Claims Pages - The Editor's Notes

A TEXT POST

January » Vol. XXIV, No. 2

Just because I can’t remember my password doesn’t mean that I’m going senile.

In the early days of the internet, I (like most folks) used the same password to access every online account. A few years ago, some of those same websites started requiring that I include a number. Okay fine, but then things started getting out of hand.

Some websites would only accept my password if it was between six and eight characters. Another site required me to use a letter as the first character with numbers that follow. Other websites wanted me to mix upper and lowercase letters, and of course, include numbers.

Then came CAPTCHA, pronounced “Gotcha”, which are those strange words that I have to enter (if I can read them) to continue logging in. As if that weren’t bad enough, financial websites decided to use a “security image” as another way to keep me from logging in.

By the time I get logged in, I can’t remember the password I used…

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

A TEXT POST

January » Vol. XXIV, No. 1

You may have missed this article while you were wolfing down the holiday dinner, but the California Supreme Court has struck down a divided 2007 appellate court ruling that had required employers to pay overtime to adjusters. They determined that the appellate court had “erred in its analysis” and remanded the case to the appellate court for further proceedings. The result — the issue of adjuster overtime in California is still unresolved.

The good news is that the job outlook for adjusters continues to look good according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Judging from the number of jobs listed in our Claims Careers section, I’d have to agree with them.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

A TEXT POST

December » Vol. XXIII, No. 22

If you’re like me, you always wait until the last minute to do your shopping. The down side is that you can’t always get the coolest gifts in time. Here are a few that you may have already missed.

Just about everybody knows about the Apple iPad 2 which retails for more than $500, but Amazon’s Kindle Fire just hit the market at $199. It’s a little smaller than the iPad 2 and has less memory, but at that price it’s a steal.

If you already have an iPhone or iPad, you’ll need a protective cover. An Etch A Sketch case may be just what you need.

If you really want to make someone jump, get a HexBug. These robotic bugs react to light, sound and touch, while others can be remote controlled. Most cost less than $20.

For other cool tech toys, visit PC Magazine’s “Holiday Gift Guide”

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

A TEXT POST

December » Vol. XXIII, No. 21

A video posted on YouTube has caused quite a stir among privacy activists. Apparently, most cell phones that we carry around include software created by Carrier IQ which captures your every keystroke. You can’t turn off the software or delete the data that’s captured.

Though most people don’t realize it, “index.dat” files perform a similar function on a PC when using the IE web browser. It captures a history of the websites that were visited, search queries and recently opened files. Emptying the recycle bin doesn’t delete it. You have to use special software such as CCleaner to get rid of it.

Beginning this month, OnStar had intended to change its privacy policy to continue tracking vehicles and collecting data from customers whose services were cancelled. They finally saw the light and backtracked on the idea.

The moral of the story is… you can run but you can’t hide {from a computer}.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

A TEXT POST

November » Vol. XXIII, No. 19

Like snow blanketing the northeast, our careers section thoroughly covers claims jobs throughout the United States. We’ve expanded this area to include more information about each position when submitted directly to us from our online form.

We will be contacting insurance company HR departments via email within the next few days to let them know about this free online service and hope that you’ll encourage them to use it.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

A TEXT POST

October » Vol. XXIII, No. 18

If you like reading the news items on our website, you can now have them pushed to you through our Facebook, Twitter and MySpace pages. They update every ten minutes, so you’ll see the articles very soon after we add them. Just “Like” us on Facebook, “Follow” us on Twitter and visit us at MySpace.

We thought about adding the video feeds as well, but decided to limit the number of messages being pushed to you (so you’ll continue to like us). We’ll come up with a solution soon, but in the meantime, you can view our videos on our YouTube page and on Claimspages.com.

While you’re at it, “Follow” our LinkedIn page. We’ll be adding more content to our profile page soon.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

A TEXT POST

October » Vol. XXIII, No. 17

Have you heard the news? Verizon’s 4G network has been rated as the fastest by PC Magazine. However, that’s just part of the story.

A few years ago, 3G was all the rage. Sprint and Verizon offered unlimited data plans (AT&T was late to the party), trying to entice others into this new method of surfing the web using USB cards that plugged directly into a laptop. Shortly thereafter, they began bundling unlimited 3G coverage with smart phones as well.

With the introduction of 4G, both Sprint & Verizon killed off the unlimited plan for their data cards and mobile hotspots, capping them at 5 Gigabytes (GB) a month. Not long afterwards, Verizon and AT&T (who had finally caught up) capped smart phone data usage at 5 GB per month, leaving Sprint as the only 4G smart phone carrier with an unlimited data plan.

Despite 3G coverage which has been expanded though much of the country, 4G coverage is only available in limited markets.

However, Verizon, Sprint and AT&T’s 4G coverage should be roughly equivalent to their current 3G footprint in about two years.

What about T-Mobile you ask? Although they now offer 3G service, T-Mobile does not have a true 4G network. Think smoke and mirrors…

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

A TEXT POST

September » Vol. XXIII, No. 16

We’ve had a hell of a year. Tornados in the South and Midwest, a rare earthquake on the East Coast, a hurricane that triggered flooding from North Carolina to Vermont, and wildfires that continue to rage in Texas, California, Montana and Idaho. For property adjusters, it just never seems to end.

Now I remember why I gravitated toward handling auto and casualty claims…

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

A TEXT POST

September » Vol. XXIII, No. 15

Occasionally, adjusters ask me if we have a specific form. We do have a vast number of documents and they can become difficult to find, even with the filtering and searching that is available on our website.

What many adjusters don’t know is that they can also search our website using Google. Just enter a few words in the Google search box such as “claims pages depreciation guide” or “claims pages proof of loss filetype:pdf” (filetype:pdf restricts results to just PDF files) to begin your search.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t remind everyone that you can both browse and add jobs to our careers area for free. The devastation caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee has created a need for more adjusters, and Hurricane Katia could complicate the issue if it deviates from its forecasted path.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

23rd January 2012