Travelers life and health agents E&O through AMBA review for insurance agents: E&O cost, coverage and policy terms
Agent E&O pays to defend you and settle a client's claim that your mistake cost them money. Travelers insures an E&O program for life and health agents and agencies, managed with AMBA Administrators, Inc.
It also covers BGAs, MGAs and benefits administrators, with mutual funds and P&C as add-ons.
- Best for
- Life and health agents, agencies, BGAs and MGAs, including benefits administrators
- Price
- Quote only
- Insurer
- Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America
- Lines covered
- Life, health, accident and annuities, with mutual funds and P&C as options
- Policy form
- Claims-made, so the policy in force when a claim is made is the one that responds
Our take
Travelers fits larger life and health firms, such as BGAs, MGAs and agencies that also administer benefit plans. The extras are strong: disciplinary defense, crisis costs and pre-claim legal help all sit outside the limit.
The weak spot is defense. It comes out of your limit, and the deductible applies to it, so lean toward a higher limit.
Pros
- Disciplinary and crisis costs paid outside the limit
- Pre-claim legal help that doesn't touch the limit
- Covers BGAs, MGAs and benefits administrators
- Unlimited tail available when your quote offers it
Cons
- Defense reduces the limit
- No published prices
- Paper application with several supplements
Who can buy
- Who can buy
- Individual life and health agents, agencies, brokerages, BGAs, MGAs, general agents and consultants
- Licenses
- Everyone you want covered must be actively licensed where required
- Agency size or revenue
- The smallest limit is only for firms under $75,000 in yearly life and health commissions and fees
- Prior claims
- Five years of claims and circumstances, with a supplement for each one
- Supplements
- Self-funded plan work, P&C work and subagent business each need their own form
- Membership required
- No
What it costs
- How it's priced
- Travelers underwrites each application. No premiums are published
- What sets the price
- Your revenue, products, claims history, limit and deductible
- Mediation credit
- Your deductible drops by half, up to $25,000, if a claim settles in mediation or within 30 days after
Insurer and admitted status
- Issuing insurer
- Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, per the May 2024 program overview
- Administrator
- AMBA Administrators, Inc., which manages the program with Travelers
- States
- Depends on underwriting and state rules. Some limit and deductible options vary by state
Policy form, prior acts and tail
- Policy form
- Claims-made, forms IPL-1000 and IPL-1001 (July 2010 edition)
- Retroactive date
- Shown on your declarations. It's the earliest date of past work the policy covers
- Prior acts
- Covered back to the retroactive date if no principal expected a claim on the knowledge date
- Tail options
- A free 60 days to report claims after the policy ends. If your quote offers it, you can buy 12, 24, 36 or 60 months or unlimited time within 60 days
- Free tail for sole owners
- If you die, retire or become disabled after three years insured with Travelers
Claims-made means the policy in force when the claim is made pays it. Send your current declarations page with the application so your retroactive date carries over.
Limits, deductibles and defense
| Limit per claim | Aggregate | Deductible |
|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $300,000 | From $1,000, small firms only |
| $250,000 | $750,000 | $2,500 to $10,000 |
| $500,000 | $1.5 million | $2,500 to $10,000 |
| $1 million | $3 million | $2,500 to $10,000 |
Per claim is the most paid on one claim. The aggregate is the most paid in a policy year. Other deductibles are possible with underwriting.
- Defense costs
- Inside the limit, so defense reduces what's left to pay a claim. The deductible applies to defense too. A limited defense-outside-the-limit option exists
- New York
- Defense can use up to half the limit and up to half the deductible
Consent to settle and exclusions
- Consent to settle
- Travelers needs your consent. If you refuse a settlement it recommends, it pays the offer plus defense to that date and 50% of later costs
Excluded
- Criminal, dishonest or fraudulent acts, though innocent insureds keep coverage
- Securities claims
- Structured settlement annuities, life settlements and viatical settlements
- Guarantees of funds or rates of return
- Disputes over your fees, commissions or premiums
- Insurer insolvency, unless the insurer was rated A- or better by AM Best
- Contract liability you wouldn't have without the contract
- Antitrust claims
Who the policy covers
- The agency
- The named firm and a qualifying predecessor firm
- Employees
- Current and former owners, partners, directors, officers, shareholders and employees
- Independent contractors
- Covered when they're licensed and named on the application
- Subagents
- Need a separate supplement
- Spouses
- Only for claims tied to an insured person's work
Included and optional coverage
| Coverage | Included or optional | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Network and information security liability | Included | Within the policy limit |
| Disciplinary and regulatory defense | Included, no deductible | $25,000 each, $50,000 total, outside the limit |
| Crisis expenses | Included, no deductible | $10,000 each, $30,000 total, outside the limit |
| Pre-claim help from a lawyer | Included at Travelers' choice | Doesn't use the limit or deductible |
| Breach response and notification | Optional | $25,000 or $50,000 |
| Mutual fund sales | Optional | Set in the quote |
| P&C coverage | Optional, agency application only | Set in the quote |
How to apply
Download the application
Use the agency or individual application from the Travelers or AMBA site.
Add supplements
For P&C, self-funded plans, subagents or each past claim.
Attach your declarations
Include your current E&O declarations page if you're switching.
Sign and send
Electronic signatures are accepted. AMBA takes questions at 888-424-2310.
Review the quote
Travelers underwrites and quotes the policy.
Claims and risk management
- How to report
- Email BSIClaims@travelers.com, call 800-842-8496, fax or mail to Travelers in Hartford
- When to report
- In writing as soon as you can, during the policy or tail period
- Before you act
- Don't admit fault, settle or hire a lawyer without Travelers' written consent
Travelers life and health agents E&O through AMBA alternatives
- NAPA E&OFrom $355 a year, newly licensed, $1M/$3M, $0 deductiblePublished life and health prices with monthly plans
- CalSuranceQuote onlyNAIFA and NABIP programs, NABIP with defense outside limits
- EOforLessFrom $374 a year, Medicare only, $1M/$1M, $0 deductiblePublished prices, including a Medicare-only plan
- American Agents AllianceQuote only for most agenciesMember program with defense outside the limit
- Big I Professional LiabilityQuote onlySwiss Re program for independent P&C agencies
See every option in E&O insurance for insurance agents.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Travelers E&O through AMBA cost?
Travelers quotes each application and doesn't post rates. Revenue, products, claims history and your limit set the price.
Are defense costs outside the limit?
No. Defense reduces the limit, though a limited outside-the-limit option is offered.
Can P&C agents get coverage?
P&C is an option you add to the agency application, so the program fits life and health agencies that also sell some P&C.
How do I apply?
Download the agency or individual application, add any supplements and sign electronically. AMBA answers questions at 888-424-2310.
How we researched this review. We based this review on the terms and product pages published by Travelers life and health agents E&O through AMBA, reviewed in October 2026, together with our team's experience working with insurance agents and agency owners since 2008.
Corrections
Vendors change their pricing all the time and they don't email us when they do. So if you see a price on here that's gone up, a plan Travelers life and health agents E&O through AMBA quit selling or a contract term that reads different now, let us know and send the link to the page where Travelers life and health agents E&O through AMBA has it. Somebody here pulls up that page and checks it before we change anything on ours.