complaint handling and support before relying on its headline scores.[1][4][6][7][10]
Read ERGO NEXT Insurance reviewsTHREE by Berkshire Hathaway
Review Score
2 rated sources
The inspected sources report separate measures: NerdWallet’s 4.0/5 editorial rating is excluded from the source-rating average; Trustpilot displayed 2.5/5 from five user posts and BBB displayed 4.8/5 from 265 reviews. Trustpilot and BBB include different purchase, service and agent/intermediary interactions, not a verified common policyholder cohort. BBB separately lists complaints. Any source-rating average weights eligible platforms equally and is not a pooled, representative customer-experience estimate or a claims-quality measure.[4][3][1][2]
Read THREE by Berkshire Hathaway reviewsKey Differences Between ERGO NEXT Insurance and THREE
Business Roles and Access to Insurers
ERGO NEXT Insurance’s documented role shapes who handles underwriting and how you reach a policy.
The ERGO NEXT terms group Next Insurance, Inc. with Next Insurance US Company, Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., Next Claims Management, Inc. and AP Intego Insurance Group, LLC. The terms describe ERGO NEXT as an agent representing insurance companies, while the license disclosure distinguishes agency subsidiaries from the affiliated insurer. 4,5Company-reported. Legal roles stated in current website terms and licensing disclosure. Exact contracting entity can vary by state, channel and policy.
THREE documents its own insurance role and access arrangement.
THREE is the commercial brand and product form used by Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), which identifies itself as doing business as THREE and names itself as issuer on the sample THREE policy. THREE’s FAQ describes THREE or THREE Insurance as the product name, not a separate insurer. The state-specific issued policy controls. 31,32,33Company-reported. U.S. THREE commercial-insurance brand and sample policy; current company identity pages checked 2026-09-28. Company-reported legal disclosure; the state-specific issued policy controls the buyer’s contract.
Customer Fit and Application
Compare each provider’s stated customer focus against your business activities and stage; a published target market is not a guarantee of eligibility.
ERGO NEXT Insurance sells commercial insurance for small businesses and self-employed workers through an online application, licensed advisors and agency partners. Buyers can request coverage, receive electronic documents and manage supported policies online. 1,7,24Company-reported. Current company-described audience and service channels. This does not establish that every profession, product or applicant is eligible.
THREE describes its focus as businesses and presents industries it serves. Berkshire Hathaway’s 2025 annual report says BH Direct and GUARD together primarily offer commercial insurance to small and medium-sized businesses; it separately says BH Direct underwrites through the biBERK.com and Threeinsurance.com distribution platforms. Eligibility varies by state and business. 31,37Company-reported. THREE’s company-described business focus and industry examples, plus the 2025 report’s joint BH Direct-and-GUARD SMB statement. The report does not attribute that customer-size focus to BHDIC alone; actual eligibility varies by state and business.
These entry points show how to start; they do not confirm eligibility or that coverage has been bound. 4 23 8 31 31 40
The public quote flow starts with industry and state, then shows stages for coverage, application, quote and purchase. ERGO NEXT says supported policies can be quoted and bought online; licensed advisors are also available. 23,7,24Verified. The empty public start screen was reviewed on September 15, 2026. Virginia appeared as the site’s initial state value; no selection was made, no information was entered and the form was not continued or submitted. Downstream quote and purchase steps were not tested.
THREE directs prospective customers to an online quote flow and says licensed Small Business Advisors can help them start or continue the process; the company’s FAQ also describes a phone quote and says an unfinished quote can be saved and resumed. This documents quote routes, not online purchase or binding by an individual customer. 31,33Company-reported. U.S. business insurance quote application. Company-described online and phone process; no customer form was submitted and no binding outcome was tested.
What to Confirm in Quotes
Ask ERGO NEXT whether your class can complete the full online purchase and which affiliate issues the policy. Ask THREE for its applicable forms, limits and binding steps. Ask each provider to identify the proposed insurer, exact forms and endorsements, any intermediary or account service contact, and the steps required to bind. Compare premiums only after matching limits, retentions, exclusions, policy periods, taxes and fees.
