The Art of Adjusting® Podcast

Hosted by William Auten & Chantal Roberts

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Episodes

105

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Dive deep into the world of insurance claims with our podcast, newly rebranded as "The Art of Adjusting®"—a title echoing the revered book of the same name. This revamped podcast is not just a beacon for professionals navigating the adjuster landscape but also a wealth of insights for those curious about the intricacies of the industry. We're thrilled to announce that Bill Auten, owner of Auten Claims Management, will now share the mic with a stellar co-host, Chantal Roberts. Chantal isn’t just the brilliant mind behind the book 'The Art of Adjusting®'; she's also the powerhouse owner of CMR Consulting. Together, this dynamic pair will decode the complexities of various claims, from property and auto to liability and workers’ compensation, providing unmatched expertise and invaluable insights for our listeners. In our recent episodes, we've explored a range of riveting topics, offering a deep dive into the technicalities of claims, showcasing transformational journeys within the industry, and illuminating the art and science of policy decoding and investigation. Special guests, including industry veterans like Steve Frattare, have graced our platform to share their extensive knowledge and experience, shedding light on a multitude of areas within the claims adjusting world. Subscribe to “The Art of Adjusting®” to keep abreast of the evolving landscape of insurance claims. Share our treasure trove of episodes with colleagues, friends, and anyone with an appetite for understanding the captivating, multifaceted world of claims adjusting. For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services: Visit: Auten Claims Management To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit: Visit: CMR Consulting Promotions: Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now . The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here .

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 9, 2026Episode 10444 min

Episode #104 - Can Claims Ever Be Truly Objective?

Send us Fan Mail Adjusters are expected to be objective, but is true objectivity even possible when every claim requires judgment? In this episode of The Art of Adjusting® Podcast , Bill and Chantal explore how confirmation bias, anchoring, and preconceived notions can influence claim investigations. They discuss the importance of distinguishing facts from inferences and opinions, challenging initial assumptions, and evaluating favorable and unfavorable evidence by the same standard. From police reports and witness statements to prior adjuster notes, even seemingly reliable information can influence how a claim is investigated. Can adjusters ever eliminate bias entirely? Perhaps not. But recognizing it, questioning assumptions, and remaining open to contradictory evidence can lead to fairer, more thorough investigations. The takeaway: A good investigation isn't about proving your initial theory right. It's about being willing to prove yourself wrong. After listening, you'll have practical ways to recognize your own biases, challenge the assumptions buried in your claim files, and make sure the evidence drives your conclusions—not the other way around. For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management . To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting . Promotions: Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now . The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here .

September 24, 2026Episode 10416 min

Episode # 104 - Your Claim Notes Aren't Good Enough

Send us Fan Mail Are your claim notes actually documenting the claim—or are they just repeating information that already exists somewhere else in the file? In this episode of The Art of Adjusting®, Chantal Roberts looks at what makes a claim note useful and why simply copying and pasting an email into the notes may not be enough. A good claim file should allow someone to reconstruct what happened, but that includes more than communications and activity. Your notes should also document what the information means to the claim, what you intend to do next, and, when appropriate, the reasoning behind your handling decisions. Chantal also discusses the alphabet soup of claims abbreviations and why shorthand that makes perfect sense to an adjuster today may not be nearly as clear to a Department of Insurance examiner, attorney, insured, or someone else reviewing the file years later. The goal isn’t to write a novel every time you touch a claim. It’s to leave a clear record of what happened, what you understood, and what comes next. Because someday, the person reading your notes may not be you. For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management . To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting . Promotions: Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now . The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here .

September 10, 2026Episode 10351 min

Episode #103 - The Economics of Independent Adjusting

Send us Fan Mail Independent adjusters are part of the claims process—but what exactly are carriers buying when they hire one? Bill Auten takes a practical look at the independent adjusting business, from property adjusters working on fee schedules to liability investigators billing by the hour. He explains how carriers use IAs to add temporary capacity, fill geographic gaps, preserve evidence, conduct field investigations, and free staff adjusters to focus on the work that most needs their expertise. The episode also goes inside the economics of independent adjusting: fee splits, expenses, utilization, overhead, cash flow, and why neither the adjuster’s payment nor the carrier’s invoice tells you how profitable an assignment actually is. Most importantly, Bill looks at independent adjusting as a claims management resource. The question isn’t simply whether your staff adjuster can do the work. Sometimes the better question is whether that work is the best use of the adjuster’s limited time. Plus, Bill explains the difference between outsourcing claim responsibility and outsourcing the work needed to make good claim decisions. For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management . To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting . Promotions: Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now . The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here .

