Fidelity protects against loss from the dishonest or fraudulent acts of employees. Surety refers to the activity of bonding a person or persons. A surety bond provides for monetary compensation if the bonded person or organization fails to perform in a correct manner. Bonds are very common. Regular bonding is required of some firms such as contractors. There are fiduciary bonds, license bonds, and permit bonds among others.

Tip. The most trusted employee may turn to crime. How? Under the pressure of family money draining illness or serious money problems. Crime may not pay, but insurance does. Make sure you have the protection you and your business need to continue operating after the unthinkable happens.

ISO and the Surety Association of America (SAA) both offer fidelity protection against employee criminal acts. We'll use ISO's crime program as a basis here.

Do I Need A Separate Crime Policy?

Your business needs crime insurance if:

• its property insurance doesn't offer crime coverage.
• a significant amount of money or securities passes through its hands.
• any employees have the opportunity to steal large amounts of money or valuable property.