How to Find Life Insurance Policy of Deceased

Start With the Paper Trail

The fastest way to find a deceased person's life insurance policy is through their existing financial records. Most people pay premiums monthly or annually, and those payments leave traces.

Check the last two years of bank and credit card statements for recurring payments to insurance companies. Look for deductions labeled with company names (MetLife, Prudential, New York Life, Northwestern Mutual) or generic descriptions like "INS PREMIUM" or "LIFE INS." If you have access to the deceased's email, search for terms like "policy," "premium," "beneficiary," and "annual statement."

Physical mail is equally valuable. To redirect mail for a deceased person, the executor or administrator must submit USPS Form 3575 to the local post office and show proof of legal authority; a death certificate alone is not sufficient. Insurance companies send annual statements, premium notices, and policy anniversary letters that reveal active policies you might otherwise never find.

Check These Free Databases

Several free search tools exist specifically for locating unclaimed life insurance benefits:

NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners runs a free search service at the NAIC website. Submit the deceased's information and participating insurers check their records. Matches trigger direct contact from the insurer. Results can take 90 business days or more.

State unclaimed property databases. When life insurance proceeds go unclaimed — because the insurer doesn't know the policyholder died — the funds eventually transfer to the state. Search MissingMoney.com (the multi-state portal) and individual state unclaimed property sites where the deceased lived and worked.

Employer benefits records. Many employers provide group life insurance as a standard benefit. Contact the HR departments of every employer the deceased worked for, including former employers. Group policies often pay one to two times annual salary, and beneficiaries frequently don't know about them.

Veterans' records. If the deceased served in the military, contact the Department of Veterans Affairs. SGLI (Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance) generally ends 120 days after separation; eligible veterans may continue coverage through VGLI (Veterans' Group Life Insurance) by applying within 1 year and 120 days of separation and paying premiums.

Finding Bank Accounts and Investments

The same forensic approach works for bank accounts, brokerage accounts, and retirement funds:

IRS Form 4506-T. File this form to request the deceased's tax transcripts from the IRS. Past returns show 1099-INT (bank interest), 1099-DIV (investment dividends), 1099-R (retirement distributions), and W-2s that reveal employers with potential 401(k) plans. These transcripts map the deceased's financial footprint across institutions you might not know about.

County property records. Search the county recorder's office in every county where the deceased lived. Deed records show real estate holdings. Search the state's UCC filing system for UCC-1 financing statements that can reveal business assets or secured loans pointing to additional accounts.

Safe deposit boxes. Check with every bank where the deceased held an account. Opening a safe deposit box typically requires a court order or letters of administration, plus the death certificate. Some states allow a supervised inventory of the box's contents before full probate opens.

Finding Stocks and Retirement Accounts

Transfer agents. Large companies use transfer agents (Computershare, EQ Shareowner Services, American Stock Transfer) to manage shareholder records. If you suspect the deceased owned individual stocks, contact the major transfer agents with the death certificate and proof of your authority.

FINRA BrokerCheck. Search the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's database to see if the deceased had a registered broker, which points to brokerage accounts.

401(k) and pension plans. The Department of Labor's EFAST2 Form 5500 search and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's unclaimed-benefits database can help locate employer-sponsored retirement plans. Former HR departments are often faster — call with the deceased's Social Security number and dates of employment.

What You Need Before You Start

For probate assets, banks and brokers commonly require a certified death certificate and letters of administration or other proof of authority. A named life-insurance beneficiary can file directly with the insurer using its claim form and death certificate; letters are generally needed only if the estate is the beneficiary or the claimant acts for the estate.

Order at least 10 to 15 certified copies of the death certificate. Some institutions require certified copies, while others accept copies or electronic records; confirm each institution's requirements.

The When There's No Will — Intestacy Survival Guide includes a structured asset search checklist, an institution-by-institution tracking worksheet, and letter templates for requesting account information from banks, insurers, and brokerages.