September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, a time dedicated to reminding consumers of the importance of life insurance in protecting families’ financial futures. In honor of this awareness campaign, a free online service created by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is helping individuals locate lost life insurance policies and annuity contracts of deceased loved ones.
This tool addresses a common problem: millions of dollars in life insurance benefits go unclaimed annually because beneficiaries may not know policies exist or are unable to find the relevant documents.
The NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator is a secure, confidential, and easy-to-use resource accessible nationwide. To use it, a user submits information from a deceased person’s death certificate, including name, date of birth, date of death, and Social Security number. The locator then searches participating insurance companies’ records to identify any matches with lost policies. If a policy is found, and the requester is a named beneficiary, the insurance company will contact them directly to claim benefits.
Insurance Commissioner Scott Saiki emphasized the significance of this service, stating, “The loss of a loved one can create a heavy financial burden on families, but life insurance is meant to ease that burden. Using this tool can help ensure those benefits are rightfully received.” In Hawaii alone, the tool helped recover and return $5.7 million from over 234 policies in the first half of 2025.
Nationally, the Life Insurance Policy Locator has been highly effective since its launch in 2016, connecting beneficiaries to more than $6 billion in unclaimed benefits. Over 600,000 requests have been made, leading to more than 300,000 confirmed matches with life insurance policies or annuity contracts. These figures reflect the vast scale of unclaimed benefits and the crucial role this tool plays in reuniting families with their entitlements.
Despite the clear benefits of life insurance coverage, many households remain underinsured or unaware of their policies. Studies reveal that a large proportion of Americans lack adequate coverage or knowledge about life insurance. This gap can lead to financial hardship following the death of a wage earner, underscoring the importance of both having life insurance and knowing how to locate existing policies if needed.
The locator service is open to anyone, including beneficiaries, legal representatives, or family members. However, claimants will generally need a certified death certificate and to be the named beneficiary to receive benefits. Requests can take up to 90 business days for completion, and only legitimate beneficiaries or those with legal authority can obtain information due to privacy rules.
Life insurance benefits that remain unclaimed for extended periods often revert to the state’s unclaimed property offices. State laws vary on unclaimed benefits, but the locator service offers a proactive way to avoid losing benefits by reuniting beneficiaries with insurance companies quickly.
Consumers interested in using the Life Insurance Policy Locator can access it through the NAIC website. For those with questions, state insurance departments such as Hawaii’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs provide additional support and resources.
Life Insurance Awareness Month serves as a timely reminder to review existing coverage policies, understand available options, and ensure loved ones are protected. Tools such as the NAIC’s Life Insurance Policy Locator significantly reduce the chance of missing out on vital financial benefits, helping families secure peace of mind during difficult times.
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