Is CNA Legit? Licensing, Insurers and Reliability
CNA has no Carrier & MGA Spot Score because the reviewed evidence is insufficient for a numerical assessment. Spot Scores assess documented reliability within the reviewed scope; they do not predict claims payment.
Assessment
Assessment status unavailable
This partial Carrier & MGA Spot Score covers licensing and authority, claims and servicing, regulatory record and how clearly it explains its terms. It uses 65% of the rubric's factor weighting, normalized to a ten-point scale. Anything without enough evidence is left out, not scored as zero.
Assessment subject unavailable
Assessed 2026-09-29 · Review due 2026-10-29
Evidence and Scope
Role: Carrier. Scope: CNA's U.S. commercial carriers, led by Continental Casualty Company and The Continental Insurance Company, plus the other CNA companies named with them in New York regulator orders. CNA Financial Corporation is parent context. A specific policy's issuer must be confirmed on its declarations page.
Entity and assessment scope
CNA says its products and services are provided by one or more CNA companies and names Continental Casualty Company. It also says some coverages may come from a CNA surplus lines company. The disclaimer does not say which company issues which product.[1]
CNA says it works closely with independent agents and brokers in each of its locations. Buyers usually reach CNA through a broker, not directly.[3]
Authority and domicile
California's Department of Insurance lists Continental Casualty (Illinois, authorized 1902) and The Continental Insurance Company (Pennsylvania, authorized 1978) as Property & Casualty companies with UNLIMITED-NORMAL status. Both belong to the CNA Insurance Group. Other states and the other CNA companies were not checked.[4][5]
CNA says its surplus lines companies do not generally take part in state guaranty funds. Buyers of surplus lines coverage are not protected by those funds.[1]
Financial condition and external financial strength ratings
CNA's 2025 annual report shows A.M. Best rating its insurance subsidiaries A+ at December 31, 2025. The report says A.M. Best upgraded the rating and moved the outlook to stable from positive in December 2025. This is CNA reporting the rating, and AM Best's own page could not be opened here.[6]
The filing reports combined statutory capital and surplus for the Combined Continental Casualty Companies of $11,578 million at December 31, 2025, up from $11,165 million a year earlier. It marks the 2025 figure as derived from statements still to be filed with regulators. This is a group total, not the surplus of one issuing company.[6]
Claims, servicing and responsibility
CNA publishes a claims line, (877) 574-0540, open weekdays 8 am to 8 pm Eastern, and an online form for auto, general liability, workers' compensation, marine, property, professional and other commercial claims. The page mentions a Special Investigations Unit. It gives no response-time commitments or staffing numbers.[2]
Reinsurance and capacity
In 2010 Continental Casualty and other CNA companies ceded most of their old asbestos and environmental liabilities to National Indemnity Company, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, up to a $4 billion limit. $3.9 billion had been ceded by December 31, 2025. CNA warns it could take a charge if that limit is exceeded. This covers old claims, not the reinsurance behind new commercial policies.[6]
Regulatory conduct search and findings
New York DFS approved a consent order on December 22, 2024 with six CNA companies, including Continental Casualty and Continental Insurance. DFS found they were late reporting vehicle registration information to the state DMV in 2018. The penalty was $148,000.[7]
New York DFS also approved a consent order on January 30, 2024 with the same six companies. It found they failed to charge approved rates and lacked procedures to prevent incorrect rates from January 2018 to December 2019. The fine was $50,000.[8]
On July 31, 2025, the Texas workers' compensation regulator fined Continental Casualty $1,500 after auditing 16 initial income-benefit payments made in July to September 2024. Four of the 16 (25%) were not paid on time.[9]
These are the matters found by searching New York and Texas regulator records. It was not a search of every state, so it does not show a clean record elsewhere.[7][9]
Role, compensation and conflicts
CNA is an insurance company, not a broker. Its policies are placed mostly through independent agents and brokers, and this review did not find a CNA disclosure of the commissions it pays them.[3]
Evidence gaps
- The A+ rating for Continental Casualty hasn't been confirmed with AM Best directly. It is taken from CNA's annual report.
- Licenses were checked in California only, for two companies. The other named CNA companies and other states were not checked.
- No company-by-company statutory surplus and no policy-to-issuer mapping were reviewed.
