VETERAN ADJUSTING SCHOOLVETERAN ADJUSTING SCHOOL
23
Jul, 2015

By Guy Grand

WHO DO INDEPENDENT INSURANCE ADJUSTERS WORK FOR?

At first, it can be a little confusing to answer the question, “Who do I work for when I become and Independent Adjuster?”  Here is a little bit of perspective on it that we hope will clear things up for you.

This is an excerpt from our free eBook titled “Catastrophic Insurance Adjusting – Making it Your Career” where I have written about working as an Independent Adjuster.

“Ultimately, we are bound by the rules and regulations of the insurance company that hires our employers. However, we aren’t paid directly by the insurance company nor are we usually supervised directly by the insurance company. As Independant Adjusters we work for separate third party companies called third party administrators (TPAs) or Independent Adjusting firms (IA Firms).
IA Firms are contracted by the insurance companies to hire, supervise, and ultimately administer the rules and regulations of the insurance company. They are therefore our employers.  To understand the role of IA firms it helps to understand why they are necessary to our industry. Insurance companies hire staff adjusters to handle their daily claim volume although some companies have national CAT teams as well. These staff adjusters take care of the day to day claims such as a water heater leaking or a small kitchen fire, etc. Insurance companies hire just enough staff adjusters to cover these types of losses.
However, during a large storm event those staff adjusters simply cannot handle the volume of claims that come in. With the spike in claim volume from a catastrophe, comes the need for independent adjusters to help close those claims. This business model makes sense as the insurance companies keep their day to day operational costs low and during large events they have the support to handle the overflow.
IA’s work the same type of claims as the staff adjusters; however, they are only in one location until the volume is reduced so that the staff adjusters can handle them. It is for this reason that IA firms and independent adjusters are an integral part of the claims handling process, especially during a major storm event. This niche is what makes becoming an independent adjuster such an awesome opportunity for someone who doesn’t have a college degree or someone looking for a second career after the military or anyone looking for a new career.”

If you would like to read more about what it is like working as an Independent Insurance Adjuster, click the link below to download a free copy of our eBook “Catastrophic Insurance Adjusting – Making It Your Career”.

If you are ready to speak with someone who can help you get started on your Independent Insurance Adjuster Training our comprehensive package that includes mentoring, field tools, technology, software and most importantly...the reputation you will need to be successful in the field…is just around the corner.  Simply complete this “Discovery Survey” and someone from our team will be in touch with you right away.
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08
Jul, 2015

By Guy Grand

HOW MUCH DO ADJUSTERS REALLY MAKE?

You have probably heard that adjusters can make a great living working just part of the year.  But if you are smart you are asking yourself “How much does an adjuster really make?”  While it is true that adjusters can earn over six figures in a very short period of time, it is important to recognize the different types of adjusters and how the circumstances can affect your income.

Below is an excerpt from our book “Catastrophic Insurance Adjusting – Making it your Career”.  In this section, I write about income, different types of adjusters, and why I chose to be an Independent Catastrophic Insurance Adjuster.

“When I was researching insurance adjusting as a career I found there were three distinct types of insurance adjusters: Staff adjusters, Public adjusters, and Independent adjusters. I chose independent adjusting as it gave me the ability to work for myself and be responsible for my own income. The harder I worked the more I made.

But the role and the income of each adjuster type can be very different.  For example:

Staff Adjusters work directly for an insurance company. Staff adjusters are typically paid a salary. The Department of Labor statistics for insurance claims adjusters’ shows an average salary at $58,000 per year. There are more staff adjusters than independent adjusters, simply because the majority of claims are handled directly by the insurance company. Moreover, many people are looking for exactly what staff adjusting offers; a steady and reliable career in a stable industry. There are a lot of great benefits to working as a staff adjuster in addition to the steady paycheck. Some of the perks can be a company car, a company issued laptops, vacation, and sick pay, and health benefits are common. The downside to staff adjusting is that one typically has to have a college degree.

Public Adjusters are quite different than staff or independent adjusters as they work for the claimant (or insured), not the insurance company. Public adjusters are like lawyers and go after the insurance company for a larger settlement. Public adjusters are hired by people who don’t trust that they’ll get a fair settlement from the insurance company. Public adjusters are typically paid a percentage of the final claim by the insured; a percentage of an often inflated, final settlement. When I first started I thought maybe I’d be a public adjuster. After much research, I realized that if the staff or independent adjuster did their job properly, then I would only be taking money from the insured that otherwise was needed to complete the repairs. If the insurance settlement was $10,000 and the repairs cost $10,000 and the insured’s deductible is $1,000 then how does the public adjuster make money? The only way I calculated that was to inflate the final settlement and if that happens then everybody loses in the long run by the increased cost of insurance.

Independent Adjusters – It has been said by others that the average annual income for an independent adjuster is around $90,000. In my decade or more of experience, I found this to be about right.  You can make six figures in six months. There have been years where I didn’t make that much, but there were years I made much more than that. What I have always liked most about being an Independent Adjuster or (IA) is that I am my own boss, my earnings are directly proportionate to my efforts, and my tax liability is lowered by my expenses.”

If you want to read more about what it is like working in the industry or how much money you will actually make, Click the link below to read the Free Ebook.