Compare Services
What each provider documents about the services you may need
| Criteria | ERGO NEXT Insurance | THREE by Berkshire Hathaway |
|---|---|---|
| Business role | NEXT Insurance adopted the ERGO NEXT Insurance brand on January 15, 2026. Munich Re reports that it completed the full acquisition of Next Insurance in July 2025 and increased its ownership to 100%; ERGO is Munich Re’s primary-insurance business. 2,3Company-reported. Current brand and controlling-group relationship from the target company and parent-group transaction record. This is not a claim that ERGO or Munich Re issues every ERGO NEXT policy. The ERGO NEXT terms group Next Insurance, Inc. with Next Insurance US Company, Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., Next Claims Management, Inc. and AP Intego Insurance Group, LLC. The terms describe ERGO NEXT as an agent representing insurance companies, while the license disclosure distinguishes agency subsidiaries from the affiliated insurer. 4,5Company-reported. Legal roles stated in current website terms and licensing disclosure. Exact contracting entity can vary by state, channel and policy. | THREE is the commercial brand and product form used by Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), which identifies itself as doing business as THREE and names itself as issuer on the sample THREE policy. THREE’s FAQ describes THREE or THREE Insurance as the product name, not a separate insurer. The state-specific issued policy controls. 31,32,33Company-reported. U.S. THREE commercial-insurance brand and sample policy; current company identity pages checked 2026-09-28. Company-reported legal disclosure; the state-specific issued policy controls the buyer’s contract. Berkshire Hathaway’s published company list identifies Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (THREE) and lists Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) and biBERK separately. Its 2025 annual report says BH Direct and GUARD together primarily offer commercial products to small and medium-sized businesses; it separately describes BH Direct’s admitted commercial underwriting and use of the biBERK.com and Threeinsurance.com distribution platforms. The reviewed list and report do not establish the exact direct-versus-indirect ownership chain. 38,37Company-reported. Berkshire Hathaway company list checked 2026-09-28 and 2025 annual-report discussion of BH Direct and GUARD; group relationship and commercial operating scope only, not a precise ownership-chain finding. |
| Customer focus | ERGO NEXT Insurance sells commercial insurance for small businesses and self-employed workers through an online application, licensed advisors and agency partners. Buyers can request coverage, receive electronic documents and manage supported policies online. 1,7,24Company-reported. Current company-described audience and service channels. This does not establish that every profession, product or applicant is eligible. | THREE describes its focus as businesses and presents industries it serves. Berkshire Hathaway’s 2025 annual report says BH Direct and GUARD together primarily offer commercial insurance to small and medium-sized businesses; it separately says BH Direct underwrites through the biBERK.com and Threeinsurance.com distribution platforms. Eligibility varies by state and business. 31,37Company-reported. THREE’s company-described business focus and industry examples, plus the 2025 report’s joint BH Direct-and-GUARD SMB statement. The report does not attribute that customer-size focus to BHDIC alone; actual eligibility varies by state and business. |
| Application process | The public quote flow starts with industry and state, then shows stages for coverage, application, quote and purchase. ERGO NEXT says supported policies can be quoted and bought online; licensed advisors are also available. 23,7,24Verified. The empty public start screen was reviewed on September 15, 2026. Virginia appeared as the site’s initial state value; no selection was made, no information was entered and the form was not continued or submitted. Downstream quote and purchase steps were not tested. A complete application and carrier underwriting approval are required. The terms say a premium payment does not bind coverage until the carrier approves the application, and a payment is refunded if the carrier declines it. 4,8Company-reported. Current Terms §§15 and 18. Website statements that coverage begins after payment remain subject to these underwriting conditions. | THREE directs prospective customers to an online quote flow and says licensed Small Business Advisors can help them start or continue the process; the company’s FAQ also describes a phone quote and says an unfinished quote can be saved and resumed. This documents quote routes, not online purchase or binding by an individual customer. 31,33Company-reported. U.S. business insurance quote application. Company-described online and phone process; no customer form was submitted and no binding outcome was tested. THREE describes a partner-agency channel. Its partner page says the Agency Service Team assists policyholders and agents and that agency partners can use the THREE platform to quote, bind, and issue policies online. This describes the partner channel, not the direct public quote flow. 36Company-reported. THREE partner agency program and platform capabilities as described by the company; these capabilities apply to partner agencies and do not establish direct-customer self-binding. |
Sources
ERGO NEXT Insurance Official Website
