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How Much Is My Life Insurance Policy Worth?

4 Ways to Find a Lost Life Insurance Policy

Last Updated: July 8, 2024
Senior couple looking at a life insurance policy website

A life insurance policy is something you hold onto for years, or in some cases, an entire lifetime. Over time, you may lose track of a life insurance policy you took out, especially if there have been changes to the company it was purchased from. This is more common than you think, as each year it’s estimated that tens of millions of dollars in life insurance benefits go unclaimed. 

In this guide, we’ll provide steps to help you find a lost life insurance policy along with the information you’ll need to submit to claim it.

How to locate a lost life insurance policy

If you have a life insurance policy but are having trouble finding it, here are ways you can locate it to get benefits you’re entitled to. These options also apply if you’re a beneficiary looking for a policy held by a a close friend or family member.

1. Look through important documents

Whether you’re the policyholder or a beneficiary, your first step should be looking in the place where you store important documents. This can include physical storage like a file cabinet, drawers, or a safe along with digital storage such as computer folders and email accounts. If you can’t find the policy, look for anything that looks like it’s from an insurance company to tell you who to contact.

2. Ask life insurance agents, financial advisors, attorneys, and employers

If the policy was purchased from an insurance agent, they should be able to find it or tell you who it’s from. Some life insurance policies are used in retirement planning, so financial advisors may also be able to locate it. If you or the policyholder has an attorney used to create a will, contact them to see if they have the details. Note that policies are distributed separately from a person’s will, so don’t assume there is no policy because it’s not included in the details of the will. If none of those people have the information, try reaching out to your current or previous employer. Many employers offer group life insurance to employees, so you can check with them to see if you have an active policy.

3. Contact the insurance company

If you have the name of the insurance company the policy was purchased from, contact them for assistance finding it. In case you can’t remember the name of the insurance company, try looking through bank statements for a charge from an insurance company. You should also look carefully for anything that stands out, as it’s possible the insurer may bill through a different company. When you reach out to the insurance company, you’ll likely have to submit proof that you’re the policyholder or a beneficiary by providing documents like a driver’s license, social security number, or death certificate.

4. Use a life insurance policy search tool

Several organizations offer online tools that let you search for lost life insurance policies, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and various state-specific tools for residents. Each tool may look a little different, but the process will likely involve you entering basic information like your name and address along with other details about the policyholder such as their social security number. After submitting the information, you can expect to hear back from the organization or state within 90 days if a policy has been found.

Who can request life insurance policy information?

Life insurance is strictly regulated, so strangers can’t access information for people they don’t know or have a close relationship to. Only the following parties can request life insurance policy information:
  • The policyholder
  • Next of kin (spouses or children)
  • Designated beneficiaries
  • Estate executors and Trustees

What information do you need to provide when locating a life insurance policy?

Searching for a life insurance policy will require you to submit information verifying you are the policyholder or someone close to them. To prepare for the process, you should compile the following information for the policyholder:
  • Legal first and last name (including former maiden names)
  • Social security number
  • Driver’s license
  • Date of birth (and death if the policyholder is deceased)
  • Death certificate (if the policyholder is deceased)
  • Current and former addresses
  • Military discharge papers or records of service (if the policyholder was a veteran)
 

What to do with a policy you no longer want

If you’ve located the policy and decided you no longer want to maintain coverage, you have three options. You can stop paying premiums and lapse coverage, which will mean you won’t receive any benefits. Alternatively, you may be able to surrender it to the insurance company for a small payout. However, the best option is seeing if you can sell it through a life settlement, which can pay 4-11x more than the surrender value. To find out how much your policy is worth, contact Harbor Life Settlements and get a free estimate.
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Avery Logan

Avery Logan

Content Writer

Avery Logan is a writer for Harbor Life Settlements with more than four years of experience in the life settlement industry covering topics related to insurance, finance, and senior care. He shared his knowledge and insights to help inform readers so they can make better decisions for retirement planning.

Dustin Moore, VP Sales and Marketing Operations, Lighthouse Life

Dustin Moore

VP Sales and Marketing Operations, Lighthouse Life

Dustin has more than a decade of sales and marketing experience with companies ranging in size from startup to enterprise, spanning multiple verticals. He oversees both business-to-business and direct-to-consumer marketing initiatives at Lighthouse Life, in addition to managing direct-to-consumer sales operations activities. Dustin holds a B.A. from Dickinson College.

Andrew Brecher

Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Secretary of the Board of Directors, Lighthouse Life

Andrew has managed and directed operations and technology platforms in the life settlement market for more than 25 years. He was previously the Chief Information Officer at Coventry. While there, he was responsible for the design and implementation of the market’s first life settlement pricing and tracking system, and several other mission-critical enterprise and business intelligence systems. He has extensive experience in all aspects of information technology, operations, infrastructure, and facilities management, on both domestic and international levels. Andrew is an expert in cyber security and disaster recovery and received a certification in Cyber Security Management from the Information Systems Audit and Control Association. He holds a BS from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management.

Picture of Avery Logan

Avery Logan

Avery Logan is a writer for Harbor Life Settlements with expertise on insurance, finance, and senior care. He specializes in breaking down complex subjects in a way that's easy for people to understand so they can feel informed about what they're reading.

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