With an extremely high number of hurricanes having made landfall, Florida is historically the busiest state for catastrophic claims adjusting. Florida residents interested in working as a staff or independent claims adjuster must first obtain the Florida adjuster license. Non-residents of Florida considering a career in catastrophic claims, particularly residents of states not requiring an adjuster license, should strongly consider obtaining a non-resident license in the "hurricane state". Follow these 3 steps to obtain and maintain your adjuster license in Florida:

Step 1) Observe the Requirements

To become licensed as a resident staff or independent adjuster in Florida, individuals must:

* Be at least 18 years of age.
* Be a resident of the state of Florida.
* Complete an online application for License and submit appropriate fees.
* Be a U.S. citizen or legal alien who possesses a work authorization for the Immigration and Naturalization Services.
* Be fingerprinted at one of the Department's fingerprint sites.
* If licensed in another state within 3 years, provide a Letter of Clearance.
* Successfully complete 1) an approved adjuster designation course (i.e. Florida Certified Adjuster {CA} Designation) or 2) the Florida Adjuster Examination.

If an individual already holds a general agent license and wishes to add or convert to an adjuster, one must apply online and submit the fee of $55 - no examination is required.

To become licensed as a non-resident staff or independent adjuster in Florida, individuals must:

* Be at least 18 years of age.
* Not be a resident of Florida.
* Complete an online application for License and submit appropriate fees.
* Be a U.S. citizen or legal alien who possesses a work authorization for the Immigration and Naturalization Services.
* Be fingerprinted on cards provided by the Florida Department of Financial Services. Two fingerprint cards are mailed to the applicant.
* For reciprocal licensing, the applicant's home state must have a reciprocal agreement with Florida.
* If the applicant does not meet the reciprocal requirement listed above, he or she must take either 1) an approved adjuster designation course (i.e. Florida Certified Adjuster Designation) or 2) take and pass the Florida Adjuster Examination.

Step 2) Obtain the Florida Claims License

Unless you are eligible for reciprocal licensing, you will need to successfully complete an approved designation course or pass the state exam. The Florida Certified Adjuster Designation Course, for example, satisfies all educational and evaluation requirements for obtaining the Florida adjuster license.

The course is available in online or classroom format. The 4 day classroom course consists of 40 hours in-class time and a series of quizzes administered twice daily. Cumulatively, these quizzes replace a final examination and are designed to be student friendly. Topics of the course range from General & Homeowner's Liability to Automobile Physical Damage Adjusting to Commercial and Homeowner's Property Adjusting. Designation courses such as the Certified Adjuster course enjoy extremely high student pass ratios. Once the course is completed, graduates need only submit their online application (observing the requirements above) and they can expect to be licensed within weeks.

The state exam can also be taken to satisfy the educational requirements. The state exam is notoriously difficult and generally requires considerable preparation before it can be taken with realistic chances of success. Still, it can at times offer a slightly faster, if uncertain, route to licensure.

Step 3) Maintain the License

Florida requires 24 hours of continuing education (CE) that must consist of at 2 hours ethics and 10 hours law. The remaining 12 hours are optional. The reporting period for completing Florida CE is 2 years.

Summary: Becoming a licensed Florida insurance adjuster will become increasingly important for those interested in working catastrophic claims in this time of volatile weather activity. Observing the requirements for licensure will ensure a smooth and expeditious transition into the world of claims. Solid educational opportunities exist that will exempt prospective licensees from taking the state exam.

Why? Because nobody wants to buy insurance.

Have you ever met anyone that said they wanted to buy insurance? Probably not.

Why is this? Because they think they are immortal, or more likely, they have never faced their own mortality. Because of this they can't see the need for life insurance. This is why you have to get down and talk dirty to them - make them face reality.

I learned this many years ago from a veteran Million Dollar Round Table member, who put it like this, "You have to drag up the hearse and make them smell the flowers."

Is selling life insurance, a rational or an emotional transaction? If it were a purely rational transaction a lot of people would volunteer to buy it, however if you don't bring the clients emotions into play, the rational aspect does not get considered.

As an example, try asking a number of businessmen what their most valuable asset is. My experience tells me that and the majority of them will say "It's my business" "My yacht " or "my beautiful house" None of these answers is true. These are the common misconceptions most people have about their assets. The truth is their most valuable asset is their own Life.

Now it is down to you. You are the one who has to talk them through this, they won't do this on their own. You have to point out that their life is the one asset that supports everything else, their business, their income and their families.

Make them see that it is their life, their presence, their skill and their work that created the company, and without that life, the company, all the other assets they own and their family's welfare is at risk. Look any business owner in the eye and ask this question, What would happen to your business today, if you had died last night?

Prompt him with follow-up points like,

Once the bank learns of your death , they will freeze your account, at least until they are sure that the business can continue without your control.

Is there someone ready and able to pick up the pieces without loss to the company?

Will all your long-term clientèle continue to trade with the company if you're not around?

The average businessman is so preoccupied with running his business on a day to day basis they never stop to face the reality.

So it is up to you to face them with their own mortality.

When you do, you will see their pain but as we all know there is no gain without pain.

Earning compensation is an important part of selling annuities, it is how we pay our bills and continue on with our journey.

Have you ever written a new annuity only to have it held up for 60-90 days and have to collect signatures, fight with conservation and wear yourself out? Just when you think it is ready to transfer, always something new comes up. Conservation by the broker or another agent gets old fast plus constantly calling the prospect always weakens the sale.

I can get paid in 7 days....Guaranteed. Want to learn how? A small technicality, this only works for IRAs, 401 (k), 403 (b) (tax sheltered annuities) and other qualified funds.

Since an annuity is a long term hold it would stand to reason that an IRA would be the logical place for an annuity so given that concept here it is...

Scenario:

Your client has funds in an IRA, doesn't make any difference where it is, bank, brokerage account, another annuity company.

· Open an IRA account with your annuity company under the name of the prospect and have a policy number issued (they will all do it). This is important later.

· Have your prospect surrender the IRA directly to them. The funds in an IRA can be in their possession for 60 days without any tax issues.

· Wherever you are surrendering the IRA from make sure to get the transfer forms from the custodian and have them prepared for your prospect. Easy to find on the internet or simply call the custodial and have them faxed or emailed to you.

· On the surrender forms mark it as an IRA rollover, no taxes will be withheld.

· Write a letter under your prospects name to the original custodial re-stating this is an IRA rollover and do not with hold taxes. Staple this to the surrender form and make copies.

· Tell your prospect to call immediately when the check arrives so that not a moment's interest will be lost. (they will call instantly)

· Have them deposit the IRA check into their account and write a new check to themselves in care of the new custodial (annuity company). Explain that it is important to create a paper trail for their IRA funds.

· Complete all the paperwork for the new policy and if the funds came from another insurance company, make certain you prepare the replacement form as required by your state department of insurance.

· Tell the client that you will write their new policy number on the check when you get to the office. (you had it issued by your company) On the back of the check have your clients write in the endorsement part, "For deposit only to the benefit of (insert their name), IRA". Write the policy number here also.

· Tell your prospect that you will mail them a copy of their check as soon as you get back to the office (with the numbers on both places). It's very important that you do this.

· You need to keep full copies and your client should also. Make a file for them and deliver it when you deliver the policy.

· You can surrender an existing IRA and reposition your prospect's funds into a new contract using this method in 7 to 9 business days.