A Great Resource from Claims Magazine

As catastrophe adjusters, we often travel state to state to work claims. But what's expected in Florida may not be the way to do things in North Carolina. To this end, Claims Magazine has posted an amazing resource for independent adjusters. Take a look at their site's summary of claims handling guidelines in each state. Review these guidelines anytime you're deployed to stay in the clear with a state's laws- this is a truly great resource!

Staying in touch

Now that hurricane season is officially over with no storms in sight, what are good ways to stay in touch with independent adjusting firms to make sure you stay on their radar?

• Follow the firms on Facebook and Twitter if they have accounts
• Make sure you're on e-mail distribution lists for training and updates
  
• Make a master list of insurance adjusting firms you've contacted. Include the name of the company, their website, and the HR manager or person in charge of training and deployments. In January, contact each firm to send them an updated resume. Check in monthly for training announcements. Get to know the manager as a person. This will keep you in their minds.

Remember, catastrophe and independent insurance adjusting is a volatile field. When things happen, you need to be ready to take advantage. We're entering a slow month or two, but it's a great time to get some insurance training because before you know it, spring floods and hail season will be here.

Daily Claims

With the hurricane season a bust so far, many insurance adjusters out there want to work daily claims. Daily claims are everyday claims for things like fires, burst pipes, and other events that aren't associated with a catastrophe. I know many adjusters that make their living on daily claims.

The hurdle to getting work as a new claims adjuster is being trusted by the company and meeting a need the company has. With that in mind, here are some things that can make you more attractive as a daily claims adjuster.

• Ask the HR department or claims manager where they need adjusters in your state. If it's 3 hours away, offer to take claims in that area without charging millage for the first few claims.
• Make sure you're licensed in the state.
• Attend any insurance or adjusting training offered by the company, especially if it's free.
  
• If you get a chance to run claims, focus on excellent customer service, fast turnaround, and noting the file/communicating with the examiner. Excelling at these activities will make you stand out and lead to more claims!
  

Adjusting News

ABC News reminds us that it's still hurricane season while Reuters examines why this has been one of the quietest hurricane seasons in a long time. Reuters attributes the slow storm activity to El Nino, which in turn increased wind shear. Additionally, the temperatures in the Atlantic have been about two degrees cooler than average.

Insurers in general are happy... adjusters and claims departments, not so much.

The slow storm activity makes this a good time to diversify as described in this post. Anything that makes you more attractive as a daily claims adjuster!

2009 Season

I'm holding out some hope for the 2009 season- after all, Hurricane Wilma was a late October storm. However, since there hasn't been much going on lately, I've been focusing on beefing up my professional insurance certifications.

Two insurance certifications I have are the Associate in Claims and Associate in Insurance Services. These have been extremely valuable to me, both in broadening my education and my earning potential.

I've also been working on additional adjusting licenses. I already have Alabama, Florida, and Texas licenses, as well as an NFIP flood adjuster license. My next goal is to get a Louisiana adjuster license, and complete some continuing education credits to make sure I stay on top of my field.

Adjusting News

There hasn't been a lot going on, so here are some nuggets to chew on:

• There's a really interesting article in the Claims Journal about construction standards and elevation codes on the Gulf Coast. It was published the the institute for Business and Home Safety, which is a non-profit organization that gets its funding from insurers.
• On the weather front, there's not a lot going on out there. We had Fred spin up and die, but that's about it. There's been a little in the news about the anniversary of Hurricane Ike.
• If you don't want to follow the exam path to your Florida license, MindCross has a new PPIA class out. This class results in a PPIA designation, which allows you to skip the adjuster exam.
• How'd you like to get this claim?

Certifications

Many companies require that adjusters be certified for that particular insurance company prior to working for them. Dimechimes/ClaimsMentor has some excellent resources for you to find certifications specific to companies. It's always good for independent adjusters to seek out these certifications each season. The more clients you're certified to work for, the higher the potential you'll get called out as a catastrophe insurance adjuster!

Happy September!

Good news for adjusters- September has seen more major hurricanes than all other months combined!

Adjusting News

KHOU, Houston's CBS affiliate, reports on internal memos at Texas Wind that show TWIA was not paying for unadhered shingles. If you worked for TWIA, you saw this policy in action as the recipient of these "internal memos." Consumer advocates in the article are quoted saying that TWIA "twisted" the wind insurance policy, and that a class action lawsuit is planned. TWIA states the claims are without merit. I'm going to stay neutral, but I'd be interested to hear what independent adjusters out there have to say! The comments thread on the article is definitely consumer-opinion heavy.

As catastrophe adjusters, we see lots of unadhered shingles. In your experience, what's the usual cause- wind or age?

Tropical Storm Erika

Tropical Storm Erika is born! If you haven't already, it's time for catastrophe adjusters to make sure your resumes are up to date and adjusting firms have your information!

It looks like there are 4 more behind her- September appears to be living up to its reputation as a storm bringer.

We'll definitely want to keep an eye on the Atlantic this week.

Licensing Basics

If you want to work as a catastrophe adjuster or independent adjuster, having an adjusting license is a must. You can seek licensing in your home state, or you can seek a license in a state you commonly work in, like Florida or Texas. Once you're licensed in one state, you can begin seeking adjuster licenses in other states that reciprocate with your state. You can usually find this list on your state's department of insurance website. If you want to work flood claims, you'll need your NFIP license.

If you ONLY work as a catastrophe adjuster, you may never need a license, as you can work off temporary licenses as you go from state to state. However, you'll definitely need to make up for the lack of a license with training and experience. Also keep in mind that as a catastrophe adjuster who only has temporary licenses, you may be excluded from smaller events that aren't declared emergencies, like tropical storms.

Helpful links:
Getting your Florida adjuster license
Getting your Texas adjuster license
Getting your NFIP license

Welcome

Welcome to the AdjustAble blog. My goal is to use this blog to get out information on catastrophe adjusting, independent adjusting, training, and licensing. I'll be drawing from my experience in the insurance industry. I WILL NOT be writing about anything specific to the company I work for.