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So you can renew it once making it a total of 60 days, or you cannot renew it at all?

If you talk real nice to them they will give you another 30 days but it is like they are wiggling the worm in front of a hungry bass.

I explained to them that why would we pay the fee if we are not working an event. DUH

it's set up so you can't upload or download claims so it's not like we would be making money with it. They don't seem to realize that if they continue to support us in these slow times they will reap in the future.

I am just using it to take the xactimate level 1 and 2 certs.  Most of the time I work for State Farm so dont need to pay for it on my own.  If I get deployed with a different carrier I will purchase it then.

 Michael, you are going to make it in the cat.biz; because, you can hone your adjusting skills at little expense. This is the way all new adjusters should approach the job. I would start out at a level 1 with an adjusters license in my home state or an out of state license. I would go up to a scale of 10 as a qualified cat adjuster and tell the vendors your confidence level in xmate estimateing, photo graph quality and precise-'consise labels, short form reports and E transfer skills. This would give the vender a base line to grade your work and help you get through the first storm with a little $$.

In my opine a 10 cat. adjuster can work a HO-3 loss only can do the following job in 48 hours after meeting with the insured at the risk site of house that stood at the site and had $200,000. A coverage with a $1,000 windstorm deductible. The household was a wife , three school age children, one small inside dog and cat. The RCC is more that $200,000 on the house. The other three limits are fine IF you can work out rebuild start date with the insured who is a homebuilder. The insured will send as many hours as you need to answer your questions and describe all of his destroyed property in the Joplin, MO. tornado.

Now this is what HO-3 (10) adjuster should be able to do in 48 hours with xmate. What grade are you, just try to get as high as your are confident with and show the vender with a file.

Posted By Ray Hall on 23 Jul 2011 02:32 PM

 Michael, you are going to make it in the cat.biz; because, you can hone your adjusting skills at little expense. This is the way all new adjusters should approach the job. I would start out at a level 1 with an adjusters license in my home state or an out of state license. I would go up to a scale of 10 as a qualified cat adjuster and tell the vendors your confidence level in xmate estimateing, photo graph quality and precise-'consise labels, short form reports and E transfer skills. This would give the vender a base line to grade your work and help you get through the first storm with a little $$.

In my opine a 10 cat. adjuster can work a HO-3 loss only can do the following job in 48 hours after meeting with the insured at the risk site of house that stood at the site and had $200,000. A coverage with a $1,000 windstorm deductible. The household was a wife , three school age children, one small inside dog and cat. The RCC is more that $200,000 on the house. The other three limits are fine IF you can work out rebuild start date with the insured who is a homebuilder. The insured will send as many hours as you need to answer your questions and describe all of his destroyed property in the Joplin, MO. tornado.

Now this is what HO-3 (10) adjuster should be able to do in 48 hours with xmate. What grade are you, just try to get as high as your are confident with and show the vender with a file.

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Awesome advice Ray !! Sadly not One will make the effort. Do you remember last fall when we both tried to promote       you're "FREE" weekend workshop? Not only did you offer the free weekend workshop, you also offered to provide free lodging at your cabin !! I was sure it would be a stampede to clamour for a spot!!!!   Not one freakin' rookie adjuster called to register, not one response !

Ray, although we disagree with each other's opinions from time to time,I do have a great deal of respect for you. You have so much untapped knowledge( you go out of youre way to try and pass it on) yet no takers. That blows my mind because all we see on my site and here on CADO is the "I know this has been asked thousands of times, but let me throw it out there"  type of posts !!!

Even on my site, I tell folks not to come to this industry if they either don't have a family member or friend already in the industry and/or the ability to meet your monthly obligations without a steady income. I tell them this is the WRONG industry to come to if they aren't able to make ends meet from their current industry. It takes money to make money and they will need to cover two households(home and onsite) until the income stream comes back to you as you start to close claims.

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO EASILY MAKE $50,000.00 IN THE CLAIMS INDUSTRY ????? START WITH $100,000.00. !!!!!!!!!!!

With that being said,for the rookie adjusters that are already here,I will continue to help as many as I can.

