Uncovering Your Mom's Life Insurance: A Step-By-Step Guide

If you suspect that your mother had a life insurance policy, there are several ways to find out. Firstly, you could try speaking with family and close friends, as they may have information about the policy, such as where it's stored or the name of the insurance company. You could also try contacting your mother's insurance agent, if she had one, or reaching out to her accountants, attorneys, or financial professionals. Another option is to use a life insurance policy locator service, such as the one provided by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). This free service allows you to search for unclaimed life insurance policies by entering your mother's information, including her Social Security number and veteran status. Alternatively, you can try sorting through your mother's paperwork, such as bank statements, tax returns, or insurance documents, to look for any records of a life insurance policy. Finally, you can contact your mother's previous employers, as they may have offered life insurance as part of their employee benefits package.

Check personal belongings

If you're unsure whether your mother had a life insurance policy, checking her personal belongings is a good place to start. Here are some detailed steps to guide you through the process:

Check her paperwork:

Look through your mother's personal papers, files, and any places she might have used to store important documents. This includes both physical and digital documents. Check for any records or clues related to a life insurance policy, such as policy documents, premium payment receipts, or correspondence with insurance companies.

Access safe deposit boxes:

If your mother had a safe deposit box, you may need to follow certain procedures to access its contents. Requirements vary by state or country, but generally, you'll need a key, a copy of the death certificate, proof of your relationship (such as a marriage certificate), and a photo ID. If you don't have the key, there may be a fee for drilling into the box. Once opened, bank officers can provide life insurance documents to named beneficiaries.

Review financial records:

Examine your mother's bank statements, cancelled cheques, or other financial records for any payments made to life insurance companies. These transactions may be indicated as premium payments or transfers from a life insurance company.

Check address books and planners:

Your mother's address books and planners may contain useful contacts related to her life insurance policy. Look for the contact details of insurance agents, attorneys, accountants, or financial advisors who may have helped her secure a policy.

Review old bills and mail:

Life insurance companies often send premium notices, updates, and other correspondence via mail or email. Check your mother's physical mail, email inbox, or credit card statements for any communications from insurance companies.

Remember, if you find any documents or clues related to a life insurance policy, be sure to follow up with the relevant insurance company or seek assistance from professionals to confirm your findings.

Contact employers and member organisations

If you are trying to find out if your mom had life insurance, one of the steps you can take is to contact her employers and member organisations. This is because many people receive free or low-cost life insurance policies through their work or as a member benefit. Even if your mom was retired or no longer active in these groups, the policy could still be in place.

If your mom was still employed when she passed away, be sure to contact the organisation she worked for to enquire about any life insurance policies she may have held. If she had superannuation through the company's preferred provider, it is likely that there was group life insurance coverage built into her package. Make sure you speak with human resources (HR) or payroll to ask about any life insurance policies that may have been in effect during her employment.

In addition, you can contact any professional or social organisations of which your mom was a member. Again, she may have received a free or low-cost policy as a member benefit.

Several websites offer free search tools to help users find unclaimed assets, including death benefits. You can simply type your mom's name into the search box on the following sites:

• National Association of Insurance Commissioners - Life Insurance Policy Locator
• National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators - Unclaimed.org

Search online

If your mother has passed away and you want to find out if she had life insurance, there are several online methods you can use to search for any unclaimed policies.

Firstly, you could try using a life insurance policy locator. There are several free online tools that can help you with this, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) Life Insurance Policy Locator Service. This service will search the records of participating life insurance companies to see if there is a policy in your mother's name. You will need to provide her name, date of birth, Social Security number, and veteran status. If a policy is found and you are the beneficiary, the insurance company will contact you directly.

You can also try searching through your state's unclaimed property database. In the US, life insurance companies are required to transfer unclaimed funds to the state after a certain period of time, so your state's database may list any unpaid life insurance proceeds.

Additionally, if you know the name of the insurance company that issued the policy, you can reach out to them directly to help find the policy. This will likely require you to submit proof that you are a beneficiary, such as your driver's license or Social Security number, as well as your mother's death certificate.

Finally, if you have access to your mother's personal belongings, you can try reviewing her physical and digital documents. Look for insurance paperwork, bank statements that show payments to a life insurance company, or indications that she tapped into the cash value of a whole life policy.

Contact insurance companies

If you know the name of the insurance company that issued your mother's life insurance policy, don't hesitate to contact them directly. Explain your situation and provide them with proof that you are the beneficiary listed on the policy. This will likely require you to submit identification, such as your driver's license or social security number, along with the policyholder's death certificate.

If you are unsure which company issued the policy, but you know the name of the insurance agent who sold it, you can reach out to them for assistance. They may be able to provide you with the necessary information to locate the policy and initiate the claims process.

In the event that you are unsure about the insurance company or agent, you can try contacting your mother's accountants, attorneys, or financial professionals. They may have relevant information or documentation that can help you in your search.

It is important to note that life insurance companies must protect the privacy of their policyholders, even after their passing. Therefore, only certain individuals are typically granted access to policy information. These include the next of kin (e.g., spouse or child), designated beneficiaries, and executors of the deceased's estate. If you fall into one of these categories, you can request policy information from the insurance company directly.

Contact state insurance departments

If you are trying to find out if your mother had life insurance, you may want to contact state insurance departments. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is a US standard-setting organisation governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five US territories. The NAIC provides expertise, data, and analysis for insurance commissioners to effectively regulate the industry and protect consumers.

The NAIC has created a Life Insurance Policy Locator, a free online tool that helps consumers find their deceased loved one's life insurance policies and annuity contracts. To use the tool, you must navigate to naic.org, hover over Consumer, and click Life Insurance Policy Locator under Tools. After reviewing the welcome page and agreeing to the terms of use, you will need to enter your name, mailing address, and email address. Then, you will submit a search request by entering the deceased's information from their death certificate, including their Social Security number, veteran status, and your relationship to the deceased. After submitting your request, it will be stored in a secure, encrypted database that participating life insurance and annuity companies can access. If a policy is found and you are the beneficiary, the company will contact you directly. It is important to note that this process may take up to 90 business days.

In addition to the NAIC tool, some state insurance departments offer their own tools to search for unclaimed life insurance policies. For example, you can search the Texas Unclaimed Property website for unclaimed benefits turned over to the state after three years. Additionally, the site MissingMoney.com, endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), aggregates state records of unclaimed funds, allowing you to search for unclaimed money by state.

Frequently asked questions