Uncovering Your Mom's Legacy: Life Insurance Discovery

If you want to know whether your mother had life insurance, there are several steps you can take to find out. Firstly, you can try searching through her personal belongings, such as important documents, safe deposit boxes, and digital records. You can also contact professionals who may have been involved in her financial matters, such as financial advisors, accountants, or lawyers. Another option is to try online tools like the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Life Insurance Policy Locator, which can help you search for lost or forgotten life insurance policies. Additionally, you can check bank statements, mail, email, and life insurance applications for any indications of life insurance payments or policies. It's also worth reviewing income tax returns and contacting state insurance departments for further information. If all else fails, you can consider hiring a private search firm to track down any relevant information.

Check personal documents, safe deposit boxes and digital records

If you're trying to find out whether your mother had life insurance, one of the first things you should do is check her personal documents, safe deposit boxes, and digital records. This process can be time-consuming and emotionally draining, but it's often the most effective way to find the information you need.

Start by looking through your mother's filing cabinet, desk, or anywhere else she might have kept important documents. This includes any safe deposit boxes or safes she may have had. You'll likely need a key and proof of your relationship and identity to access a safe deposit box. Look for insurance policies, wills, or other important documents that might mention life insurance. Check for business cards from insurance agents, attorneys, accountants, or financial advisors, as they may have helped your mother secure a policy.

Next, review your mother's bank statements and cancelled checks to see if she was making regular payments to a life insurance company. Life insurance companies will also send premium notices and updates via mail and/or email, so be sure to check her physical and digital mail. Old tax returns can also be useful, as they may show payments to life insurance companies or indicate unclaimed assets.

Finally, don't forget to check your mother's digital records. If you have access to her computer, search for documents or emails related to life insurance. You can also try logging into her online banking or email accounts, but be aware that this may require you to have her passwords or security information.

Consult financial advisors, attorneys or employers

If you are unsure whether your mother had life insurance, financial advisors, attorneys, and employers may be able to help. Here are some steps you can take:

Financial Advisors

Your mother's financial advisor or accountant may know if she had life insurance. If she gave them permission, they may have already contacted the insurance agency and can help you file a claim. If you are the beneficiary, the executor should be able to share the insurance company's name with you. You can then reach out to the company directly.

Attorneys

Attorneys, especially those who worked with your mother on her will or estate planning, may have information about any life insurance policies she held. They may have records or knowledge of the insurance company she used or the policy details. Contact any attorneys your mother worked with to inquire about this.

Employers

Many companies offer life insurance as part of their employee benefits packages. Contact your mother's most recent or former employers, especially those she worked with for a long time, to inquire about this. Contact the HR department or the benefits administrator to see if they have any records of your mother having life insurance through their company.

Member Organizations

Your mother may have received life insurance through a professional or social organization she belonged to. Contact any organizations she was a member of to inquire about potential life insurance benefits. They may have records or be able to direct you to the appropriate resources.

Remember that when contacting these professionals, you may need to provide personal information about your mother, such as her full name, date of birth, and Social Security number, as well as proof of your relationship and your own identification. These steps can help you in your search for any life insurance policies your mother may have had.

Try life insurance policy locators

If you're trying to find out whether your mother had life insurance, there are several online life insurance policy locators you can use. These tools can help you locate unclaimed insurance policies and benefits. Here are some options to try:

National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)

The NAIC offers a Life Insurance Policy Locator Service that searches the records of participating life insurance companies using the deceased's name. This service is free, confidential, and easy to use. The NAIC will only contact you if they find a policy in your mother's name and you are the designated beneficiary or authorised legal representative. Before using this service, you must conduct a thorough search of your mother's records.

National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA)

The NAUPA provides a free tool to locate lost or unclaimed insurance money and other property. You can select your state and check for any record of insurance benefits or money owed to you.

Department of Insurance Website

Depending on your state of residence, you may be able to search for a policy through the Department of Insurance website.

MissingMoney.com

This website offers a free search tool to help users find unclaimed assets, including death benefits. Simply type your mother's name into the search box.

State Insurance Commissioner's Office

If you're having trouble locating a policy, you can contact your state's Insurance Commissioner. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' website provides contact information for each state office. When an authorised person makes an inquiry, the state office typically forwards the request to licensed agencies within the state to perform a search.

Check bank statements for premium payments

Checking bank statements for premium payments is a good way to find out if your mother had life insurance. Bank statements can give you insight into whether your mother paid for monthly, quarterly, or annual life insurance premiums. You can look for a consistent monthly payment amount and examine the payee to determine if your mother had a life insurance policy.

When reviewing bank statements, look for regular payments to insurance companies or financial institutions that offer life insurance products. The payment amount and frequency may vary depending on the type of policy your mother had. For example, term life insurance policies typically have fixed premiums and consistent payment amounts, while whole life insurance policies may have variable premiums that increase over time.

It's important to note that some life insurance policies are paid annually or semi-annually, so you may not see monthly payments. In this case, look for larger, less frequent payments. Additionally, if your mother had a life insurance policy through her employer or as part of a group plan, the payments may be bundled with other benefits or services.

If you have access to your mother's online banking, you can review her transaction history for these payments. You can also request paper bank statements from her bank or financial institution if you have the appropriate authorization or legal authority.

Keep in mind that some life insurance policies are paid through other means, such as cash or cheque, so the payments may not appear on her bank statements. In this case, you may need to explore other methods to determine if she had life insurance.

Reviewing bank statements is just one way to find out about a possible life insurance policy. You can also check your mother's mail or email for communications from insurance companies, contact her previous employers or financial advisors, or use online policy locator services. Each of these methods can provide valuable information and increase your chances of discovering a life insurance policy.

Contact state insurance departments

If you are unsure whether your mother had life insurance, you can try contacting the state insurance department. Unclaimed life insurance policies are eventually passed on to the state insurance department if the insurer is aware that the policyholder has passed away but the beneficiary hasn't filed a claim. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) can provide you with the insurance department contact details for the state in which your mother held a policy.

The NAIC has a Life Insurance Policy Locator Service that uses the deceased's name to search the records of participating life insurance companies. This service is free, confidential, and easy to use. Some states also let you search for a policy through their Department of Insurance (DOI) site. You can find contact information for your state's department of insurance on the NAIC website.

When an authorized person makes an inquiry to a policy, the state office typically forwards the request to licensed agencies within the state. The agencies will perform a search and, if a contract is found, will then make contact. If the person making the request is not an authorized party, the agency will not contact them, but will attempt to get in touch with the named beneficiary.

NAIC notes that it could take up to 90 business days for insurers to respond to a request. If there’s a match, the company will contact you directly if you’re the beneficiary or if you’re legally authorized to obtain the information. If the policy has another beneficiary, the insurance company could reach out to that beneficiary instead. An insurance company might ask for a notarized death certificate and other documentation that shows you’re the right person to receive information about the deceased.

Frequently asked questions