- Small Business Insurance Quotes. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current ERGO NEXT branding; small-business positioning; online quote, document, certificate and app statements. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- NEXT Insurance Rebrands as ERGO NEXT Insurance. ERGO NEXT Insurance; January 15, 2026 announcement; About ERGO NEXT Insurance; former name and relationship to ERGO and Munich Re. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Acquisitions and Divestments. Munich Re; 2025 transactions: full acquisition of NEXT Insurance completed July 1, 2025 and stake increased to 100%. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Terms of Service. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Last revised June 29, 2026; §§1, 5–7, 11, 13, 15, 18 and 23 (entities, limited availability, electronic documents, agents and carriers, underwriting, fees, payment and cancellation). Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; State license table; entity and trade-name disclosure; agency referrals; Next Insurance US Company NAIC 16285 and admitted-state list. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Next Insurance US Company. Mississippi Insurance Department; Company license 1900012; NAIC 16285; issue date and authorized property-and-casualty lines. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Business Insurance for Small Businesses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Primary coverage selector; intended customers; product descriptions; online quote, purchase, documents, certificate and claims sections. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- General Liability Insurance. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Coverage overview; eligible-industry selector and Get a Quote links; Buy online; optional liquor, tools, cyber and umbrella references; state links and footer qualifications. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional Liability Insurance. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Professional Liability insurance heading; What is Professional Liability insurance? (also called errors & omissions insurance); applicant categories; online process; Get Instant Quote; policy qualifications. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Workers’ Compensation Insurance. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Workers’ Compensation Insurance hero; industry quote routes; small-business coverage overview; applicant process; state links; claims route; policy qualifications. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Commercial Property Insurance. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Commercial Property heading and quote invitation; business personal property, building and business-income components; quote process; policy qualifications; legal footer on agency sales and issuing-insurer obligations. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Business Owner’s Policy (BOP Insurance). ERGO NEXT Insurance; Business Owner’s Policy heading and quote invitation; BOP as combined general liability and commercial property; industry selector; optional equipment-failure, tools and cyber references; legal footer on agency and issuing insurer. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Commercial Auto Liability Insurance. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Commercial Auto hero; Progressive partner disclosure and external quote link; appointed-agent availability limitation. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Tools and Equipment Insurance. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Coverage for contractors and cleaning businesses; add-on to general liability; inland-marine terminology and qualifications. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Cyber Liability Insurance for Business. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Add-on to general or professional liability; covered-event examples, exclusions, application and policy qualifications. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Employment Practice Liability (EPLI). ERGO NEXT Insurance; EPLI as an add-on to general liability; applicant categories, claims-made description, exclusions and policy qualifications. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Commercial Umbrella Insurance. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Add-on to an ERGO NEXT general liability policy; limits, state-specific excess-liability naming and policy qualifications. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Liquor Liability Insurance Coverage. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Add-on to general liability for eligible food-service businesses; host and one-day event coverage exclusions. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance. ERGO NEXT Insurance; HNOA add-on to general liability for personal vehicles; commercial-auto partner route; vehicle and use qualifications. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Product Liability Insurance 100% Online. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Included in general liability for retailers and online sellers; cannot be purchased as a standalone policy. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Contractor Bonds. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Liberty Mutual Surety partnership; FAQ states ERGO NEXT does not itself offer contractor license bonds. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- ERGO NEXT Appetite Guide. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Three-page guide: eligibility overview; class-by-product appetite grid; umbrella/excess as a GL/BOP add-on; agent-portal confirmation. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Start a Quote. ERGO NEXT Insurance; First screen: five-stage progress indicator, industry choices and state field. