CFC vs Markel: Professional Liability / E&O Insurance

Markel Insurance's miscellaneous E&O is built for small businesses up to $5 million in revenue and states coverage up to $2 million. CFC publishes E&O limits to $10 million and sets no revenue threshold.

Kearny Risk organizes these comparisons for firms whose advice, content or technology creates professional exposures.Research updated 2026-09-30

Areas of coverage

CFC

  • role: CFC sells professional errors & omissions as a modular package policy it calls "Professional services" (branded on the brochure as "Miscellaneous professional liability"), which pairs E&O with optional general liability, property and cyber add-ons rather than selling E&O alone. Professional liability product page's "Professional services" tile and the miscellaneous professional liability brochure.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • insurer: The reviewed professional liability page and brochure describe CFC as the policy designer and point of contact but do not name the insurer that carries the risk for this product. Professional liability product page and professions brochure as read on 2026-09-23. CFC's own materials describe it as an underwriting manager rather than a risk-bearing insurer, so a specific carrier for this product would need to come from the quote or declarations.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
  • coverage: CFC says the E&O cover includes breach of contract, bodily injury, property damage, vicarious liability of subcontractors, IP infringement, pollution liability, libel, slander, defamation, document loss and withheld fees, with worldwide legal cover. Brochure's "Comprehensive errors & omissions cover" and "Comprehensive legal cover" sections; exact wording and exclusions are set by the policy as issued.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Businesses can add a separate commercial general liability limit, property, and cyber and privacy liability to the E&O policy, plus optional umbrella liability that sits over the E&O and CGL layers. Brochure's "Modular package policy" and "Umbrella liability" sections; availability depends on underwriting.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: CFC's brochure lists maximum limits of $10,000,000 for E&O, $6,000,000 for CGL and $5,000,000 for umbrella, with a $0 minimum deductible, minimum premiums starting at $475-$500 depending on the coverage part, and no revenue threshold for eligibility. Brochure's "Limits, deductibles, premiums, revenue threshold" section; the terms actually issued depend on underwriting.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: CFC says it favors business, educational, environmental, food, HR, market-research, quality-assurance, security and traffic consultants, event organisers, freight brokers, loss adjusters, private investigators and trade associations, and ordinarily declines debt collectors, financial advisors, health and safety consultants, insurance agents, lawyers, mortgage brokers, pre-purchase home inspectors, stockbrokers, tour operators and valuers. Brochure's "What we love" and "What we ordinarily decline" lists; actual acceptance depends on individual underwriting.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: CFC publishes a dedicated application form for this policy and also says its professional liability class can be traded directly through its Connect platform or through named API partners, in addition to the standard broker-submitted application. Professional liability product page's downloads and "Digitally traded" sections; not confirmed specifically for the professions/miscellaneous professional liability product versus the class as a whole.company-reportedSource ↗
  • claims: CFC lists a named Claims Manager for Professions on its claims team, indicating professional-liability claims are routed to a dedicated professions unit rather than a generalist adjuster. CFC's claims page team listing; the page does not publish claim volumes or turnaround times specific to this product.company-reportedSource ↗

Markel Insurance

  • role: Markel describes offering professional errors omissions for the audience stated on the cited product page. professional errors omissions marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Small businesses in ProBiz's targeted industries; source describes businesses up to $5 million revenue for the miscellaneous E&O product. professional errors omissions marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: The cited product page describes miscellaneous E&O for covered claims arising from professional services, with the page describing separate E&O and management-liability products. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. professional errors omissions marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: The page invites prospective customers or brokers to contact Markel or the named underwriting team. The page does not establish a quote, bind, or coverage-effective timeline. professional errors omissions marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: For its miscellaneous E&O product, Markel states coverage up to $2 million; this is a product-page maximum, not a promise that every applicant or quote receives that amount. Markel ProBiz miscellaneous E&O marketing page; class, underwriting, policy terms, and actual quoted limit control.company-reportedSource ↗

What Are the Key Differences Between CFC and Markel Insurance Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?

Limit and package options

CFC sells professional E&O in a modular Professional Services policy with optional general liability, property and cyber; its brochure lists a $10 million E&O maximum, with separate CGL and umbrella maxima. Markel describes miscellaneous E&O for targeted small businesses and states a $2 million maximum. These are product ceilings, not guaranteed terms, so compare the limit actually quoted and whether other package lines share it. [2] [6]

Professions and application route

CFC favors business, education, environmental, food, HR, research and other consultants, and names occupations it usually declines. It accepts applications through a dedicated form, Connect or API partners as well as brokers. Markel's overview focuses on ProBiz's targeted small-business industries and invites contact with its team. A profession outside CFC's stated appetite should be checked against Markel's underwriting classes. [2] [3] [6]

What Should You Confirm in CFC and Markel Insurance Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask CFC whether your profession is eligible, which lines share the package and which submission channel supports it.
  • Ask Markel for eligible industries, revenue scope, exclusions and available limits.

CFC's professional-services policy can pair E&O with optional liability, property and cyber and lists a $10 million maximum; Markel targets small-business miscellaneous E&O with a $2 million stated maximum.

Sources reviewed

  1. 01
    Claims

    CFC · Our claims team: Professions team, led by Laura Bennett, Claims Manager, Professions Claims & Kidnap, War & Piracy (KWP) · accessed 2026-09-23

  2. 02
    Miscellaneous professional liability | Product brochure | United States

    CFC · Comprehensive errors & omissions cover; Modular package policy; Umbrella liability; At a glance: What we love / What we ordinarily decline; Optional extras; Limits, deductibles, premiums, revenue threshold · accessed 2026-09-23

  3. 03
    Professional liability

    CFC · Professional services tile description; Digitally traded Connect section; downloads (brochure, application form) · accessed 2026-09-23

  4. 04
    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

  5. 05
    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

  6. 06
    ProBiz | Professional Liability Coverage

    Markel · Miscellaneous E&O; types of covered professional-service errors; ProBiz target classes and process. · accessed 2026-09-30

  7. 07
    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

  8. 08
    Get business insurance

    U.S. Small Business Administration · Six common types of business insurance table · accessed 2026-09-16

Ask Kearny Risk to help relate this comparison to your services and contracts.

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