Chubb business insurance

Overview

Chubb is the second-largest business insurer in the United States and the market leader in liability. The group ranked No. 2 among U.S. business insurers by 2025 commercial lines direct premiums written, with $23.25 billion, based on NAIC market share data, a 4.8% share. It ranked first nationally in "other liability" (the NAIC line that holds general liability, umbrella and excess, D&O, E&O and most other casualty), first in products liability and first in burglary and theft (commercial crime). It was second in equipment breakdown, fidelity bonds and excess workers' comp; third in package policies and ocean marine; fourth in inland marine and aviation; fifth in workers' comp and surety; and tenth in medical professional liability.

The parent, Chubb Limited, is a Swiss-incorporated public company (NYSE: CB) that reports from Zurich and runs its U.S. business from executive offices in New York, Philadelphia and Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. Evan G. Greenberg is chairman and CEO. Chubb operates in 54 countries and territories and employs about 45,000 people. The U.S. group writes through two families of legal entities that reflect the 2016 merger: the legacy Chubb companies (Federal Insurance Company, Great Northern, Vigilant, Pacific Indemnity, Executive Risk) and the legacy ACE/INA companies (ACE American, Insurance Company of North America, Indemnity Insurance Company of North America, Illinois Union, Pacific Employers). The E&S unit, Westchester, writes on companies including Westchester Surplus Lines Insurance Company.

Chubb sells through independent agents, retail brokers and, for excess and surplus lines, wholesale brokers. Very small businesses can also start a quote online.

History

Chubb's oldest company is the Insurance Company of North America (INA), organized at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 1792 and described by Chubb as the first stock insurer in the United States. The Chubb name dates to 1882, when Thomas Caldecot Chubb and his son Percy set up Chubb & Son in New York to underwrite ships and cargo. Percy Chubb organized Federal Insurance Company in New Jersey in 1901; The Chubb Corporation was formed in 1967 and listed on the NYSE in 1984.

ACE was formed in Bermuda in 1985 to sell excess liability and D&O coverage during the liability availability crisis of the mid-1980s. It went public in 1993 and in 1999 bought CIGNA's property-casualty operations, including INA, for $3.45 billion. Evan Greenberg joined ACE in 2001 and became CEO in 2004. ACE then acquired The Chubb Corporation, closing on January 14, 2016 in a deal valued at about $29.5 billion at closing, and adopted the Chubb name and the CB ticker.

Chubb's larger acquisitions since then have been outside the U.S., including Cigna's accident, health and life businesses in Asia-Pacific and Liberty Mutual's businesses in Thailand and Vietnam (the Vietnam deal closed in February 2026). For a U.S. buyer, the practical legacy of the merger is two sets of paper and, for claims, separate "Chubb Main" and "ACE Main" reporting lines.

Business insurance products

Chubb's North America Commercial P&C segment wrote $21.28 billion of net premiums in 2025, up 3.4%, with a combined ratio of 83.8%, according to its February 2026 earnings release. It splits into two pieces:

• Major accounts retail and E&S wholesale ($12.69 billion): large corporate property, casualty, risk management programs and multinational coverage, plus Westchester. Westchester describes itself as one of the largest E&S commercial property and casualty underwriters in the U.S.; it writes brokerage property, casualty, financial lines, product recall, inland marine and environmental, binding authority business for small accounts, and programs for niches such as self-storage, fine dining restaurants, real estate, security guards, and fairs and festivals.
• Middle market and small commercial ($8.59 billion, up 6.4%): package policies, the Chubb business owner's policy, workers' comp, umbrella, cyber, and management and professional liability for privately held companies.

North America Agricultural Insurance added $2.93 billion, mostly crop insurance through Chubb Agribusiness. Across segments Chubb sells D&O, EPL, fiduciary and crime (see Directors and officers (D&O) insurance explained), cyber, marine, surety, business accident and health, and foreign package policies for U.S. firms with employees or property abroad.

Who it insures

Chubb names 30 industry practices; its business pages lead with construction, financial institutions, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate, technology and a "Climate+" practice for energy transition and climate-related businesses. Its liability-heavy mix points to companies whose biggest worries are lawsuits: product makers (it is the country's largest products liability writer), public and private company boards, and professional firms.

Chubb does not rank in the national top 10 for commercial auto, so a fleet-heavy business may end up with its auto placed elsewhere. Small businesses with up to $2 million in revenue are steered to Chubb's online small business platform; larger companies go to an agent. Westchester takes the hard-to-place accounts, but only through wholesale brokers.

How to buy

Most Chubb business comes through an appointed agent or broker. The business section of chubb.com asks one question, annual gross revenue: at $2 million or less you are sent to the Chubb Small Business quote site, and above that to "Find an Agent." Agents quote and service through the Chubb Agent Portal. Large and multinational accounts are placed by brokers.

If the account is going to Westchester, your retail agent will need a wholesale broker, and the policy will be on non-admitted paper, generally without state guaranty fund protection. Ask before binding which Chubb company is on the policy, since admitted and surplus lines terms differ.

Claims

Business claims can be reported 24 hours a day by phone, email or online through Chubb's claim portal. The phone line depends on the legacy company: "Chubb Main" at 800-252-4670 (1-800-CLAIMS-0), or "ACE Main" at 800-433-0385 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern and 800-523-9254 after hours. Check your declarations page if you are unsure which one applies. Business accident and health claims go to 800-336-0627 and Chubb Agribusiness to 800-585-9624. There are dedicated first-notice email addresses for workers' comp, small commercial, financial lines (D&O, EPL, E&O), surety, cyber, marine and multinational claims.

For cyber, report to the cyber claims address at the first sign of an incident rather than waiting for a ransom demand; cyber policies typically require prompt notice and the insurer's consent before you hire breach vendors, so read those conditions now. The general mailing address for claims is Chubb North America Claims, P.O. Box 716, Portland, ME 04104.

Financial strength and ratings

AM Best affirmed the A++ (Superior) financial strength rating of Chubb's main insurance subsidiaries on January 16, 2026, with a stable outlook, citing a balance sheet it assesses as strongest. Chubb's ratings summary as of September 24, 2026 lists its U.S. companies at AA from S&P, Aa2 from Moody's and AA from Fitch, all with stable outlooks.

For 2025, Chubb reported record net income of $10.31 billion, consolidated net premiums written of $54.8 billion and a record property-casualty combined ratio of 85.7%. In J.D. Power's 2026 U.S. Small Commercial Insurance Study, Chubb ranked second with a score of 746, behind Erie Insurance.

Strengths and weaknesses

Chubb is the carrier many brokers go to first for liability, management liability and multinational programs, and its paper is as strong as any in the market. Chubb markets its products as premium, and it suits buyers who weigh coverage breadth and claim handling above the lowest price.

• Strengths: A++ (Superior) from AM Best (affirmed January 2026) and AA/Aa2/AA from S&P, Moody's and Fitch; No. 1 nationally in other liability (general liability, umbrella, D&O and similar casualty lines), products liability and crime; No. 2 in J.D. Power's 2026 small commercial study; Westchester gives the same group an E&S outlet for hard risks; global network for U.S. companies operating abroad.
• Weaknesses: Commercial auto is not one of its core U.S. lines; online quoting is limited to businesses with $2 million or less in revenue; the main published contact number is for urgent requests when you cannot reach your agent, so routine service runs through the agent; two legacy claim lines (Chubb and ACE) can confuse first-time claimants.

How to contact Chubb