How To Become a Public Adjuster

Unless a close relative makes his or her living as a public adjuster, odds are you didn’t dream of this profession as a young kid. Even so, as you grow older you realize where the money is, and that definitely includes the insurance industry. When an accident happens, whether it’s a storm, car crash, fallen tree, flood, etc., your insurance companies send an adjuster from their office to come and assess the damages. Based on their report as well as your documented damages, the insurance company will come up with a value that they’re willing to pay you for damages and repairs. Public adjusters come into the picture when there’s either a discrepancy in the settlement value or the client needs consultation efforts while going through the claim process. Companies like Excel Public Adjusters are experts that work with you to maximize your payout and protect your rights as a victim of an unfortunate accident that caused damage to your home/business/other belongings.

Becoming a public adjuster is not an easy process. It’s a profession that requires a lot of due diligence, trust, and attention to detail. In order to become a public adjuster, there is no formal process. However, according to Land You Life, the most successful public adjusters followed these steps.

1. Get a Bachelor’s Degree

Like stated before, there’s no formal need to go to College in order to become a public adjuster, yet most successful people in the profession do. Down the road, it will be much easier to gain experience through a job with a college degree under your belt. Degrees in accounting, business, finances, or other related fields might be the best case for an undergraduate degree if the end goal is a public adjuster.

2. Be aware of licensing requirement in your state

As for many professions, the licensing requirements vary in different states. Understanding the objectives you need to meet in order to practice in your given state is an important factor in the process. Certain states require you to pass a licensing exam while others will require a full educational program. Some other states will require working experience in the industry or a combination of experience, education, and passing an exam.

3. Gain experience

It’s a good idea for just about any job to get experience in the field one way or another. Even though you want to work as a public adjuster eventually, it’s a good idea to first work for an insurance company. The work they do is basically the same only they’re trying to minimize the payout while as a public adjuster you’ll be trying to maximize the payout. Depending on the state you want to practice in, you might need this experience to even be eligible to sit for the licensing exam.

4. Get licensed

Again, some states will require you to obtain a license while other will not. You may need to complete extra coursework, get more hours of experience, or have a company sponsor you. Whatever you have to do in order to sit for the exam, it’s important that you also take the time to study in order to pass it.

5. Get certified

You can hone in on your technical knowledge by getting certified as a Senior Professional Public Adjuster (SPPA). The program entails four main courses including claim principles and practices, property and liability insurance principles, property claim practices, and property coverage. You’re also going to be expected to pass an ethics exam.

6. Join a firm or set up your own practice

If you’re just beginning as a public adjuster, you might want to seek out a firm to join. Working for someone else can provide training in how to run the business as well as gain insights on the business from different perspectives. Once you have a good handle on the industry, moving to a solo practice could be more lucrative.