CNA business insurance

Overview

CNA is ranked No. 8 among U.S. business insurers by 2025 commercial lines direct premiums written, with $13.47 billion, based on NAIC market share data, about 2.78% of the national commercial market. Its strongest national positions are in specialty lines. It is second in inland marine, third in medical professional liability and surety, fourth in burglary and theft, fifth in fidelity bonds, seventh in other liability (general liability, umbrella and professional lines) and ninth in boiler and machinery.

The NAIC group is CNA Insurance Group. Its lead company is Continental Casualty Company, alongside The Continental Insurance Company, American Casualty Company of Reading, Pennsylvania, National Fire Insurance Company of Hartford, Transportation Insurance, Valley Forge and Columbia Casualty. The surety companies, marketed as CNA Surety, are Western Surety Company, Surety Bonding Company of America and Universal Surety of America. Outside the U.S., CNA operates in Canada, the UK and continental Europe and at Lloyd's through Hardy, a specialized Lloyd's underwriter.

The parent, CNA Financial Corporation, is headquartered in Chicago and listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Loews Corporation is its controlling shareholder and lists CNA as a subsidiary. CNA sells through independent agents, retail and wholesale brokers, and managing general underwriters, not direct to business owners.

History

CNA traces its roots to 1897. The modern company is defined less by its early history than by a turnaround that started in the late 2010s. Under its previous chairman and CEO, who led CNA for about eight years until the end of 2024, the company set a goal in 2017 of top-quartile underwriting results. It began re-underwriting its international business in 2018, reorganized its Commercial segment into six specialized business units in 2019, and in 2020 cut reserve risk with a loss portfolio transfer of its excess workers' comp reserves. During the hard market it pushed through about 35 points of cumulative rate increases and then held on to the business with strong retention.

Leadership changed in two steps. Douglas Worman, who joined in 2017 as chief underwriting officer after running Endurance U.S. Insurance and beginning his career at AIG, became President and CEO on January 1, 2025. He added the chairman title on January 1, 2026. In June 2025 CNA launched Cardinal E&S as its brand for wholesale excess and surplus lines business in casualty, property, healthcare and financial lines. In August 2025 it consolidated its underwriting into three global presidencies covering specialty, property and casualty, and industry segments. AM Best upgraded CNA to A+ in December 2025.

Two legacy books still sit with the company. The first is a closed block of long-term care insurance in run-off; CNA says the policy count is down about 50% since 2015. The second is legacy mass tort claims: CNA took a $77 million after-tax charge for unfavorable development on legacy mass tort in the second quarter of 2026, after an $88 million charge a year earlier.

Business insurance products

CNA's property and casualty business is reported in three segments. In 2025 they wrote $10.7 billion of net premium: Commercial 54%, Specialty 33% and International 13%.

Small business. The package product is CNA Connect, a business owner's policy. Alongside it CNA writes workers' comp, commercial auto, umbrella, professional liability (including E&O and employment practices liability), fidelity and crime, cyber, technology and life sciences E&O, and ocean marine. Agents quote and bind in CNA Central, and CNA says 80% of small business classes issue in real time and most others within two hours.

Middle market and national accounts. CNA Paramount is the commercial package for larger accounts. Around it sit property, casualty, equipment breakdown, commercial auto, workers' comp, umbrella and excess casualty, and marine. National Accounts units handle large casualty and property programs.

Specialty. This segment covers financial and management liability (D&O, employment practices, fiduciary), healthcare professional liability, surety, warranty and affinity programs. The affinity programs are where many professionals meet CNA. Its professional liability programs cover accountants, architects and engineers, lawyers, dentists, nurses and allied healthcare workers, real estate professionals and community associations. CNA Surety writes surety bonds through Western Surety.

E&S. Cardinal E&S writes casualty, property, healthcare and financial lines through wholesale brokers.

Who it insures

CNA organizes underwriting around industries: construction, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, technology, financial institutions, professional services and real estate. Its small business pages add business services, management consultants, restaurants, retail, trade contractors and wholesale distributors. In its 2025 annual report the company named construction, healthcare, manufacturing, technology and life sciences as core segments and highlighted growth in its private equity practice.

For a small professional firm, such as Law firm insurance, Accountant and tax preparer insurance or Architect and engineer insurance, CNA is often the professional liability carrier behind an association-endorsed program. For a contractor or manufacturer with a few million dollars of payroll, it competes as a middle-market package and casualty writer. CNA says it operates from 59 offices in 11 countries.

How to buy

CNA does not sell to business owners online or by phone. Business owners use the Find an Agent tool on cna.com or go through their own broker. Agents and brokers work in CNA Central, where they quote and bind small business policies and pull policy documents, loss runs and claim information. Wholesale brokers reach Cardinal E&S. Affinity program coverage is usually arranged through the program's administrator or a broker that handles the program.

Policyholders can pay bills online. Risk control resources include PrepWise, Beyond HR and e-Talks.

Claims

Claims can be reported online through CNA's Claims Center. Claim types include auto, cargo, crisis management events, Defense Base Act, general liability, healthcare, management and professional liability, marine, property and workers' comp. The claims help line is 877-574-0540, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. CNA does not list a separate 24/7 phone line on its claims page, so check your policy documents or ask your agent for after-hours reporting. Surety claims go through cnasurety.com.

For workers' comp, CNA runs medical provider networks, including networks in California and Texas and an outcomes-based network of selected providers. It also has a Special Investigations Unit and in-house staff counsel for defense.

Financial strength and ratings

AM Best upgraded CNA's financial strength rating to A+ (Superior) in December 2025, with a stable outlook. In CNA's June 2026 investor presentation, S&P rated the insurance companies A+ (stable), Fitch A+ (stable) and Moody's A2 with a positive outlook.

CNA reported full-year 2025 net income of $4.69 per share and record core income of $1.34 billion, the third straight record year. Its P&C combined ratio was 94.7% and its underlying combined ratio was below 92% for the fifth year in a row. In the second quarter of 2026, P&C net written premium grew 4%, with new business up 11% and renewal premium change of +2%, a sign of a softening market. The P&C combined ratio rose to 96.5% from 94.1% a year earlier.

Strengths and weaknesses

CNA writes a broad commercial book, but its edge is in professional, healthcare, management liability and surety lines, and it sells only through agents and brokers. Its results have been steady since its underwriting reset, though legacy reserves still produce charges.

• Strengths: A+ ratings from AM Best, S&P and Fitch, with AM Best upgrading in December 2025. Top-three national positions in medical professional liability and surety and second in inland marine. Deep affinity programs for lawyers, accountants, architects, engineers and healthcare professionals. Fast agent-side small business issuance in CNA Central.
• Weaknesses: No direct or online buying for business owners. The claims phone line is weekday-only. Legacy mass tort reserves added charges in 2025 and 2026, and the long-term care run-off remains on the balance sheet. The P&C combined ratio worsened to 96.5% in the second quarter of 2026 as pricing softened.

How to contact CNA