August 27, 2026Episode 10214 min

Episode #102 - The Million-Dollar File Starts Day One

Send us Fan Mail One missing piece of evidence can turn a clear claim into a costly argument, and it usually happens fast. We break down the idea of the “million-dollar file” and why the most important decisions often get made on day one, long before depositions, experts, or mediation show up. I walk through what strong evidence retention looks like in real investigations: identifying what actually matters, moving quickly to preserve it, and avoiding evidence spoliation claims that can damage credibility and limit defenses. We talk about practical realities too, like confirming who owns an item before you collect it, getting written permission when needed, and coordinating storage and access when multiple parties may need to inspect the same piece of equipment. We also dig into the details that make evidence usable later. Chain of custody documentation is the quiet backbone of a defensible file, and digital evidence brings its own risks and opportunities. Photos and video can carry metadata like date, time, and GPS location, but that data can disappear when files get emailed, reformatted, or saved the wrong way. I also share when it makes sense to bring in forensic experts to recover metadata or evaluate whether images were altered. Finally, we connect evidence preservation to coverage decisions, including situations where the make and model of a vehicle or equipment can affect policy exclusions. If the item is sold, destroyed, or mixed back into a rental fleet, the investigation gets harder and the stakes rise. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review. What’s the one piece of evidence you’ve seen go missing that changed everything? For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management . To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting . Promotions: Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now . The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here .

August 13, 2026Episode 1011 hr 0 min

Episode #101: Assume Less And Investigate Better

Send us Fan Mail The quickest way a claim goes sideways is not a coverage dispute or a tough claimant. It’s one small word that sneaks into our thinking and hardens into “truth” before we’ve earned it: assume. We talk candidly about how assumptions show up in real insurance adjusting work and why they lead to extra work, bad decisions, and sometimes lawsuits when new facts surface later in discovery or deposition. We get specific about where bias starts, especially in the first loss notice. Agents and insureds may write a convincing narrative using everyday words that don’t match policy definitions, and if we anchor on that version, we can miss the real cause of loss or the real liability issues. We walk through how to separate facts vs opinions vs assumptions, how confirmation bias traps even experienced adjusters, and why “right fighting” can quietly wreck your file. From there we dig into practical investigation habits: using careful claim note language like alleged, reported, and confirmed; avoiding assumptions when you inherit a file; and checking what actually controls liability through contracts, ownership, leases, snow removal agreements, and additional insured language. We also hit a modern reality for liability claims and property claims: cameras are everywhere, so asking about video and canvassing nearby locations can change the outcome fast. You’ll leave with a clearer framework for making educated inferences under deadlines without pretending you have all the facts. Subscribe, share this with an adjuster friend, and leave a review if the show helps you handle claims with more confidence and less bias. For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management . To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting . Promotions: Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now . The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here .

July 30, 202647 min

Episode #100: How Two Adjusters Built A Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Episode 100 lands with a twist: we’re finally recording together in person for the first time. After years of remote calls, we sit down with cake, swag, and a live “peanut gallery” to tell the origin story of how The Art of Adjusting Podcast grew from random conversations into a claims adjusting show that now reaches thousands of listeners. We talk about how we actually met, starting with LinkedIn and a shared love of old-school noir, then moving to Clubhouse during COVID when live audio rooms felt like talk radio for insurance people. That experiment turns into the Daily Claims podcast, and when solo recording gets tough, we team up, split the work, and build something more sustainable. Along the way we share our real career paths into insurance claims, from corporate training with big insurance companies to construction-to-adjusting, plus what expert witness work is really like and why depositions can be maddening. Then we get practical about the future of the insurance industry: AI in claims, automation, and the hidden training problem no one wants to admit. If AI handles the easy claims, where do new adjusters learn the craft before they’re handed complex files? We also come back to the most human skill in the job, whether you handle property, auto, workers’ comp, or liability claims: trust. Sometimes the best thing you can say is, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out and call you by 4,” and then you actually do it. Subscribe, share this with an adjuster friend, and leave a five-star review so more people can find the show. What’s one change you want to see in claims over the next five years? For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management . To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting . Promotions: Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now . The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here .

July 16, 2026Episode 991 hr 8 min

Episode #99: Are Multi-Line Adjusters Going Extinct?

Send us Fan Mail Multi-line adjuster, generalist, all-lines, specialist, mono-line, GA, TPA, IA, carrier claims. We hear these labels all the time, but they don’t mean much until you map them to real work, real stress, and real career options. Bill Auten and Chantal Roberts dig into whether multi-line adjusters are “still a thing” and why the answer depends on where you work. Big carriers often push specialization because training thousands of people across multiple lines is expensive and hard to control. Smaller carriers, mutual insurers, and independent adjusting firms still need people who can jump from property losses to liability investigations when volume spikes. We also clarify the terminology around “general adjuster” licensing and why job titles in claims can be misleading. We get into the modern reality of claims technology and AI. AI can help you move faster, but it can also create serious privacy and compliance problems if protected personal information ends up in the wrong tool, and it never replaces licensed judgment. Then we talk about the human side: why both property and liability claims can be emotionally brutal, how switching claim types can sometimes help you reset, and how company culture can either give you autonomy or micromanage you into burnout. You’ll also hear our knee-jerk “worst claim type” picks, a quick diminished value auto detour, and practical advice for new adjusters deciding between starting at a carrier, going independent, or finding a hybrid path through a third-party administrator. If you want a claims career that fits your personality and keeps your options open, this one is for you. Subscribe, share with an adjuster friend, and leave a five-star review if you want more real talk like this. For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management . To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting . Promotions: Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now . The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here .

