12 Steps for Finding a Lost Life Insurance Plan

Every year millions and billions of life insurance policies go unclaimed because people lose their life insurance policies. Looking for lost documents can be a challenging task, and it can even become more arduous when the family and the loved ones of a deceased person look for the life insurance policy on behalf of the deceased. The search can feel overwhelming, but with a systematic and thoughtful approach, it's possible to locate a lost life insurance policy and ensure the rightful benefits are claimed.

How to Track Down a Lost Life Insurance Policy in 12 Simple Steps?

As the person insured is typically the one paying the premium, losing a policy can leave many heirs unaware of the coverage amount and in a position where they do not understand how to proceed and how to collect the returns of a life insurance policy or a mortality benefit. Follow these 12 steps that can assist you in finding a lost term life insurance plan.

1. Search for the Policy in Insurance-Related Documents: Many people have the habit of keeping all their necessary documents together. Hence, you must look for the life insurance policy in the bunch where the deceased person used to keep all their insurance-related documents.
   Tip: The Government of India has taken a new initiative - DigiLocker. This provides cloud storage to the citizens of India for safely storing important documents.
   
   Learn what is DigiLocker and how to use it?
   
   In addition to this, you can also check the address records for the names of any insurance company or the agent through which the deceased person purchased a life insurance policy and call them up to take the details about the policy.
   
   
2. Look for the Policy in Bank Statements: Whenever a person buys a life insurance policy, the payments of the premium installments are usually made through a bank account. Hence, it is pretty evident that the bank statement of the deceased policyholder will contain details about how much payment the insured person has made over the years.
   
   Apart from this, you can also look for the details about the insurance company like their name, nature of policy, and more. This information in the bank statement can make your quest for lost life insurance policies easier.
   
   
3. Talk to Your Attorney or Financial Advisor: While you are looking for a lost life insurance policy, you must always contact some of the important people like the attorney and financial advisor of the deceased person. Apart from the attorney and financial advisor, you can also talk to the office accountant of the person along with the insurance agent or the broker that might hold some important information regarding the departed person's life insurance policies.
   
   Once you find details of the insurance company, you can contact the customer support team of that organization or the claim department. Even if you do not have a policy number, have other details of the policyholder handy like their address, date of birth, contact number, etc., to assist the insurance company in streamlining the lookout process.
   
   
4. Examine the Life Insurance Application: If you are unable to find the life insurance policy, you can try finding out the life insurance application that the person made before buying a life insurance policy. It is a common habit that people keep the policy application along with the original life insurance policy.
   
   Hence, there is a possibility that you might find the life insurance policy while looking for the life insurance application. Even if you do not get the policy, you can always find some important details in the policy application that can assist you in claiming the life insurance amount.
   
   
5. Go Through the Emails of the Deceased Person: As in the present times, many insurance companies email the soft copy of the life insurance policy to the registered email address of the policyholder. It is advised that you carefully go through all the email and trail mails to trace the soft copy of the life insurance policy.
   
   Apart from the policy, the insurance company also keeps on sending emails regarding the payment of premium, the status of policy, etc. that can assist you in finding a lost insurance policy.
   
   
6. Get in Touch with Previous Employers: To find a lost life insurance policy, you should get in touch with the former employers of the deceased person. As the employer of the organization in which the deceased person used to work holds all the records of the group life insurance policies, there are chances that you might get a copy of the life insurance policy from that organization.

7. Take a Look at the Income Tax Returns: Checking the past two years Income-tax return of the deceased person can also assist you in tracking down a lost life insurance policy. As it is known that the premium of the life insurance paid is exempted Under section 80C of the Income-tax Act, there will always be the entry shown in the income tax return, and you can easily take the assistance of this information in claiming the maturity amount.

8. Hire a Search Agency: If you are unable to locate a lost life insurance policy on your own, then you should go on hiring a search agency that can assist you in finding this important document for you to claim before the insurance company.

9. Search in the Government Database Available Online: If the deceased person has taken a life insurance policy from a nationally recognised company, then there are odds that you will find its record in the government database of the country. These online platforms are designed to help beneficiaries or legal heirs locate unclaimed or lost policies by submitting basic details of the policyholder.

10. Contact the Office of the State's Unclaimed Property: Every state in every country holds a department where all the information about the unclaimed life insurance property is recorded. You can easily contact this office of state's Unclaimed Property and get the details about your lost life insurance policy.

11. Get in Touch with the State Insurance Department: The state insurance department is a regulatory body that holds all the records of every life insurance policy sold. Hence, you can write a letter to the state insurance department, requesting them to send the details of your lost policy.

12. Wait for the Insurance Company to Contact You: Even if you have lost the life insurance policy, there is no need to feel disheartened as the insurance company also holds the provision of contacting the beneficiaries after the policyholder's death. If you are one of the nominees of the policyholder, then the insurance company will surely get in touch with you.

Learn more about nominee for a life insurance plan.

Conclusion

Losing a life insurance policy can be a nightmare, especially after the policyholder's demise. Life insurance plans are designed to help the policyholder’s family when they are in a severe financial crisis. 

Persistence pays off when it comes to reclaiming what your family is entitled to. However, being proactive today can save your loved ones from future distress. To ensure your life insurance benefits are easily accessible when needed, always keep your policy documents in a safe and organised place. Share essential policy details, such as the insurer's name, policy number, and nominee information, with trusted family members. Additionally, utilise secure digital storage tools like DigiLocker, which enable you to store and access important insurance documents at any time, from anywhere.