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AmTrust Financial Review
Privately held New York insurer focused on small business coverage, with an emphasis on workers' compensation, sold through agents
Quick verdict
AmTrust Financial is best for Small trades businesses with employees whose main need is workers' compensation, plus a BOP or package policy, placed through an insurance agent. Quote speed: Through an insurance agent. Pricing: Quoted per account through an agent, based on trade class, payroll and exposures. Agent-only, premiums quoted per account, and a 2020 SEC settlement over loss-reserve disclosures.
About AmTrust Financial
AmTrust Financial Services is a property and casualty insurer headquartered in New York. It began in 1998 (it marked its 20th anniversary in 2018) and describes itself as a multinational insurer specializing in coverage for small businesses, with an emphasis on workers' compensation. AmTrust has been privately held since November 29, 2018, when Barry Zyskind, George Karfunkel, Leah Karfunkel and funds managed by Stone Point Capital completed a go-private transaction and its Nasdaq trading ended.
For a trades business, AmTrust's relevance is small business workers' compensation. Its small business product pages list workers' compensation, a businessowners policy (which bundles general liability, property and business interruption), package policies, employment practices liability and cyber coverage. Coverage is sold through insurance agents, and premiums are quoted per account.
In June 2020 the SEC charged AmTrust and its former CFO with failing to disclose material facts about how the company estimated insurance losses and reserves. Without admitting or denying the allegations, AmTrust agreed to a permanent injunction and a $10.3 million penalty. More recently, in December 2025, AmTrust and Blackstone Credit & Insurance moved seven AmTrust specialty MGAs into a new company, ANV Group Holdings, with AmTrust continuing to underwrite those books under a ten-year capacity agreement.
The trade-off: AmTrust is built around small business workers' comp, but you reach it through an agent, prices are quoted per account, and its record includes a 2020 SEC settlement over loss-reserve disclosures. Have your agent compare its workers' comp quote with other carriers.
How it works
AmTrust sells through insurance agents, and its website has separate sections for agents and policyholders. You give an agent your trade class, payroll, employee count and other exposures, and the agent quotes AmTrust coverage such as workers' compensation, a businessowners policy, a package policy, employment practices liability or cyber. The agent handles binding, certificates and policy service. Premiums are quoted per account.
Pros & cons
What works
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Small business focus
AmTrust says it specializes in coverage for small businesses, with an emphasis on workers' compensation.
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Workers' comp at the core
Workers' compensation is AmTrust's main small business line, which matters for trades businesses with employees.
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BOP and package options
AmTrust's businessowners policy bundles general liability, property and business interruption, and it also offers package, EPLI and cyber coverage.
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Long track record
AmTrust began in 1998 and marked its 20th anniversary when it went private in 2018.
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Agent channel
Coverage is placed by insurance agents, who can compare AmTrust's workers' comp quote with other carriers they write.
What doesn't
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2020 SEC settlement
The SEC charged AmTrust in 2020 over loss-reserve disclosures; AmTrust agreed to a $10.3 million penalty without admitting or denying the allegations.
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Agent required
Coverage is placed through an agent, and premiums are quoted per account, so you cannot price it yourself online.
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Narrower product set
AmTrust's small business pages center on workers' comp, BOP, package, EPLI and cyber; confirm commercial auto or umbrella needs with your agent.
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Availability varies
Products and eligible classes vary by state, so confirm AmTrust can write your trade where you work.
Coverage
- Insurance lines
- workers compbopgeneral liabilitycyber
- Geographic coverage
- Availability varies by product and state; confirm with an agent who writes AmTrust
- Premiums
- Quoted per account through an agent, based on trade class, payroll and exposures
- Quote speed
- Through an insurance agent
- Trade coverage
- HVACPlumbingElectricalRoofingGeneral ContractorsLandscaping & Lawn CarePaintingHandyman Services
- Affiliate program
- Unknown. No public publisher affiliate program confirmed (underwrites through agents/platforms).
Reviews and complaints at the source
We do not copy third-party review scores onto this page: they change often and we could not verify them. Read AmTrust Financial's current reviews at the source.
Frequently asked
Is AmTrust good for workers' comp?
Workers' compensation is AmTrust's core line: it says it specializes in small business coverage with an emphasis on workers' comp. Ask your agent for an AmTrust quote alongside other carriers.
Who owns AmTrust?
AmTrust has been privately held since November 2018, when Barry Zyskind, George Karfunkel, Leah Karfunkel and funds managed by Stone Point Capital took it private. It is headquartered in New York.
How do I get an AmTrust quote?
Through an insurance agent. The agent gathers your trade class, payroll and exposures and quotes AmTrust coverage; premiums are quoted per account.
Has AmTrust faced regulatory action?
Yes. In June 2020 the SEC charged AmTrust and its former CFO with failing to disclose material facts about how it estimated insurance losses and reserves. Without admitting or denying the allegations, AmTrust agreed to a permanent injunction and a $10.3 million penalty.
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