insurance companies who do bonds
Insurance Companies Who Do Bonds – Quick Scoop
Many major insurers offer bond-related products (especially surety bonds and “financial guaranty”/bond insurance), but they often do it through specialized units or partner lists rather than under a simple “bonds” label on their homepages.What “insurance companies who do bonds” actually means
Before naming names, it helps to clarify two big buckets people usually mean by “bonds”:
- Surety bonds
These guarantee performance or payment (for contractors, license/permit bonds, court bonds, etc.). An insurer promises a project owner or government that you’ll do what your contract or license requires.
- Bond insurance / financial guaranty insurance
This is insurance on the bond itself (often municipal or structured finance), where a specialist “monoline” insurer guarantees the scheduled interest and principal payments to bondholders.
Most general insurance agencies that say they “do bonds” are talking about surety and miscellaneous bonds for individuals and businesses, not investment- grade financial guaranty.
Examples of insurance companies who do bonds
Below is a snapshot of types of companies and what they focus on. This is not exhaustive, but it gives you a real-world feel.
| Company / Group | Type of bond work | Notable angle |
|---|---|---|
| Zurich | Surety bonds (bid, performance, payment, maintenance, supply, PPP, miscellaneous bonds) | One of the largest global surety providers, offering a wide range of commercial surety solutions for contractors and large projects. | [5]
| Chubb | International surety bonds | Provides surety capacity in 45+ countries and territories, useful for companies with cross‑border or multinational projects. | [7]
| CNA/Western Surety Company | Preferred surety bonds (often via SBA programs and contractors) | Listed among “preferred surety bond companies” in U.S. Small Business Administration partner listings. | [1]
| Merchants Bonding, Markel, Endurance/Sompo, Developers Surety & Indemnity (AmTrust) | Surety and commercial bonds | Appear on SBA and similar lists as active surety partners serving contractors and small businesses. | [1]
| Assured Guaranty (AGC/AGM), Ambac, Build America Mutual (BAM) | Bond insurance / financial guaranty on municipal and structured bonds | Specialized “monoline” bond insurers; they guarantee scheduled interest and principal on bonds rather than traditional P&C risks. | [3]
| Bond Safeguard Insurance Company and other Treasury‑listed sureties | Surety bonds accepted for U.S. federal obligations | Appear on the U.S. Treasury’s certified list of companies eligible to write federal surety bonds. | [9]
| Regional agencies (e.g., All American Insurance Services of Texas, Kennedy Insurance Agency) | Brokerage of various personal, license, contractor, and court bonds | Local agencies that “handle” many bond types and place them with surety markets on behalf of clients. | [4][6]
How to find the right insurer or agency for your situation
Because “insurance companies who do bonds” covers a lot of ground, the best match depends on what you actually need:
- Contractor or construction bonds (bid, performance, payment)
- Look at large surety players like Zurich or Chubb, or surety specialists like CNA/Western Surety, Merchants Bonding, Markel, or other SBA‑associated partners.
* Many contractors access these through local independent agencies rather than going directly.
- License & permit bonds, small business bonds, or court bonds
- Regional agencies that advertise “we handle bonds” typically place these through a panel of surety companies.
* This route is usually quicker if you just need a single license bond or probate bond.
- Municipal or structured bond insurance (for issuers or institutional investors)
- You’re in specialist territory: monoline financial guaranty firms like Assured Guaranty, Ambac, and Build America Mutual.
* These are used when issuers want to “wrap” bonds to enhance credit quality or improve marketability.
- Government / federal project bonds
- For work requiring bonds acceptable to the U.S. government, you need a company from the certified Treasury list (e.g., Bond Safeguard Insurance Company and many others).
* Contractors often confirm both the surety and the bond amount are allowed under Treasury limits.
A quick, realistic scenario
Imagine you are a small construction firm about to bid a public project:
- You contact a local independent insurance agency that advertises contractor insurance and bonds.
- They evaluate your financials and work history, then place you with a surety like Zurich, CNA/Western Surety, or Merchants Bonding for a bid bond and (if you win) performance and payment bonds.
- On a larger, multi‑country project, a global surety such as Zurich or Chubb might issue bonds in multiple jurisdictions, coordinating with local offices.
For a city issuing a municipal bond, the path is very different:
- The city’s advisors might approach a bond insurer like Assured Guaranty or Build America Mutual to “wrap” the bond, improving the perceived credit quality to investors.
Mini FAQ about insurance and bonds
Do all big insurance companies “do bonds”?
No. Many large insurers focus on life, health, or property/casualty lines,
while bond insurance is legally confined to monoline financial guaranty firms,
and surety is often a specialized division.
Is bond insurance the same as buying a bond fund with protection?
Not exactly. Bond insurance is a guarantee on specific bond issues’ payments,
not a product you add to a mutual fund or ETF in a retail account.
Where should I start if I’m just an individual needing a single bond?
A local or regional agency that explicitly lists “bonds” among its services is
usually the fastest path, because they already have relationships with
multiple surety companies and can place your specific bond type.
Bottom line: if you’re looking for “insurance companies who do bonds,” you’re really choosing between surety providers (for contractors, licenses, courts) and specialist monoline bond insurers (for municipal/structured finance deals), often accessed through agencies or advisors rather than directly.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
