Alyssa Lane
Locating a lost life insurance policy can be a challenging task, but there are several steps you can take to find the information you need. This may involve doing some detective work, and there are also online policy finder tools available. You can start by searching through the deceased's documents and correspondence, including paper and digital files, bank statements, tax returns, and mail. You can also contact their financial advisers, bankers, or attorneys. If that doesn't work, you can submit a request to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) Life Insurance Policy Locator Service, a free online tool. Additionally, you can contact your state's Unclaimed Property Office, as life insurance companies turn over death benefits to the state as unclaimed property when they are unable to find the beneficiary.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What to do if the policyholder is still alive | Request a new copy of the policy by calling the insurance company |
| What to do if the policyholder is deceased | Search personal records, including paper and digital files, bank safe deposit boxes, and other storage spaces for insurance-related documents |
| How to search personal records | Check bank statements for checks or automatic drafts to life insurance companies; check the deceased’s mail and email for premium or dividend notices; review the deceased’s tax returns for the past two years for a record of interest income or expenses paid to life insurance companies; check the application for each life insurance policy found |
| Who to ask | The deceased’s banker, financial adviser, and attorney; the deceased's automotive and home insurers; the deceased's past employers, trade unions, and other professional associations; spiritual advisors, friends, and other important people |
| Online tools | The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) Life Insurance Policy Locator (LIPL); the MIB Underwriting Group database; MissingMoney.com, a listing of life insurance benefits that were turned into state governments because no one claimed them; the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) |
| State-based tools | The North Carolina Department of Insurance; the New York Department of Financial Services' "lost policy finder"; the state comptroller’s Unclaimed Property Office; the state insurance commissioner's office |
What You'll Learn
Search personal records and documents
If you suspect that a deceased loved one had a life insurance policy that you are having trouble locating, you can try searching through their personal records and documents. Here are some steps you can take:
Often, someone's personal records and documents will contain evidence of a life insurance policy. Start by checking the deceased person's mail, both physical and email, for any life insurance documents or correspondence from insurance companies. Bank statements may also show payments made to life insurance companies, so be sure to review these carefully. Tax returns may also be useful, as they may show cash value interest, payments made to life insurance companies, or cash distributions.
Check safe deposit boxes and computer drives
Important documents like life insurance policies are often kept in safe deposit boxes, so if you have access to the deceased's safe deposit box, be sure to check there. Additionally, look for any cloud-based or encrypted computer documents that may contain relevant information. However, keep in mind that you may need a court order to access certain types of digital records.
Contact relevant people
Financial advisors, insurance agents, accountants, personal lawyers, spiritual advisors, and friends may also have information about your loved one's insurance policy. Don't hesitate to reach out and ask if they are aware of any life insurance policies held by the deceased.
Review employers and professional affiliations
Review the deceased's employers and professional affiliations, as they may have provided term life insurance or whole life insurance options. If the deceased was a member of any fraternal, professional, or union associations, contact them to inquire about any potential life insurance policies offered through those groups.
Remember, even if you don't have the physical policy document, you can still make a claim. Focus on gathering as much information as possible, such as the company name, policy number, and any other relevant details. This information can be enough to start the claims process.
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Ask financial advisors and other significant people
If you are the policyholder, retrieving a lost life insurance policy is as simple as calling the insurance company, explaining the situation, and requesting a new copy of the policy. However, if you are looking for a deceased loved one's lost policy, the process can be more challenging. Here are some detailed steps you can take to find a lost life insurance policy by asking financial advisors and other significant people:
- Contact the deceased's financial advisors: The deceased's financial planner, accountant, attorney, or insurance agent may have information about their client's life insurance policies. These professionals are often aware of their clients' insurance coverage as part of their financial planning and wealth protection services. They can provide valuable insights and guidance on locating the policy.
- Speak to the deceased's banker: The banker of the deceased may have knowledge of their life insurance policy, especially if the premiums were paid through their banking institution. They can review the deceased's bank records and transactions to look for payments made to insurance companies, which can help identify the insurance provider.
- Reach out to the deceased's spiritual advisors: Spiritual advisors, such as religious leaders or counsellors, often have close relationships with their congregants and may be aware of their life insurance arrangements. They may provide emotional support and guidance during this difficult time and potentially assist in locating the policy.
- Communicate with the deceased's friends and other important people: Friends and other individuals close to the deceased may have relevant information or insights. They might know about the existence of a life insurance policy, the insurance company used, or any other details that could aid in your search.
- Check with the deceased's past and present employers: Many employers offer group term life insurance as an employee benefit, and some even extend this benefit to spouses or dependents. Contacting the deceased's current and former employers can help determine whether they had a group life insurance policy or if there is additional information available.
