How to Check on the Beneficiary of a Life Insurance Policy
Part of settling the estate of a deceased loved one is determining whether the person who passed on left an insurance policy. Sometimes it is not clear who the beneficiary of a life insurance policy is, which can complicate getting funds distributed the way the deceased person wanted. Finding a life insurance beneficiary requires you to do some detective work and get in touch with the company who issued the policy. It may take some time to get the information you need.
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Instructions
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Dig through the deceased's paperwork for the life insurance policy and related documentation, such as the deceased's will. Often this paperwork shows who the beneficiary is. Usually people keep these kinds of documents in a home office filing cabinet, but others keep them in safety deposit boxes. If the person who died wasn't very organized, you'll need to fish through any envelopes and folders that are scattered around. If you can't find these documents, consider records like personal journals.
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Contact your local probate court clerk if you can't find a will. Give them the name of the person who passed away and ask if a will was filed. Find out if any life insurance policies and corresponding beneficiaries were listed in the will. Wills usually are a matter of public record when filed with the probate court clerk.
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Get a copy of the death certificate for the deceased. Insurance companies often will not reveal policy information unless you can verify that the policy holder has passed away, since taking out a policy is a private transaction between the company and the policy holder.
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Write to the life insurance company's claims department. Ask the representative to pull a copy of the deceased's life insurance policy and tell you who the beneficiary is. You'll probably need to include a copy of the death certificate with your request. Verification that you are the executor of the deceased's estate may speed the process.
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