The loss of a loved one is heart wrenching. It is often difficult for your beneficiaries to know what steps need to be taken to ensure the financial well being of your family after such an event. If you lost a loved one who owned a life insurance policy, you will need to file a life insurance claim to receive the life insurance benefits. Life insurance can cover funeral costs and medical expenses and can act as a source of income for those left behind. To file a life insurance claim, you must be able to locate the policy owner's insurance policy information. Unfortunately, sometimes these policies are difficult to find.
If you are unable to locate a life insurance policy, there are some ways you may be able to find it. There is no national or statewide database for life insurance policies, but with a little homework you should be able to track down the information you need to file your claim.
The Insurance Information Institute provides helpful strategies that can be used to help find a missing life insurance policy. These strategies are summarized below:
1. Search for documents that are related to insurance. Files, storage boxes, records maintained in the decedent's computer or cloud accounts, and bank deposit boxes may have insurance documents. An address book may also list the name of an insurance agent who could have sold the policy.
2. Call financial professionals the decedent previously used. These professionals may include accountants, attorneys, investment advisors, bankers, insurance agents and anyone else involved in your personal finances.
3. Analyze other life insurance applications. A life insurance application will list any other policies that were held at the time.
4. Review credit card statements, check registers, and cancelled checks for payments to life insurance companies.
5. Check the mail for a year after the death. You may receive premium or dividend notices from the life insurance company. Insurers often send annual notices.
6. Contact Florida’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property. If the insurance company knows that the policyholder died, but cannot locate the beneficiary, the insurer will transfer the death benefits to the state.
7. Check with state insurance departments. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has created the Life Insurance Company Location System to help individuals find state insurance personnel who could possibly identify insurers that might have issued the policy.
8. Employ a private service to help find the policy. There are companies that will search for lost life insurance policies for a fee.
You can reach Miami Insurance Claims Lawyer J.P. Gonzalez-Sirgo by dialing his direct number at (786) 272-5841, calling the main office at (305) 461-1095, or Toll Free at 1 (866) 71-CLAIM or email Attorney Gonzalez-Sirgo directly at [email protected].