July 2, 2026Episode 9852 min

Episode #98: How Insurance Adjusters Get The Full Story With Recorded Statements

Send us Fan Mail People hear “recorded statement” and assume it’s a trap. We don’t see it that way, and if you work in claims adjusting, you shouldn’t either. Bill Auten (Auten Claims Management) and Chantal Roberts (CMR Consulting) lay out what a recorded statement is really for: a clear, professional record of what happened that helps you investigate the claim, preserve evidence, and make the right call on liability, coverage, and damages. We get practical about preparation before you ever hit record: knowing your claim file, planning your roadmap without clinging to a script, and using photos or simple exhibits to lock in details. We also talk through how to set expectations with insureds, claimants, and witnesses so they understand why you’re recording, what “name, rank, and serial number” questions are for, and why “I don’t know” is a perfectly acceptable answer. You’ll hear tactics for managing real-world problems like background spouses chiming in, distractions, and the awkward pauses that happen when you’re typing notes live. We also cover what changes when an attorney is present, how to keep the tone calm and factual, and what to do when someone refuses to provide key information. Along the way, we reinforce the core skills that keep statements clean: open-ended questions, timeline prompts like “what happened next,” avoiding leading questions, and staying unbiased even when people assume adjusters are trained to deny. We finish with one of the most useful close-out questions you can ask and how to set next steps so everyone knows what comes next in the claims process. Subscribe for more real-world insurance adjuster training, share this with an adjuster friend, and leave a review if it helps you run better recorded statements. For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management . To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting . Promotions: Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now . The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here .

June 18, 2026Episode 9755 min

Episode #97: CMS Reporting And Medicare Liens For Liability Claims

Send us Fan Mail A “quick” injury claim can turn into a compliance puzzle the moment Medicare or Medicaid enters the picture and if you miss it, the consequences can be expensive. We get practical about CMS, Medicare Secondary Payer rules, and what adjusters actually need to do on day one so a settlement does not blow up later. We walk through the Big Five identifiers we ask claimants for, why people understandably get suspicious, and how to explain the request without sounding like a scammer or hiding behind acronyms. Then we translate the jargon: Section 111 reporting, conditional payments, Medicare liens, Medicaid liens, and what “Responsible Reporting Entity” really means when carriers use vendors and automated reporting behind the scenes. From there, we talk settlement reality. Why you may need to wait for a conditional payment letter and a final demand, how the $750 small settlement provision fits in, and why these steps feel like a delay tactic to the average person even when you are trying to close fast. We also cover risk controls like paying first and disputing later, using hold harmless and indemnification language when attorneys push back, and protecting PII so your file stays clean. If you work property, auto, GL, workers’ comp, or liability claims, this is the kind of “unseen” process that can make or break a smooth close. Subscribe, share with an adjuster friend, and leave a review with the toughest Medicare lien question you have right now. For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management . To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting . Promotions: Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now . The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here .

June 4, 2026Episode 9659 min

Episode #96: The Bad Faith Warning Signs

Send us Fan Mail Bad faith doesn’t usually arrive as one dramatic blow-up. It shows up as a slow drip of little things: the voicemail that never gets returned, the approval that sits in someone’s queue, the vague diary note that makes sense only to the person who wrote it, and the template letter that accidentally says more than it should. We talk through the practical warning signs we see when a claim is headed toward escalation, complaint, or litigation. We dig into how understaffed claims departments force adjusters into triage, why vacation schedules and internal handoffs create gaps, and how stacked authority levels can turn a reasonable settlement into a trust-breaking delay. We also share communication habits that de-escalate fast: acknowledging frustration, picking up the phone, setting a realistic follow-up date, and explaining the “why” behind the timeline without overpromising. Then we get tactical about defendable claim handling. We explain what strong claim notes look like (so another adjuster could take over tomorrow), why “sent letter and cut check” is a dangerous level of detail, and how automation and AI can help with organizing but cannot replace human judgment or protect you from privacy risks. We close with a common landmine: form letters and 30-day status templates that include inapplicable language, creating ammunition for a bad faith narrative. Subscribe, share the show with another adjuster, and leave a review so more claims pros can find it. For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management . To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting . Promotions: Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now . The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here .