Adjuster Ethics Guidelines

The mission of the New Hampshire Insurance Department is to promote and protect the public good by ensuring the existence of a safe and competitive insurance marketplace through the development and enforcement of the insurance laws of the State of New Hampshire.

NH Adjuster Ethics Guidelines 

Effective January 1, 2020, RSA 402B-5a will require that three (3) of the twenty-four (24) hours of continuing education credits for adjusters be in ethics for claims adjusters in the state of New Hampshire.

To be approved, an ethics training course must reinforce an adjuster's ethical competence, contribute to an adjuster's understanding of the complexities of ethical decision-making in the insurance industry, and provide tools to help an insurance professional identify, prevent, and constructively resolve ethical dilemmas.

As you determine if your course(s) would meet this new requirement, please keep the following questions in mind: 

  1. Does this course contribute to an adjuster's understanding of his/her ethical responsibilities? 
  2. Does the course give examples of "good" licensee conduct, as well as examples of "bad" licensee conduct? 
  3. Does this course contribute to an adjuster's understanding of the complexities of ethical decision-making within the context of insurance transactions? 
  4. Does the coursework describe where an adjuster may find tools that are provided to help the adjuster identify, prevent, and resolve ethical dilemmas that arise in the course of conducting insurance business? 
  5. How will the content of this course contribute to the adjusters' understanding of proper vs. improper, honest vs. dishonest behavior? 
  6. Does this course demonstrate to whom the licensee "owes" an ethical responsibility and how this will help the licensee understand his or her ethical responsibilities to such an entity? 
  7. How will this course help the licensee distinguish between legal and ethical behavior and legal but unethical behavior? 

Ethics training may include, but not be limited to, subject as follows:

  • Anti-money laundering
  • Competence
  • Compliance with state and federal laws and regulations
  • Credit scoring
  • Consumer protection
  • Defamation of a competitor
  • Disclosure
  • Fair claims practices
  • Fair trade practices
  • Fraud awareness
  • Fiduciary duties (financial irresponsibility)
  • Honesty (dishonest practices and untrustworthiness)
  • Integrity
  • License suspension, revocation, or denial
  • Loyalty
  • Market conduct
  • Privacy