If you are ready to speak with someone who can help you better understand ALL the costs associated with becoming an Adjuster and where you can find a comprehensive package that includes the training, mentoring, field tools, technology, software and most importantly...the reputation you will need to be succesful in the field…just complete this “Discovery Survey” and someone from our team will be in touch with you right away.
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07
Jul, 2015

By Guy Grand

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BECOME AN ADJUSTER ANYWAY?

So, you are thinking about becoming an adjuster but you are having a hard time figuring out how much it is really going to cost you to get into the industry?  You are not alone.  There are not many places out there that will tell you about ALL of the costs associated with trying to break into the industry.  Licenses, tests, certifications, travel, training, field tools, apprenticing…for many adjusters, it ends up being much more than they first thought when they signed up for that $350 “Adjuster Training” course.  Don’t get frustrated.  If you know what you are getting into it is well worth it, but don’t be fooled into thinking that one simple course is all you are going to need.

Here is a short excerpt from my book “Catastrophic Insurance Adjusting – Making it Your Career” where I write about my experience trying to break into the industry “on my own”.

“There are training facilities and schools all over the country that claim to “make you an adjuster”, most for under $1,000. Don’t buy it! The course might be under a thousand dollars but your travel, lodging, equipment, and continuing education will cost you much more than that no matter what they tell you.
Going to a five-day course to learn about adjusting and getting your state license is only the beginning. Without continually working with the software (Xactimate), practicing writing estimates, learning the proper ways to measure, photograph, and write reports you will forget how to write a claim by the time you get deployed. The repetition needed can only come from experience or by attending a full-service vocational school that will mentor you until you are comfortable with adjusting and on your first storm.
As I mentioned before, the total cost of my education into the insurance adjusting field was over $12,000 and that was back in 2003. My first storm deployment as a trainee was over five weeks and only paid my out-of-pocket expenses.
What if there was a state regulated post-secondary vocational school that bundled all the costs into one tuition price and what if they offered a loan program that was interest-only for the first 18 months. If that opportunity had been available to me back in 2002 would I have taken that deal? – ABSOLUTELY!
If I would have had the mentorship of industry veterans along the way, that would have been priceless. That opportunity wasn’t available to me back then, but it is available, through VAS — our fully licensed and state board certified vocational training center, to you now. As you read further through this book you will learn that there is a way to get into the adjusting business and to know exactly what your cost of entry is to get into this well-paying career.”

 

To read more from the book “Catastrophic Insurance Adjusting – Making it Your Career” just click the link below.

 

 

If you are ready to speak with someone who can help you better understand ALL the costs associated with becoming an Adjuster and where you can find a comprehensive package that includes the training, mentoring, field tools, technology, software and most importantly...the reputation you will need to be successful in the field…just complete this “Discovery Survey” and someone from our team will be in touch with you right away.
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16
Jun, 2015

By Guy Grand

TOP 5 SIGNS THAT YOU ARE READY FOR A CAREER CHANGE

Have you been feeling like it is time for a career move?  Think you might just be getting bored or distracted at work…maybe the feeling will go away?  Here are the top 5 signs that should tell you it is time for you to switch gears and look for a new career.

If you are experiencing some of these top 5 signs you should get serious about moving on to a new career.  (And if you’re reading this, I’m confident that you want a career change. The question is, will you do it?)

1. You are chronically worn out, exhausted and depleted.

Are you constantly worn down, feeling debilitated and exhausted?  Most of us spend more waking hours working than doing anything else, and if you don’t like your work, it won’t like you back.  Work that is not appropriately aligned with who you are can easily break you down. It may be your specific job or toxic work environment that are breaking you down, but often it’s your entire career that needs a shift.

2. Your skills, responsibilities, and tasks are not you at all.

It can be a shocker for some folks to realize that they have become very good at work they hate.  Have you been wondering how you got so good at doing something you were never really all that excited about?  Just imagine how you would feel if you had spent all this time honing your skills in a career that you actually cared about and enjoyed.  Maybe it is time to make that move now.

3. You’ve come to the point where the pay no longer makes up for the boredom and emptiness you feel.

Most people who dislike like their work but are reluctant to change would say it’s their fear of walking away from the money that keeps them stuck.  But at some point, many are saying,  “I have this money, but I hate how I spend my life making it.”  If this sounds familiar, you are probably already hunting around for something better. “There has got to be more to life than this…right?”

4. Despite all the “right” choices you made in your career, the outcome feels very wrong.

So many professionals have made all the “right” choices and done everything that was expected of them, so when they wake up bored to death with their work, they’re shocked and confused. The thing to realize here is that the “right” choices usually had to do with pleasing others, stroking your ego or taking work or a promotion that fell in your lap, rather than asking yourself the tough questions like “Is this where I belong?”

5. You have the feeling that your talents and abilities could/should be used in a totally different (more impactful) way.

Have you been thinking, “I know I’m made for better things than this!”?  Maybe it is time to start listening to yourself.  You are not crazy.  There IS more to life than what you’re currently doing — no question.  If you have not found that career that matches your skill set or a career that you are passionate about, it is time to start looking.

There’s another way to live and work, even though you can’t see it yet.

Maybe it is time for better work!

If any of these 5 signs sound like something you have been experiencing lately, then you are likely in the market for a career move.  There are lots of different careers out there.  Don’t waste your life away doing something you are not satisfied with.  Maybe attend a Local Job Fair to see what is out there.  Or talk with someone in an industry you are curious about.

If you would like to hear more about a career as a Catastrophic Insurance Adjuster, get in touch with us and our outreach team can tell you more about this line of work.

 

 

 

 

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