- Regulator checks covered New York and Texas actions, not every state. A separate 2024 New York filing-timeliness fine was reported but hasn't been confirmed, so it is not counted.
- CNA publishes no claims response-time commitments or staffing counts on the claims page.
Jurisdiction searches
| Jurisdiction | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 CaliforniaCalifornia Department of Insurance | Verified regulator result[4][5] | California DOI profiles opened for Continental Casualty and The Continental Insurance Company; both UNLIMITED-NORMAL. |
 New YorkNew York State Department of Financial Services | Verified regulator result[7][8] | Two DFS consent orders (2024) naming six CNA companies were opened and read. |
 Texas | Verified regulator result[9] | A July 2025 Texas workers' compensation consent order against Continental Casualty was opened. The order is company-reported evidence of a certificate of authority. |
| USUnited States, Other States | Not researched | No other state regulator was searched for licenses or actions. |
Licenses and Authority
These are reviewed authority records for the named legal entities and scope. A license record does not establish that a particular policy is available, bound, or suitable.
| Entity and jurisdiction | Identifier | License class and authority |
|---|---|---|
| Continental Casualty CompanyCalifornia | Insurer company ID: 0048-9[4] | California property and casualty company profile; California DOI profile shows NAIC 20443, Illinois domicile, License Status UNLIMITED-NORMAL, authorized May 14, 1902. |
| The Continental Insurance CompanyCalifornia | Insurer company ID: 2270-7[5] | California property and casualty company profile; California DOI profile shows NAIC 35289, Pennsylvania domicile, License Status UNLIMITED-NORMAL, authorized January 1, 1978. |
| Continental Casualty CompanyTexas | Certificate of authority: Not stated[9] | Texas workers' compensation/employers' liability; The Texas DWC order says Continental Casualty holds a Texas certificate of authority and is licensed to write workers' compensation and employers' liability. The order does not print a license number. |
Sources
- CNA general disclaimer. CNA Financial Corporation; Names Continental Casualty Company; says one or more CNA companies provide products; CNA trademark used by subsidiaries; some coverages may be provided by a CNA surplus lines company that does not generally participate in state guaranty funds. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- CNA claims center. CNA Financial Corporation; Claim line (877) 574-0540, M-F 8 am-8 pm Eastern; online form with claim type list; commercial lines covered; Special Investigations Unit mentioned. No staffing counts or response-time commitments on the page. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- CNA US locations. CNA Financial Corporation; States CNA works with independent agents and brokers in each location; CNA trademark used by CNA Financial subsidiaries. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- California DOI company profile: Continental Casualty Company. California Department of Insurance; Profile: NAIC 20443; CA Company ID 0048-9; Illinois domicile; UNLIMITED-NORMAL; authorized 1902-05-14; NAIC Group 0218 CNA Insurance Group. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- California DOI company profile: The Continental Insurance Company. California Department of Insurance; Profile: NAIC 35289; CA Company ID 2270-7; Pennsylvania domicile; UNLIMITED-NORMAL; authorized 1978-01-01; NAIC Group 0218. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- CNA Financial Corporation 2025 Form 10-K. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Item 1 (operating companies; Loews about 92%); risk factors table of insurer financial strength ratings at Dec 31, 2025 (A.M. Best A+, upgraded Dec 2025, outlook stable); statutory capital and surplus table for Combined Continental Casualty Companies; A&EP Loss Portfolio Transfer with NICO ($4 billion limit, $3.9 billion ceded at Dec 31, 2025). Accessed 2026-09-29.
- NYDFS consent order 2024-0351-S, CNA Insurance Group. New York State Department of Financial Services; Order approved December 22, 2024: six CNA companies including Continental Casualty and Continental Insurance failed to timely report vehicle registration information to NY DMV in 2018; $148,000 penalty. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- NYDFS disciplinary actions issued March 20, 2024. New York State Department of Financial Services; Consent order approved January 30, 2024 with the same six CNA companies: $50,000 fine for failing to charge approved rates and lacking procedures to prevent incorrect rates, January 2018 to December 2019. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Texas DWC consent order 2025-9443, Continental Casualty Company. Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation; Order dated July 31, 2025: audit of 16 initial income-benefit payments (July-September 2024); 4 of 16 (25%) not timely; $1,500 administrative penalty. Accessed 2026-09-29.
Coverage Lines
Product pages for coverage lines documented for CNA.
