Co-Founder, Coastal Financial Partners Group, California
There is no accessible centralized database but there are ways to track down lost life insurance policies.
Start by looking through all paperwork, receipts, annual statements, bank statements, checkbooks, calendars, address books, etc. In the latter, look for, and contact, professional advisers e.g. life insurance, tax, legal, financial adviser or planner.
Check the mail for the coming months for billing statements.
Ask companies providing home, auto, health or other insurance coverage if life insurance was also held there.
Contact your state's insurance department and check the website for resources for locating lost policies. Some states have set up policy locator services. Also check the state's unclaimed property databases.
The MIB (Medical Information Bureau) is also a way to locate policies issued since 1996 from the insurance companies who are MIB members.
There are also a few businesses who charge a fee to do this research for you.
Here is a link to the MIB, lost policy request.
When you apply for Life Insurance, most companies request and report information to the MIB Group Inc. for underwriting purposes. So, providing your lost policy was reported to MIB, you should be able to find it.
Self-employed Employee Benefits Provider, Upland, California
Some other places to look other than those places that Jerry Vanderzanden mentioned in his answer would be on the deceased persons pay stub. Some times an insured may buy a "Voluntary Life" plan through work and you may be able to find mention of the company or policy number on his or her pay statement. Many credit card companies and banks offer accidental death type policies for their customers, so those statements may be a good place to look, also safety deposit boxes are favorite hiding places for life policies.
.JPG){kind=avatar}
Start by looking through all paperwork, receipts, annual statements, bank statements, checkbooks, calendars, address books, etc. In the latter, look for, and contact, professional advisers e.g. life insurance, tax, legal, financial adviser or planner.
Check the mail for the coming months for billing statements.
Ask companies providing home, auto, health or other insurance coverage if life insurance was also held there.
Contact your state's insurance department and check the website for resources for locating lost policies. Some states have set up policy locator services. Also check the state's unclaimed property databases.
The MIB (Medical Information Bureau) is also a way to locate policies issued since 1996 from the insurance companies who are MIB members.
There are also a few businesses who charge a fee to do this research for you.
When you apply for Life Insurance, most companies request and report information to the MIB Group Inc. for underwriting purposes. So, providing your lost policy was reported to MIB, you should be able to find it.
Not guaranteed however.
http://www.mib.com/lost_life_insurance_howto.html