What Is Fiduciary Liability Insurance?

Written by Derek San Filippo

Derek San Filippo

Derek is a former staff writer and has written 100+ articles on property & casualty, health and life insurance topics as.

Edited by Dan Marticio

Dan Marticio

Dan Marticio is the content manager at SmartFinancial and has written 150+ articles across multiple insurance verticals.

Expert Reviewed

Our panel of insurance experts has reviewed the content to ensure that our reporting and statistics are accurate, easy to understand and unbiased.

Editorial Standards

SmartFinancial Offers Unbiased, Fact-based Information. Our fact-checked articles are intended to educate insurance shoppers so they can make the right buying decisions. Learn More

Fiduciary liability insurance is a type of insurance that covers financial losses that may result from a fiduciary's failure to fulfill their legal and ethical obligations. Fiduciaries can include trustees, executors, guardians, investment advisors, brokers or insurance agents. Covered losses include those resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty, failure to disclose conflicts of interest and errors in the administration of a trust or estate.

Keep reading to see who should consider fiduciary liability insurance, how it works and what it costs.

On This Page

What Is a Fiduciary?

A fiduciary is a person or entity that has a legal and ethical responsibility to act in the best interests of another party. For example, a fiduciary may include a financial advisor who manages assets and provides advice on investing. Fiduciaries are held to a high standard of care, called the "fiduciary standard."

The fiduciary standard requires the fiduciary to put the interests of their clients or beneficiaries ahead of their own and to act with integrity and impartiality. They must also disclose any conflicts of interest and avoid self-dealing.

Other examples of fiduciaries include trustees, executors of wills and guardians of minors. In the financial industry, investment advisers, brokers and insurance agents may also be considered fiduciaries if they provide investment advice or manage assets for their clients.

Keep in mind that professionals may need to meet certain state or federal requirements before they can be considered fiduciaries. For example, in California, fiduciaries must be licensed, which would require passing an examination, 30 hours of approved education courses plus 15 hours of continuing education credit annually to renew the license.

Get Personalized Business Insurance Quotes Here

What Does Fiduciary Liability Insurance Cover?

Fiduciary liability insurance coverage pays when third parties allege that financial losses resulted from a fiduciary's failure to fulfill their legal and ethical obligations. This type of insurance is typically purchased by trustees, executors, guardians and other financial professionals who have a fiduciary duty to protect their clients' or beneficiaries' assets and interests.

Examples of what fiduciary liability coverage might cover include:

• Breach of fiduciary duty: Losses resulting from a fiduciary allegedly failing to fulfill their legal and ethical obligations to act in the best interests of their clients or beneficiaries. For example, a beneficiary may accuse a will executor of breaching their fiduciary duty because they were allegedly embezzling their trust fund.
• Failure to disclose conflicts of interest or from self-dealing: Losses resulting when the fiduciary is accused of placing their personal interests over those of their clients or beneficiaries. For example, a financial advisor may push a product that may not be the best option for their client but does so anyway because the advisor gains a commission.
• Errors or omissions in the administration of a trust or estate: Losses resulting from a professional error or a failure to disclose important information. For example, if an executor fails to file tax returns, resulting in penalties, this coverage would help to reimburse those penalties.
• Failure to comply with regulations or laws. This coverage helps to protect against financial losses that may occur due to a failure to comply with regulations such as ERISA requirements.

What Isn’t Covered by Fiduciary Liability Insurance?

Fiduciary liability insurance is designed to protect financial professionals from losses resulting from failing to fulfill their legal and ethical obligations, but it is not a catch-all coverage. While fiduciary liability insurance may cover legal costs incurred when the company is accused of wrongdoing, it may not cover expenses if the company is actually found guilty of certain crimes, like deliberate fraud or embezzlement.

Other examples of what is not covered by fiduciary liability insurance include:

• Criminal fines and penalties
• Bodily injury
• Property damage
• Poor investment performance
• Taxes
• Sanctions
• Natural disasters, war or other catastrophic events

How Much Does Fiduciary Liability Insurance Cost?

Fiduciary liability insurance costs can range from $500 to $2,500 per year. Actual costs will consider several factors, including the limits of the policy, the total value of the assets being managed and your claims history — if you’ve filed multiple claims recently, you will likely face higher rates.

Who Is a Fiduciary Insurance Policy Best For?

