Questions about Texas Insurance Adjuster License and Certification
What is an Adjuster?
An adjuster is someone employed by a property & casualty insurance company (or an individual) to settle claims on its/their behalf brought by an insured individual/ company. The adjuster evaluates the merits of each claim and makes recommendations to the insurance company. In fact, an adjuster is one who investigates insurance claims or claims for damages and recommends an effective settlement to their client.
How much do insurance adjusters get paid?
Working as an independent claims adjuster, how much you get paid depends largely upon how much & how hard you are willing to work. An independent adjuster will typically be paid on a per claim basis with the amount paid being a relative percentage of the settlement amount..An independent adjuster can expect, if working hurricane claims, to make an average of $400 per claim he or she settles. As an independent contractor, an adjuster determines their own schedule, but an industrious and effective insurance adjuster should be able to "close" between 3 and 5 claims per day. Therefore, a good claims adjuster could easily make over $1,000 a day while working catastrophe (like Hurricane Ike) claims.
How can I pay for my course?
The course is $299. You can pay using all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) and Telecheck.
When I have completed the course, how will I get my license?
If completion of this 40 hour course and exam is successful, you will be exempt from taking the exam through the Texas Department of Insurance.
Upon completion of the final exam Classroom Online/ 360training will mail your Certificate of Completion within 5-7 business days. You will need to mail that along with your fingerprint receipt, TDI adjuster application and the $50 fee to TDI.
Currently, fingerprints are submitted electronically to TDI and appointments for fingerprint services can be made with Integrated Biometric Technology at 888-467-2080 or online at http://www.iisfingerprint.com.
ADJUSTER LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Be 18 years of age or more
- Be a United States citizen or legal alien who possesses a work authorization from the US Immigration and Naturalization Services
- Take a certified adjuster pre-licensing course, or
- Successfully complete the Thomson-Prometric State Exam
- If a non-resident applicant holds a license in another state that allows Texas adjusters to operate within their jurisdiction, that applicant does not need to take the state exam pr pre-licensing course
- Exemption: Adjusters holding an AIC (Associate in Claims) or CPCU (Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter) are not required to pass the state exam or take a pre-licensing course.
Insurance adjusters, homeowners survey storm damage
11:42 AM CDT on Saturday, April 12, 2008
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
ALLEN – Armed with a clipboard, empathy and years of insurance experience, Chris Jessen resembled a crime scene detective Friday afternoon as he stepped carefully into the Phillips home to survey the storm damage.
Violent winds blew off a large chunk of the roof, launching it into the pool. Insulation covered the back yard like snow.
Chris Jessen, a State Farm representative, and Mandy McCormick, a fire claim representative, look over an Allen home damaged by a tornado.
View largerMore photos Photo store Mr. Jessen said some of the insulation still inside the house will have to be replaced. So will the saturated drywall and soggy carpets.
Wood flooring is warped. Baseboards are ruined. And glass – from giant chunks to dust-like particles – litters the house, meaning that blankets and bedding need to be trashed.
"It's better to err on the side of caution," Mr. Jessen told Scotti Phillips.
Insurance adjusters have been fanning across North Texas this week after the area was rocked by severe storms and tornadoes. Adjusters have been surveying damage, answering customers' questions and cutting checks.
Preliminary damage estimates were around $20 million, a number that officials say will undoubtedly rise.
State Farm received 5,200 homeowner claims through Thursday, and an additional 2,400 automobile claims across North Texas. Farmers Insurance had received more than 2,800 Texas claims through Friday morning and deployed a so-called mobile claims center bus to help process claims.
Back in Allen, Mr. Jessen, a State Farm claim representative, walked through the palatial home, drawing diagrams of various rooms, jotting down notes about the damage and pointing out problem spots. Dehumidifiers and fans buzzed in the background as workers cleaned up the mess.
Mr. Jessen offered a matter-of-fact diagnosis: The home has suffered moderate damage, but he hasn't discovered structural issues.
Soon, he'll crunch the numbers to determine the extent of the damage. But it's reached into the tens of thousands of dollars, Mr. Jessen said.
Mr. Jessen has spent 18 years as an insurance adjuster, surveying damage caused by tornadoes, hurricanes, hail and straight-line winds. He feels good that he can help people in times of need.
Although storms can be devastating, Mr. Jessen says, they also bring neighbors together.
As he arrived at a Westminster home ravaged by a tornado a couple of years ago, only a slab on the ground remained. He was surrounded by piles of rubble. He talked on the phone with the homeowner, who was recovering in a hospital.
"I'm glad to be talking to you," the homeowner told Mr. Jessen.
In Allen, the Phillipses are grateful that they're OK. Greg Phillips woke 8-year-old Skylar shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday, fleeing to the master bedroom closet. As they escaped, windows exploded, spraying glass across the entire length of the house. Ms. Phillips was out of town on a business trip.
On Friday, she stared at the guest room, which had no ceiling. A temporary roof was in place.
"It's a skylight," Ms. Phillips joked. "It's a nice little added feature. Mother Nature did a little decorating."
Despite the damage, the Phillipses remained light-hearted. They're safe.
But, as Mr. Phillips said, "We've got a long way to go."
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