Does anyone know how to find out if one of your parents had life insurance?

Question

my father past in 2000 and he told me he had life insurance a couple years before that. while cleaning out his apartment i didn't find any policy or paper work. this happened in new jersey and its the worst state to even try to get money that was his.

Answer 1

and you waited this long?  has your mother just died?  surely someone must have issued the policy or you have an accountant or lawyer who knew about it.

Answer 2

The website, http://www.missingmoney.com may be of help. Insurors, state agencies, utilities, etc. post monies being held by the state which is owed to citizens, but could not be paid out for many reasons, such as an inaccurate last address. It's free.

Answer 3

There really isn't a place to go that has records of people's life insurance.  The only way to find it would be to look through his financial records such as old check book registers, etc. to see if he made payments to a life insurance company.  If you find that, then contact them and they can determine if the policy was in force at his death.  Remember, payments can be monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.

If he had a "paid up" policy it might be extremely difficult to find it.  If he were still making payments on a regular basis, notices from the company should have shown up in his mail within the year following his death.  Good luck.

Answer 4

Fth106 gave a great answer.  The only thing I'd like to add is that the Medical Information Bureau (which collects medical and occupational data from member life insurers regarding applicants) offers a "Lost Policy Locator Service."  If any information was reported as a result of your father's life insurance application, it may still be on the MIB -- which couls then give you the name(s) of the insurer(s) that insured your dad.  See the link below.

Answer 5

I concur with the last three posts. The first two were so untrue. Sometimes it takes many years before a policy surfaces especially with the lack of paper notices these days. My mother had group life through her job and I had to contact them, they did not contact me.

Also, if the decedent did not leave much of a paper trail it makes it even more difficult. Some people do not let others know where to find things such as insurance policies. That's when things can drag on for years going unnoticed..

Answer 6

If you parents don't have any record in their personal or financial papers, then there probably is no policy any more.  Many times people let them lapse.

Answer 7

If your father had life insurance and you were a beneficiary then then the company he had it through would contact you informing you of the policy he had. Since it has been 8 years I think it is safe to say there is no policy. My father just passed this past november and I have already recieved my insurance money.