A fiduciary liability insurance policy is best for individuals and organizations with a legal and ethical responsibility to act in the best interests of another party. Below is a list of professionals who would benefit from such coverage:

Type

Description

Trustees have a legal and ethical responsibility to manage assets on behalf of the beneficiaries of a trust

Executors of wills

Executors manage assets on behalf of the beneficiaries of a will, which may include paying debts and taxes owed and distributing assets to the beneficiaries

Guardians of minors

Guardians manage assets on behalf of minors until they turn 18, which may include spending installment payments from their inheritance on expenses outlined in the will

Investment advisors and brokers

Investment advisers have a legal and ethical responsibility to provide investment advice to the best of their knowledge that will aid the client in their financial goals

What Other Business Insurance Types Should a Fiduciary Consider?

In addition to fiduciary liability insurance, fiduciaries may want to consider other insurance policies to protect their business and assets, such as cyber liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance if they employ workers.

1. Professional liability insurance: This type of insurance, also known as errors and omissions insurance, provides coverage for financial losses resulting from mistakes or oversights in the rendering of professional services such as consulting or accounting.
2. Cyber liability insurance: This type of insurance provides coverage for financial losses resulting from cyber attacks, data breaches and other cyber-related incidents. Fiduciaries that have access to their client’s sensitive and private information should strongly consider this coverage.
3. General liability insurance: This type of coverage provides coverage for financial losses resulting from third-party claims of bodily injury or property damage. If you have a physical office that accepts walk-in visitors, you should carry general liability insurance.
4. Directors and officers liability insurance: This type of insurance provides coverage for financial losses resulting from claims made against the directors and officers of a company for wrongful acts committed in their official capacity.
5. Workers’ compensation insurance: If you employ your state’s minimum number of workers, you are legally required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This coverage will pay for employee injuries and illnesses sustained while working.

The specific insurance needs of a fiduciary will depend on the nature of their business, the risks they face and the regulations they must comply with. It's always important to review the specific needs and assess the risk exposures in order to choose the right coverage.

Get Personalized Business Insurance Quotes Here

FAQs

Why would my business need fiduciary liability insurance?

Your business would need fiduciary liability insurance if your company provides employee benefits of any kind. Going without coverage can leave you open to potentially expensive and time-consuming defense and legal costs.

Is fiduciary liability insurance the same as ERISA bond?

Fiduciary liability insurance and an ERISA bond are not the same thing. Fiduciary liability coverage protects the fiduciary managing employee benefit plans from allegations of breaches in fiduciary duty, while an ERISA bond protects the employees who suffer financial losses resulting from a fiduciary’s professional wrongdoing.

What is the difference between employee benefits liability and fiduciary liability?

Employee benefits liability insurance covers claims against administrative errors while fiduciary liability insurance protects against claims alleging dereliction of fiduciary responsibility, such as embezzlement or failure to disclose critical information.

Key Takeaways

• Fiduciary liability insurance is a type of insurance that covers financial losses that may result from a fiduciary's failure to fulfill their legal and ethical obligations to their client or a beneficiary.
• A fiduciary is a person or entity with a legal and ethical responsibility to act in the best interests of another party, such as a trustee, executor, guardian, investment advisor, broker or insurance agent.
• Fiduciaries are held to a high standard of care, known as the "fiduciary standard" which means they must put the interests of their clients or beneficiaries ahead of their own, act with integrity and impartiality, disclose conflicts of interest and avoid self-dealing.
• Examples of what fiduciary liability insurance covers include losses resulting from an allegation of a breach of fiduciary duty, failure to disclose conflicts of interest, errors or omissions in the administration of a trust or estate and failure to comply with regulations or laws.

SmartFinancial can help you get the coverage your business needs without breaking the bank. Enter your zip code below or call 855.214.2291 and we’ll send you your free commercial insurance quotes.

Sources

1. Beacon Pointe. “Does Your Advisor Use The Right Standard? Fiduciary vs. Suitability.” Accessed Jan. 14, 2023.
2. Department of Consumer Affairs. “Professional Fiduciaries Bureau.” Accessed Jan. 17, 2023.
3. IN.gov. “Fiduciary Income Tax FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions).” Accessed Jan. 14, 2023.
4. AdvisorSmith. “What Is Fiduciary Liability Insurance?” Accessed Jan. 14, 2023.

1. Insurance quotes /
2. Commercial /
3. Fiduciary Liability Insurance

Derek is a former staff writer and has written 100+ articles on property & casualty, health and life insurance topics as an insurance expert for SmartFinancial. Within his decade-long career writing about finances, entertainment, religion and philosophy, Derek spent three years writing financial articles for credit unions throughout the U.S. He prides himself on his ability to translate complex topics into actionable tips for everyday people.