Uncovering A Relative's Life Insurance: A Step-By-Step Guide

If you suspect that a relative had a life insurance policy, there are several ways to find out. You can search through their personal belongings, such as paperwork, mail, and email, for any insurance-related documents or premium notices. You can also contact their financial advisor, accountant, or previous employer, as they may have information about any employer-provided group life policies. Additionally, you can try using online search tools, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) Life Insurance Policy Locator Service, which searches the records of participating life insurance companies. If you know the insurance company, you can contact them directly to inquire about the policy and your status as a beneficiary. It's important to act quickly, as most insurance companies will continue to charge payments until a claim is filed, deducting unpaid premiums from the policy's benefits.

Search their personal belongings

If you suspect that your relative had a life insurance policy, you can search through their personal belongings to find evidence of this. This can be a challenging and time-consuming process, especially if you are still grieving, but it is worth doing as millions of dollars in life insurance benefits go unclaimed each year.

Firstly, look through their paperwork, files, and documents, both physical and digital. This includes their mail, address books, and planners, and any safes or safe deposit boxes they may have had. You will likely need a key to access a safe deposit box, as well as proof of your relationship to your relative and a copy of their death certificate. Check for insurance-related documents, such as policy documents or premium notices, and look out for business cards of insurance agents, attorneys, accountants, or financial advisors who may have helped your relative secure a policy.

Next, check your relative's bank statements and cancelled cheques for payments to life insurance companies, and review their tax returns for the past two years for any records of interest income or expenses paid to life insurance companies. Life insurance companies pay interest on permanent policies and charge interest on policy loans, so these can be a good indicator of whether your relative had a policy.

If you find a life insurance policy, check the application form as this will often list any other life insurance policies owned by your relative at the time of application. If you are unable to find any evidence of a policy, try contacting your relative's banker, financial adviser, or attorney, as they may have more information.

Contact their insurance company

If you know the name of the insurance company that issued your relative's life insurance policy, you can contact them directly. Explain your situation and provide proof that you are the beneficiary listed in the policy. Ask them about the steps you need to take to proceed with the claim.

To find someone's life insurance policy, you may need to provide the following information:

• The full legal name of the deceased
• Date of birth of the deceased
• Social Security number of the deceased
• Your relationship to the deceased

If you are unsure whether your relative had a life insurance policy, you can try searching through their personal belongings, such as paperwork in their home, business, or safe deposit box. You can also check their mail, email, and bank statements for any correspondence or payments made to a life insurance company. If you find any business cards of insurance agents, attorneys, accountants, or financial advisors, you can contact them for more information.

If you are still unable to locate a policy, you can contact your state's insurance department or the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) for assistance. The NAIC offers a free Life Insurance Policy Locator Service that searches the records of participating life insurance companies.

Contact their financial advisor

If you suspect that your deceased relative had a life insurance policy, you can try contacting their financial advisor. Financial advisors often have access to a wide range of information about their clients' financial affairs, including insurance policies. Here are some steps you can take:

• Identify the Financial Advisor: Start by identifying your relative's financial advisor. Look for business cards, emails, or other documents that indicate who they worked with. You can also check their address book or planner for potential contacts.
• Contact the Financial Advisor: Once you have identified the financial advisor, give them a call or send them an email. Explain your situation and ask if they are aware of any life insurance policies that your relative may have had. If they had a client-advisor relationship, they might have already contacted the life insurance agency and can help you with the necessary steps.
• Provide Necessary Information: When communicating with the financial advisor, be prepared to provide relevant information about your relative and yourself. This may include your relative's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and the date of their passing. Additionally, you may need to provide proof of your relationship and your identity.
• Follow Up with the Insurance Company: If the financial advisor confirms the existence of a life insurance policy, they can guide you on the next steps. They may direct you to contact the insurance company directly. In this case, reach out to the insurer, explain your situation, and inquire about the procedure for filing a claim.
• Explore Other Options if Needed: In some cases, the financial advisor may not have the necessary information or permission to disclose details. If this is the case, you can explore other avenues, such as contacting the insurance company directly, using online policy locators, or reaching out to the state insurance department or unclaimed property office.

Remember that privacy laws protect the deceased, so financial advisors and insurance companies will have protocols in place before releasing any information. However, if you are an authorized representative or a beneficiary, you should be able to access the relevant information with the necessary documentation.

Contact their previous employers

If you're trying to find out whether a deceased relative had life insurance, one of the steps you can take is to contact their previous employers. Many companies offer life insurance as part of their employee benefits packages, so it's worth reaching out to the HR department of your relative's former workplace to see what they have on file. They may have a record of life insurance policies for past employees, or be able to confirm whether your relative had enrolled in a company-provided group life policy.

Even if your relative was retired or no longer working for the company, the policy could still be in place. It's also worth contacting their professional and social organizations, as they may have received free or low-cost policies as a member benefit.

If you're unsure of which companies to contact, you can search for records of your relative's employment in their personal belongings, such as their address book or planner. You can also check their bank statements or cancelled cheques to see if they were making payments to a life insurance company. If you find any business cards for insurance agents, attorneys, accountants, or financial advisors, you can reach out to them for more information.

If you know the name of the company your relative worked for, but are unsure of who to contact, you can try searching for the company's HR department online or calling their main phone line and asking for the contact details of the relevant person or department.

It's important to note that privacy laws may restrict the amount of information that a company is able to share with you. However, if you are the executor of your relative's estate or have been granted authority by the court to manage their affairs, you may be able to access more information.

Contact their friends and family

If you're trying to find out whether a deceased relative had life insurance, their friends and family can be a valuable source of information. It's one of the first things to do when someone dies. Here are some steps you can take:

Talk to Friends, Family Members, and Acquaintances

It can sometimes be easier to talk to people outside of the immediate family about topics related to death and dying. Your loved one may have confided in friends, spiritual leaders, doctors, or members of social groups they were part of, such as book clubs or exercise groups.

Search Personal Belongings

If your loved one had a life insurance policy, there's likely some record of it among their personal belongings. Check paperwork in their home and business, as well as safe deposit boxes. To access safe deposit boxes, you'll typically need a key, a copy of the death certificate, proof of relation (e.g., a marriage certificate), and a photo ID.

Even if you can't find the policy itself, look for the following:

• Business cards of insurance agents, attorneys, accountants, or financial advisors, who may have helped secure a policy.
• Bank statements or cancelled cheques that may show payments to life insurance companies.
• Address books and planners, which may contain useful contacts.

Check Old Bills and Mail

Life insurance companies send premium notices and updates via mail and/or email, so be sure to check your loved one's postal and email inboxes. Credit card and other financial statements may also provide clues.

Contact Employers and Member Organisations

Reach out to past and present employers, as well as professional and social organisations your loved one was part of. Many people receive free or low-cost life insurance through work or as a member benefit, and these policies may still be in place even if your loved one was retired or no longer active in these groups.

Do an Online Search

Several websites offer free search tools to help users find unclaimed assets, including death benefits. You can try searching for your loved one's name on the following sites:

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

There are also companies that will search for a lost policy on your behalf, but fees vary, and scams do exist, so be sure to do your research first.

Frequently asked questions