They’re a form of insurance that’s been around for millennia. Here in the U.S., they’ve been mandatory on all federal public works projects since 1894. They’re also integral to the importation of goods by foreign companies and ensuring that essential public services like garbage collection keep running smoothly. But despite how much we depend on surety bonds every day, most people don’t know much about them.

On this episode of Wheel of Risk, host Alix McCabe explores the often-overlooked offering with the help of three members of Allianz Trade’s “surety squad”; Nick Verna, Regional Head of Surety for Allianz Trade Americas; Nicole Beck, Underwriting Director, Commercial Surety at Allianz Trade in the U.S.; and David Brehm, Underwriting Director, Contract Surety at Allianz Trade in the U.S. Together, they explain the role of surety bonds across a variety of industries, answer the most commonly-asked questions, and arm business owners and contractors with the knowledge they need to decide if a surety bond is something they should talk to their broker about.