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- How Can We Help? ERGO NEXT Insurance; Account-management topics; AI assistant; U.S.-based expert support hours; quote, billing, policy, certificate, claim, renewal and cancellation links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- My Account FAQs. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Electronic documents; policy and payment changes; cancellation; certificates and additional insureds. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- File a Claim. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Claims process; online and non-customer reporting; claims-advocate role; document, status and payment-method descriptions. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- General Liability Policy Specimen. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Texas restaurant specimen declarations: State National Insurance Company, Inc. as insurer and Next First Insurance Agency, Inc. as administrator; 2024–2025 specimen period. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- General Liability Coverage Guide — May 2026. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Coverage Enhancements table: garagekeepers for listed auto-service classes; expanded rented-premises damage; abuse and molestation; lost-key coverage; state and profession caveat. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Business Owners’ Policy Coverage Guide — August 20, 2026. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Liability Coverage Enhancements table: rented-premises damage, garagekeepers, abuse and molestation, lost-key options and available professions. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Auto Repair Shop Insurance. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Garagekeepers Liability section: customer vehicles and inclusion with general liability in Pro/Pro Plus packages; faulty-work and commercial-property descriptions; illustrative package limits. Accessed 2026-09-15.
THREE by Berkshire Hathaway Official Website
- THREE by Berkshire Hathaway — small business insurance. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Issuer, business focus, and industry scope, lines 70–81; quote/advisor route, lines 405–420; DBA footer, lines 432–434. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- The Policy. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Sample declarations, limits and three-day Business Interruption waiting period (lines 58–76); Section I: interruption follows a property loss the insurer pays and ends on resumed normal operations or an applicable limit (lines 82–86); Section III: machinery/equipment/listed vehicles stopping without an accident are excluded (lines 104–112). Accessed 2026-09-29.
- FAQs: Understanding THREE. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Quote save/resume, lines 73–76; claim/update routes, lines 78–89; product-not-company wording, lines 98–100; one-year policy/payment terms, lines 129–130; servicing requests, lines 141–157. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Terms & Conditions. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; BHDIC dba THREE, lines 20–23; recurring automatic bank draft qualification, lines 27–33. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Filing a Claim: Call to get started. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Online/phone claims and account-manager assignment, lines 24–43; claim updates, lines 59–61. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Become a THREE Partner. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Partner-agency program and platform permissions, lines 6–18; state availability, lines 30–35. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Berkshire Hathaway Inc. 2025 Annual Report / Form 10-K. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.; 2025 annual report, PDF page 5, printed K-4, lines 303–308: BH Direct and GUARD joint SMB focus; BH Direct platforms/admitted products. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Links to Berkshire Hathaway Subsidiary Companies. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.; Published subsidiary-company list; BHDIC (THREE), BHSI, and biBERK shown separately, lines 11–16. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- THREE online quote application. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; THREE online quote entry point inspected; the page is a route to begin an application. No form was submitted or quote generated; this source alone does not establish customer self-binding. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Business Owners Policy | THREE. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Product page explicitly markets Business Liability categories (including liquor liability if required), Property (including equipment breakdown and inland marine), Business Auto (including cargo liability and hired/non-owned), Business Interruption, Cyber and Workers’ Compensation, within one combined policy description (lines 8–9, 19–21, 23–76); BHDIC dba THREE footer (lines 93–94). Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Benefits | THREE. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Page copy: commercial coverage category descriptions for liability, cyber, property/business interruption, business auto and workers compensation; describes product benefits, not a complete policy form. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- THREE logo SVG. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Direct official SVG asset; viewBox 0 0 720 253; embedded title “Three by Berkshire Hathaway”; downloaded and preserved byte-for-byte as assets/three-logo.svg. Accessed 2026-09-29.




