Guide · Finding a policy · 4 min read

Finding a relative's policy

If you think a parent, spouse, or other relative had life insurance, there are a few good places to look. It can take some patience, so go one step at a time.

Start with their papers

Look through files, desk drawers, safe deposit boxes, and old mail for statements, premium notices, or letters from an insurer. Bank statements can show regular payments to an insurance company.

Tax records, an employer's benefits papers, or a union or club membership can point to group coverage too. Check email inboxes and online banking as well, since many people now get statements electronically.

Ask the people who helped them

A financial adviser, accountant, attorney, or a former employer's HR office may know about a policy. If you find an agent's name on any paperwork, that agent may be able to tell you which insurer issued it.

Use a policy locator

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) offers a free Life Insurance Policy Locator on its website. You submit a request, and participating insurers search their records. If a policy turns up and you are a beneficiary, the insurer contacts you. Searches can take some time, and a request alone does not mean a policy exists.

Benefits that go unclaimed for a long time may be turned over to the state. Searching your state's unclaimed property site, and the state where your relative lived, is worth a few minutes.

This guide gives general information and does not address your own policy. Your contract and your insurer decide what applies to you.