 

 Robby new people with a license only will waste a lot of time and $$ trying to get deployed on their first storm. About 2 weeks ago a person blasted a well know flood vender who took on a windstorm in Chicago for American Family. This is my guess at the real story. This well known flood vender has been making all the marketing calls for years. This real large carrier called in vender number 1 and number 2 who sent 50 or 100 of their top adjusters to Chicago. The well known flood vender was called to send in 50 to 100 adjusters to work thier first storm for AF. The vender already had thier core group working on other storms. A real problem..... yes .yes.yes. no not really; buts lets try to make it work.

The vender did not have people who could work the AF way and dropped down to the "dreg" list of names sent a few in and prayed for a miracle, which is not done on storm claims and all the "dregs" were sent away within one week.  A very old story repeated 100 times each year.

Posted By Ray Hall on 26 Jul 2011 12:47 PM

 Robby new people with a license only will waste a lot of time and $$ trying to get deployed on their first storm. About 2 weeks ago a person blasted a well know flood vender who took on a windstorm in Chicago for American Family. This is my guess at the real story. This well known flood vender has been making all the marketing calls for years. This real large carrier called in vender number 1 and number 2 who sent 50 or 100 of their top adjusters to Chicago. The well known flood vender was called to send in 50 to 100 adjusters to work thier first storm for AF. The vender already had thier core group working on other storms. A real problem..... yes .yes.yes. no not really; buts lets try to make it work.

The vender did not have people who could work the AF way and dropped down to the "dreg" list of names sent a few in and prayed for a miracle, which is not done on storm claims and all the "dregs" were sent away within one week.  A very old story repeated 100 times each year.

Ray, I agree with you.................... to a point! Yes, most new folks will do one of two things without fail:

1) They will give up trying to get on rosters after 6 months with no takers and the obligatory post I see every other day:

OK I give up!!! I have taken every class and certification and still NO WORK !! I am done !!!!!! Note to new people: quit now because you will NOT find work, nobody will give you a chance unless there is a hurricane, then they will take anyone.

                                                                                                                                                                                    See Ya !!!

2) After getting licensed and an XM8 course and possibly an Adjuster101 class, they spend the next 6 months looking for work. Someone gives them a chance and they go out to their first storm "Here comes the big bucks" !!!!!

Oh S$%T, once they have 30 files handed to them, it is not long after that when the adjuster realizes he forgot how to use XM8. To make up for that right now, they scope all 30 in a week and then try to stumble through the XM8 estimate. He is able to get one XM8 estimate done after midnight. Awesome, 29 to go. The next morning he gets 30 more files and to make a long story short that adjuster will either quit or be asked to leave. I cannot imagine how that feels to go home where you are even more broke than when you started because of expenses.

Then there is the 3rd group of rookies, the ones that I will help because they understand that the 6 figure income is the fruits of the experienced adjuster who has paid their dues and taken their lumps and put there time in. They make finding a job their ONLY job until they get a job and during that time they stay up to date with newly aqcuired skills to keep them fresh . They are prepared and ready to go within a few days if they get that call.
Dozens of my rookies have gone to work over the last few months. The apprentice project has put rookies to work as well including one who is now a staff adjuster.

I will say this, a rookie adjuster should NOT be able to work their own claims because that is too much responsibility for atleast 1 to 3 months. They should apprentice and carry the supervising adjusters ladder. I had to do it for a year before I could do my own claims. That is the way it should be but isn't.

In closing, I don't think rookie adjusters coming to this industry (especially ones with no prior construction knowledge) should hold the same licenses I hold you hold any experience adjuster holds. They should get a provisional license through their first year. After the year, they should then test for the IA licenseThat could happen in that it will mean more dollars for the state

Florida has the right idea with their Public Adjuster licenses requiring a one year apprenticeship with another PA or PA firm.

I know rookie adjusters won't like it , but would any of you guys agree that a rookie should NOT be able to do claims "on their own??"  

 New adjusters are set up to fail, unless they have some apprentice program. Some of the large vendors look at a persons background and THINK they may work out with one or two weeks additional work. I have met about 10 people out of several hundred in the last 6-7 years that are still working adjusters and will be for years to come.

I want to know the next time there is a free workshop from someone who knows the business, anywhere, and I would make that a priority!!