“We can’t find the life insurance policy.” A free tool that can help.

After a loved one dies, families often face a long list of urgent questions. One of the most common is also one of the most frustrating:

 

“Did they have life insurance? We can’t find the policy.”

 

In many cases, the family is fairly sure coverage existed, but the details are missing. The paperwork may have been lost, the agent’s name isn’t known, or no one knows which company to call. And during an already stressful time, figuring out where to start can feel overwhelming.

 

A little-known, free resource (created by insurance regulators)

 

What many families, and many professionals, don’t realize is that there’s a free, nationwide tool designed specifically for this situation. It was created by state insurance regulators.

 

It’s called the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator.

 

This tool lets beneficiaries, executors, and legal representatives submit a request asking participating life insurance companies to search their records for lost or unknown life insurance policies.

 

How the NAIC Policy Locator works

 

The process is designed to be national, secure, and straightforward:

• Your request is sent to participating insurance companies.
• The search is handled directly by the insurers, using their own records.
• If a policy is found and you are the beneficiary, the insurance company contacts you directly.

You can access the locator here:   https://eapps.naic.org/life-policy-locator/

 

Why this matters

 

Each year, millions of dollars in life insurance benefits go unclaimed. Not because families aren’t entitled to them, but because they don’t know the coverage exists or can’t locate the policy information.

 

This tool helps close that gap by giving families a clear starting point when the usual trail of documents and contacts isn’t available.