Beginner Insurance Adjuster Tips
Beginner Insurance Adjuster Tips
Brand new adjusters, who have found it difficult to break in, often get hired to help cover the sudden, overwhelming demand. Catastrophe adjusters were deployed to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma before they made landfall. Then came Maria followed by a weaker Hurricane Nate. Most of these events were a major catastrophe in their own right. They happened back to back. So, that means the insurance industry will be feeling the effect for a long time.
It is in the best interests of everyone to get adjusters into affected areas as soon as possible after a disaster so they can go to work. This includes policyholders, carriers, and communities. If you have an interest in handling CAT claims, be prepared, licensed, and ready to go beforehand. Remember that there will still be a need for adjusters long after the storm has ended and the camera crews have gone home. For those newbies interested in working claims after a big event, here are some tips to help you get started:
Get your home state adjuster license
This might seem counter-intuitive. Shouldn’t you get a license for the state where the hurricane hit? After all, that’s where the claims are! Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
Home State License
State Departments of Insurance are working towards better industry uniformity. They have come to a consensus that adjusters need to get their home state license first. In some states like Florida or Indiana, the entire process, from taking a course to getting your actual license can take as little as a week. In other states, like Texas, it takes much longer and so you need to get on this asap.
Designated Home State
There are several states that do not license independent insurance adjusters. So, state regulators created the Designated Home State (DHS) license. This allows individuals from non-licensing states to designate a licensing ‘home state’ and obtain a valid license. Once you have a DHS license, you can use it to apply for additional licenses through reciprocity. Check out the Florida non-resident 70-20 DHS License. It requires all the necessary items, like a state exam and fingerprinting. This offers adjusters the smoothest reciprocity with other states. But unlike some of the other states that offer the same reciprocity benefits, Florida is able to approve and issue adjuster licenses within a week.
Learn basic estimating in Xactimate.
If you’re handling residential or light commercial property claims without a basic command of Xactimate, there’s not much hope. You will need to take a course and get familiar with this software.
If you have any questions about what it takes to become an insurance adjuster, contact us today!
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