The adjuster's job
Study what claims work is, who the adjuster represents, and where the file should go next.
Continue in the app →Risk, value, and coverage math
Learn the vocabulary that exam questions and claim files use: peril, indemnity, ACV, limits, and coordination.
Continue in the app →How to read the policy
Practice the coverage sequence: who, what, when, where, cause, exclusion, exception, condition, and limit.
Continue in the app →From FNOL to close
Follow the file from first notice through triage, reserves, investigation, settlement, payment, and reopenings.
Continue in the app →Fair handling and good faith
Study fair-claims conduct, role honesty, investigation standards, privacy, and when a fact is only a fraud indicator.
Continue in the app →Build the fact file
Plan the investigation around open issues, then collect photos, statements, documents, and expert work that a reviewer can trust.
Continue in the app →Notes that survive review
Write dated, sourced notes that separate what you saw from what someone said, and that show the next action.
Continue in the app →FNOL
First notice of loss: the report that opens the claim record. It starts handling; it is not a coverage or payment decision.
ACV
Actual cash value. Commonly replacement or repair cost less depreciation, subject to the policy and governing law.
RCV
Replacement cost value: the cost to repair or replace with like kind and quality, without a depreciation deduction, subject to policy terms.
Peril
The cause of loss, such as fire, theft, or wind. Distinct from risk (uncertainty) and hazard (a condition that increases chance or severity).
Hazard
A condition that increases the chance or severity of loss. It is not the cause of loss itself.
Risk
Uncertainty concerning the possibility of loss. It is not the damaged property and not the peril that caused the damage.
Indemnity
The aim of restoring the insured approximately to the financial position held before the covered loss, not creating a gain.
Deductible
The portion of a covered loss the policyholder is responsible for, applied according to the policy form.
Coinsurance
A property clause that can reduce a partial-loss payment if the insured carries less than the required amount of insurance-to-value.
Subrogation
The insurer’s right, after paying a covered loss as permitted by policy and law, to pursue recovery from a responsible third party.
Salvage
Value recoverable from damaged property after a loss.
Declarations
The information page that typically lists named insured, policy number, limits, term, and premium.
Insuring agreement
The policy section that states what the insurer agrees to cover, subject to definitions, exclusions, conditions, and endorsements.
Endorsement
An amendment or rider that changes the policy and can take precedence over general contract wording.
Reservation of rights
A notice that investigation or handling continues without conceding disputed coverage issues. It is not a final denial.
Proof of loss
A formal statement of the claimed amount and facts, in the form and time the policy requires. Distinct from first notice.
Binder
Temporary evidence of insurance, or an interim agreement, until the formal policy is issued or the binder otherwise ends.
Occurrence
A coverage trigger generally keyed to when the insured event happened during the policy period, as the form and law define it.
Claims-made
A coverage trigger generally keyed to when the claim is made, subject to the policy’s reporting and retroactive provisions.
Reserve
An estimate of unpaid claim liability. It is not a promise of payment and it is not a policy limit.
First-party
A claim for the insured’s own loss under the insured’s policy, as distinct from a third-party liability claim against the insured.
Third-party
A claim by someone other than the insured, usually alleging that the insured is liable for injury or damage.
IA
Independent adjuster: a person who contracts for compensation with insurers or self-insurers to investigate, negotiate, or settle claims.
Public adjuster
An adjuster who, for compensation, represents the insured on specified first-party property claims.
Chain of custody
The documented history of who collected, possessed, transferred, stored, or altered a physical or digital item.
Spoliation
Loss, destruction, alteration, or failure to preserve evidence that may become material to a dispute or reasonably anticipated litigation.
Good faith
Fair, supportable claim handling: reasonable investigation, honest policy application, and prompt action when the obligation is reasonably clear, subject to state law.
Fraud indicator
A fact that may justify additional investigation. It is not proof that fraud occurred and should not be treated as a conclusion.
Diary
A dated task with a specific action, owner, and follow-up. It is how the file stays in control between contacts.
Supplement
A request or evaluation for additional claim amounts based on new or revised information after an earlier estimate or payment.
Personal lines
Property and casualty coverage sold to individuals and families for primarily noncommercial purposes.
Authority
The designated limit of what an adjuster may bind. Amounts above that limit must be escalated through the required approval process.
Misrepresentation
A material false statement of fact or policy benefits. Telling a claimant that coverage does not exist when the policy provides it is a classic example.
Complaint
For market-conduct purposes, a written or documented oral expression of dissatisfaction. Trends can signal a systemic handling problem.
Recorded statement
A preserved interview. Confirm one-party or all-party consent rules for that communication and jurisdiction before recording.
Cause and origin
Expert analysis of how and where a loss began, used when the technical cause is beyond routine adjusting competence.
File note
A contemporaneous record of an action, the source of information, and the next step. Strong notes are dated, factual, and reconstructable.
Chronology
A time-ordered record of material loss events and claim-handling events, used to find sequence, gaps, and conflicts.
Handoff
A reassignment note that lets the next owner pick up coverage posture, facts, money, pending evidence, deadlines, and open tasks.
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