Life Insurance & Annuities Forum

My mom, who passed away seven months ago, told me and my siblings that she had life insurance policies on us. We don't know where to find them and don't know the name of the company that she used. How do we find these policies?

Donnajean , Massachusetts

Dear Donnajean,

Unfortunately, there is no central database of life insurance policies, so tracking down the policies could take some legwork. Here are some tips that may help you track down the policy:

• Try going through canceled checks or contact your mother's bank for copies of old checks, if you have access to them. If your mother wrote out checks to pay premiums, the name of the insurer will be on the checks.
• Are there any other family members who might have been privy to your mother's financials? Perhaps they know where she purchased the insurance.
• Try finding her auto or home insurance agent. They might have sold her the life insurance policies, or may know who did. Also ask her lawyer, banker, and accountant.

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