Can I adjust loses in other states with my Texas License? Yes, but you must get a nonresident license in that state if they require one.
If my home (resident) state does not require an adjuster licenses what do I need to do? If you reside in Colorado, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and/or Wisconsin, your best option is to obtain a Texas Adjuster License.
What steps should I take in order to be hire able as a catastrophe adjuster?
Obtain your adjusters license
Get carrier certified (State Farm, Allstate, USAA, etc). These classes are normally free or have a very low cost.
Apply with one or several claims contractors
Go to an Xactimate (property) and/or Mitchell/Audatex (auto) training course. This is where you will learn how to use the adjusting software.
Attend a basic property adjusting course and/or a basic auto adjusting course through one of the claims contractors. It is our opinion that your money is best spent learning how to adjust losses from a company that could hire you, rather than taking it from us or one of the other licensing companies.
How many states will accept the Texas Adjusters License (Reciprocity)? States currently known to us as states that reciprocate with Texas.
1) Alabama 21) New Mexico 2) Alaska 22) New York 3) Arizona 23) North Carolina 4) Arkansas 24) Oklahoma 5) California 25) Oregon 6) Connecticut 26) Rhode Island 7) Delaware 27) South Carolina 8) Florida 28) Utah 9) Georgia 29) Vermont 10) Hawaii 30) Washington 11) Idaho 31) West Virginia 12) Kentucky 32) Wyoming 13) Maine 33) Louisiana 14) Massachusetts 15) Michigan 16) Minnesota 17) Mississippi 18) Montana 19) Nevada 20) New Hampshire
You may also adjust losses in the states that do not require an adjuster license as well as the 33 listed above.
Will the VA or G.I. Bill assist with the tuition? Apparently not. We have attempted repeatedly to get answers from the VA but with no success thus far.
Is there a market for adjusters? The market for adjusters is no different than any other profession, with a notable exception. In this industry, the market becomes much better following a major catastrophe such as Hurricane Katrina or the North ridge earthquake.
Will I need More Training After Your Class? Put yourself in an employer's place. Would you prefer an employee who strives to be better than the rest, or an employee who just got a license and nothing more? Some employers prefer a licensed, untrained and untainted person who can enter the workplace with no preexisting bad habits. Each company has its own way of doing things.
Will those with no prior training or experience walk right into a high paying job following our class? As a general rule, no. However, without the appropriate license, there will be no chance of any adjuster position in Texas.
We normally council those with no experience to talk to other employed adjusters and make up their own mind about what's needed. Also, you may want to contact the following for counsel on additional training:
George Epps, Dallas, (972) 394-1013 Jimmy Fair, (254) 592-3310 (also has a claims team) Vale National, Arlington, TX (817) 633-4800 www.valenational.com
What's the difference between an adjuster, inspector and appraiser? Following a covered loss, an adjuster, also called "claims representative", delivers the benefits of an insurance policy that an insurance agent sells. Inspector and appraiser are not insurance licensed Someone who estimates damage to an automobile, but who does not settle claims or discuss coverage, is often referred to as an auto appraiser, but that's not a licensed profession. It does however include a lot of training and often involves professional certifications. There are also home inspectors and appraisers. Those may be licenses issued by the Texas Real Estate Commission or some governmental authority.
What are the requirements to be an adjuster? There are requirements to get licensed, and there are requirements to get hired. Getting a license requires the applicant to be at least 18 years old, trustworthy, must have no pending felonies or past criminal record involving moral turpitude, and pass a test of your competence. However it's safe to say that every company is going to have to be convinced that you are trustworthy, dependable, you have a measure of common sense, you have a spirit of fairness, you work well with people and you are willing to work as hard as the situation calls for. Some companies prefer a trainee with no experience and some require experience because there is no time to train.
How many different types of adjusters are there? There are two Texas adjuster licenses, but there are dozens of types of adjusters. The two licenses are workers compensation which allows you to handle only workers compensation insurance, and there's the other license which we refer to as a P&C license, which entitles you to handle all other property and casualty type claims.
Adjusters who hold our Property Casualty Adjuster License and work only catastrophic losses (declared as such by the appropriate authority) would be referred to as catastrophe adjusters. The license is no different than any other property & casualty license in Texas. Adjusters who work year round routine assignments like auto accidents, slip-and-fall, house fires, medical professional liability and water leaks, etc, are licensed the same way and likely work on the staff of one particular insurance company or one independent claim company.
How much do adjusters make? On the conservative side, adjusters will make anywhere from $22,000 to $250,000. Like any other profession, it depends upon the adjuster, experience, skills, education, capabilities, common sense, attitude, willingness to work and storms.
Does Training Unlimited provide financial assistance? No. There's never been a significant demand for financial assistance. We are proud of the fact that we have had a number of students sent to us by the Texas Rehabilitation Commission or DARS.
Do adjusters have to have a 4 year degree? No. It depends wholly on the company one is attempting to work for.
How much does the course cost? Our regularly scheduled classes are $450 and that's all you will ever pay us. It will cost you $50 dollars for the TDI to issue your license and it will cost a few dollars for a fingerprint card.
Is Training Unlimited certified by the Department of Insurance? Yes, as Provider #2667. Training UNLIMITED is also found on TDI's web site. A legal training program requires at least 30 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of any other approved method.
Can women be adjusters? Of course. This question has come up several times. Don't know why.
Does someone need experience to be an adjuster? Naturally, experience may be required in some cases and it may help in others. However, there are employers who want people with no experience they don't want to have to un-train old habits.
Does Training Unlimited provide job placement? No. We will give you a lot of valuable information which will aid you in a job search.
What do I need to bring to class? Bring something to write with and an inexpensive calculator. It is a good idea to bring clothing appropriate for a 20 degree temperature swing.
Is there another test following the Training Unlimited class? No. Once you pass our test, there are no other tests for you to take. If one wants to take the Texas adjuster exam “cold” he or she may do so at state's the designated testing contractor's facility.
What should I study prior to coming to class? We don't recommend that adjuster candidates attempt to study anything before class other than the self-study. We'll give you all you can handle in class. It is a very good idea to research and register for (1) a flood certification class offered by FEMA and/or (2) a class on Xactimate software and/or (3) a class on IntegraClaim software and/or (4) a class in practical adjusting. These are examples of training that will put you ahead of others in the competition for jobs.
I have heard that "disaster adjusting" is easy money. Is that true? Nothing could be further from the truth and anyone who has perpetuated that notion has never done it. A cat adjuster can make a lot of money, but there's nothing easy about it.
Criminal Record If you have a misdemeanor or felony on your record, whether or not it occurred as a minor, you will have to provide specific information to the department of insurance. This does not automatically disqualify you for an adjuster license. You must follow the exact instructions on the TDI application. It is a good idea for you to phone the TDI and ask before incurring any expense. 512.322.3503
Split classes We have no problem with a student splitting up a class to accommodate the student's schedule as long as the student completes the appropriate number of hours in class and takes and passes the final exam.
Special Classes We will bring our training program to your location as long as we can agree on a time & price. We've been to every corner of the country and we've been asked to go to Ireland and to Ontario.
CPCU and AIC If you hold either if these professional designations you do not need this class to obtain your Texas Property Casualty Adjuster license. Contact us or the Texas Department of Insurance (512) 322-3503 for information.
Do I need an all-lines license? The only field of adjusting added by the “all-lines” license is workers compensation. If you don’t intend to handle workers compensation claims, you don’t need the all lines license. After all, how much can you really learn in 3 days?