- Consult with the deceased's trade unions and professional associations: Trade unions, veterans' associations, alumni associations, and other professional or social organizations sometimes provide group life insurance coverage for their members. If the deceased was a member of any such groups, get in touch with them to inquire about potential life insurance policies or related benefits.
Remember that even if you don't have the physical policy document, you can still make a claim. Any information you gather, such as the insurance company's name, policy number, or beneficiary details, can be a great starting point for initiating the claim process.
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Check with automotive and home insurers
If you're trying to locate a lost life insurance policy, it's worth checking with your loved one's automotive and home insurers. People often purchase multiple types of insurance from the same company, so if you can find documentation of their car or home insurance, you can ask those companies if they also have a life insurance policy for them.
It's important to remember that even if you can't find the policy document, it doesn't mean the policy is invalid. If you're the beneficiary of the policy, you can still start a claim with the insurance company. Focus on gathering as much information as possible, such as the company name, policy number, and any other relevant details.
To locate a lost life insurance policy, you can also try the following methods:
- Search personal records: Check the deceased person's files, safe deposit boxes, address books, and other storage spaces for insurance-related documents or correspondence.
- Review financial records: Look for bank and credit card statements that show premium payments to a life insurance company.
- Contact financial advisors: Speak to the deceased's financial advisors, bankers, business partners, attorneys, or accountants, as they may have records of the policy or the insurance company that issued it.
- Check with employers and groups: Contact the deceased's former employers or professional associations, as they may have offered group life insurance as a benefit.
- Use online policy finders: Take advantage of online search tools provided by government, state, and industry sources, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) Life Insurance Policy Locator Service.
- Contact the state's unclaimed property division: Insurance companies are required to turn over policy proceeds to the state if they are aware of the insured person's death but cannot locate the beneficiary.
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Contact trade unions and other professional associations
If you are looking for a lost life insurance policy, contacting trade unions and other professional associations is a good step. Trade unions, veterans' associations, alumni associations, and other types of professional and social organizations sometimes offer group life insurance to their members. If your loved one belonged to one or more of these groups, contact them to see if there is a life insurance policy.
Trade unions, in particular, have long played a role in providing health and life insurance to their members. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as workers faced increasingly desperate circumstances, many turned to socialist and radical labour organizations that promised to correct social and economic inequalities. Immigrant groups and workers formed fraternal or union-based organizations to provide monetary support or actual health services to their members.
Today, union plus credit cards are available to dues-paying labour union members of participating unions, retired labour union members, and spouses/domestic partners of union members. These plans can provide important protection for families in case of unexpected death, helping with final expenses, outstanding loan balances, or student debt.
If you are looking for a lost life insurance policy that you believe was offered through a trade union or professional association, be sure to contact the relevant organizations to inquire about their group life insurance policies. They may be able to provide you with a new copy of the policy or help you make a claim.
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Check online databases
Checking online databases is a great way to find a lost life insurance policy. There are several online databases that can be used to help find a loved one's life insurance policy.
The MIB Underwriting Group database contains records of life insurance applications, which could mean an active policy exists. The MIB Group also has a national database for all individual life insurance policy applications made to U.S. and Canadian insurers. If the deceased applied for a policy after 1996, the MIB Group will probably have a record of the insurance company to which they applied. It costs $75 to get a report from them.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has a Life Insurance Policy Locator (LIPL) Service, a free online tool that can assist you in locating life insurance policies. Once a request is received, the NAIC will ask participating companies to search their records to determine whether they have a life insurance policy in the name of the deceased you entered. If they do, the participating company will respond to you if you are the designated beneficiary or are authorized to receive the information.
The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) runs MissingMoney.com, a listing of life insurance benefits that were turned into state governments because no one claimed them. If you find benefits from a policy that belonged to your loved one, it might still be possible to collect on it.
Some U.S. states offer online databases where residents can search for life insurance policies. Even if your state doesn't offer such a database, you can call the state insurance commissioner's office to request a search for your loved one's policy. If life insurance benefits go unclaimed, the life insurance company typically turns the money over to the state treasurer. You can find contact information for every state treasurer at the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators' website.
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Frequently asked questions
If you know the name of the insurance company, contact them directly. You will need to provide proof of identity and a copy of the policyholder's death certificate. If you don't know the name of the company or whether the person had a policy, you can:
- Search the deceased's documents and correspondence, including digital files, bank statements, tax returns, mail, and email.
- Contact the deceased's banker, financial adviser, and attorney.
- Submit a request to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) Life Insurance Policy Locator Service.
You will need to provide the deceased's legal first and last name, date of birth, date of death, and Social Security number.
If a life insurance company is aware that an insured client has died but cannot find the beneficiary, the company will turn the death benefit over to the state where the policy was purchased as "unclaimed property". You can contact the state's Unclaimed Property Office to locate the policy.
