Why Become An Independent Adjuster?

Most people are attracted to the industry because of the money you can make in a short period of time. While the money can be great and help achieve your financial goals there are other things potential adjusters should be aware of.

While the money can be really good for certain assignments you should also be genuinely interested in helping others, especially in a time of need. You will encounter policyholders who have lost everything. This means they may be without a place to live and their family members could be injured or deceased. Their place of work may be damaged as well and they can be overwhelmed with their current situation and under an extreme amount of stress.

If you are not prepared to empathize and offer all the assistance you can as an adjuster you will quickly become overwhelmed and burn out. The hours you will work during storm activity (cat work) will be unlike any regular 9 – 5 job. You must be well-equipped to work with a variety of personalities. You need to be detail-oriented and able to work under a lot of pressure. Lastly, to work in the field you need to be in good physical shape and have the ability to climb and navigate high and steep roofs.

The best adjusters are usually entrepreneurial and have an insatiable appetite for learning and challenging themselves. If this sounds like you then you are in the right place and this will be a career you can excel at.

Keep in mind every state has different requirements for becoming an independent adjuster and any type of felony or crime involving dishonesty/assault will usually prevent you from becoming an adjuster.

Reasons to be an independent adjuster:

• A rewarding opportunity to help fellow Americans in their time of need
• It’s a challenging and rigorous job that many people struggle with
• it can be rewarding financially and provides lots of freedom between assigments

How To Become An Independent Adjuster

Once you have decided to become an adjuster the first step is to obtain a license in your home state. Next get some additional licenses in hurricane-prone states like Texas, Florida, and the Carolinas. Then, you will need to familiarize yourself with an industry-standard program like Xactimate, Symbility, or Simsol. Lastly, get on the rosters of as many IA firms as you can so companies know that you are available for work. You may have to wait until a major event before you get your chance to work as an independent adjuster.

An overview of the steps to become a catastrophic insurance adjuster:

• Get licensed in your home state
• Familiarize yourself with Xactimate and Symbility
• Apply to as many insurance adjusting firms as possible
• Be patient and wait for your opportunity

Natural Disasters Are Increasing

Unfortunately, we are starting to see an uptick in the number of catastrophic weather events. This is leading to an increase in the number of adjusters needed to handle claims. Also, this is forcing carriers to select ways to increase the number of claims they can handle by utilizing virtual inspections and drones.

Some of the most common natural disasters include:

• Straightline Wind
• Tornados
• Hailstorms
• Wildfires
• Hurricanes and Tropical Storms
• Flooding
• Derecho
• Earthquakes

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information has tracked all of the major events for 2022 and found that last year tied 2017 and 2011 for the third highest number of billion-dollar disasters. 2022’s tentative total for natural disasters is estimated at over 165 billion dollars with hurricane Ian topping the list of the costliest disaster during the year. Last year, 2022 is also the eighth year in a row where there have been ten or more billion-dollar weather events that have impacted the U.S. Since 2016 weather events have created more than a trillion dollars in damages. The main driver of this astronomical figure are Category 4 or 5 hurricanes making landfall. Inf five of the last six years the U.S. was impacted by Harvey, Irma, Maria, Micheal, Laura, Ida, and Ian.

 

The increase in population and material wealth over the last few decades has increased the amount of risk for insurers and driven up costs for the indemnification of affected policyholders. This is especially evident in states like Florida and Louisana where private carriers are leaving or becoming insolvent. According to climate.gov climate change is also driving a significant increase in the number and intensity of extreme weather events. Sea level rise contributes to higher storm surge flooding, droughts lengthen wildfire seasons, and a warmer atmosphere allows for a higher saturation point which creates heavier rainfall events that can cause flash flooding and the need for high water rescues. All of these factors contribute to an increasing need for qualified individuals to handle property losses across the country for a multitude of carriers.

We are here to help you get started as an Independent Adjuster.